This is not a sponsored post, and we have no affiliations with Rainforest Adventures Discovery Zoo
If you've spent any time on this blog, you've likely noticed that we love to visit zoos or animal encounters with our kids. What we don't love is visiting outdoor experiences when it's freezing cold outside! Rainforest Adventures Discovery Zoo in Sevierville, TN on the Pigeon Forge Parkway is an ideal way to see many different smaller animals all contained within a comfortable, climate-controlled building.
INFORMATION ABOUT RAINFOREST ADVENTURES DISCOVERY ZOO
Location: Behind the NASCAR Cafe restaurant in the Smoky Mountains, adjacent to to the Tanger Outlet Mall (stoplight 13.4) in Sevierville, Tennessee.
Hours: Open 364 days a year (closed Christmas) from 9 am to 5pm
Parking: Free parking is available right outside the building.
Admission: Accurate as of the time of this post: Children under 3 are free. Youth $7.99 (ages 3-12). Adult $12.99. Senior $10.99 (55+) Group discount available for 10 or more paying persons
Website: http://www.rfadventures.com
Click here for a coupon to receive $2 the price of admission for each person in your group!
OUR EXPERIENCE AT RAINFOREST ADVENTURES DISCOVERY ZOO
Upon entering the building, we found ourselves inside Amazon Traders, the zoo's gift shop. We purchased our tickets and did our best to steer our kids away from all of the colorful pretties in the gift shop before things got ugly.
But can you blame them for being excited? Look at all those fun plushies.
We entered the exhibit area, thankful to be inside of a warm building on such a cold day. Rainforest Adventures has over 600 live animals representing more than 130 different species, so there's lots to see.
I'm not gonna lie, it's a lil' stinky inside. It's not a dirty odor necessarily, but just what you'd probably expect from so many animal exhibits enclosed indoors.
There are all kinds of animals including mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and even insects.
The reptile exhibits are particularly impressive. There were many beautiful animals that looked quite happy in their homey surroundings.
The kids really enjoyed themselves. This slack-jawed expression never left Shelby's face as we wandered the halls. That finger rarely stopped pointing, too.
Smoochy smoochy, lovey dovey. These African Servals were so cuddly and cute. Don't you want to curl up with them? Yeah, they might eat you, but it'd be a good way to go.
"Look, that's a skunk!" Jasper: "Can I smell it? Yuck!"
And of course, even with all of the interesting and beautiful animals to see, our kids amused themselves for a solid 10 minutes on these bleachers. Sigh.
Just munchin' on a snack, don't mind me.
Ooh, what's that?
Yup, that same expression.
There are some LOUD birdie friends in the bird exhibit, which is open air so you can get up close and talk to them. The cockatoo can really shake the walls with his powerful voice. Shelby was not impressed with the racket!
The rodents were kinda cute, actually... though I couldn't help but wonder if some of them are used for, um, food for some of the reptiles and amphibians (I have no idea if they really do that so please don't think I'm making any assumptions!)
Babiessss! Look at their tiny little ears!
There is a section of outdoor enclosures that house the goats, donkeys, and rheas.
A rhea trying to blend in with the donkeys, nothin' to see here, move along.
Goats on steps.
We really enjoyed our visit to Rainforest Adventures Discovery Zoo and it was a pleasant way to spend a chilly day indoors learning about animals! Make sure you use the coupon on their website if you visit to save yourself $2 for every person in your party!
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Aleigna
Hey!
What a fantastis post! This is so chock full of useful information I can't wait to dig deep and start utilizing the resources you have given me. The info here are very useful especially that my family and I am planning to go on vacation to Gatlinburg this coming weekend. Thanks a lot!