MEMPHIS, Tenn. — It may be spring break, but there’s no break on the entry fee at the Memphis Zoo this month.
On a warm Tuesday in March, the Memphis Zoo was packed. Add in spring break, and the zoo is a popular activity.
Only this month, it’s not a ‘free’ activity like every other Tuesday of the year. Parents want to know why.
The zoo says it shut down free Tuesdays in March five years ago. It seems some people have forgotten what happened back then.
Spring break March 2010, the zoo was packed beyond capacity on free Tuesday, with huge traffic jams, fights, and even gunshots in nearby neighborhoods once the zoo closed.
“The zoo was terrible, couldn’t enjoy anything. Worst time,” one visitor told us back in 2010.
The zoo says there were just too many people back then.
“It creates kind of a lot of people coming in at once. To make sure all of our guests are experiencing a fun family time , we want to make sure they have room to move and room to see everything. When you have a lot of people it’s kinda hard to do,” Laura Doty with the Memphis Zoo said.
So the zoo axed free Tennessee Tuesdays in March.
Visitors who like the free day don’t think it should have stopped.
“A lot of people should be able to come in on a free day like it was, but I guess a lot of people get crazy and they just take advantage of it,” zoo visitor Darius Scott said.
Parents knowing what crowds can lead to don’t mind the one-month change.
“It is a concern if it is overcrowded. Just keeping up with your kids as a mom with two boys, it’s just hard to keep up with them when it is really crowded. So I think it’s really better to limit it,” zoo visitor Jessica Roser said.
The zoo says it has worked for five years now and hasn’t slowed down visitors who really want safe family fun.
“We just went to see the lions too. Pretty cool,” 7-year-old zoo visitor Torie Scott said.
Free Tuesday admission continues next month between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. for those with a valid Tennessee ID. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
