10 Things to do in Nashville with Kids
Nashville is a city to visit as a family, and in addition to festivals and music concerts, it also has many attractions to enjoy with the kids. Here are the best things to do with the kids.
Children in Nashville | ©Michael Rivera
Nashville is a multicultural city that you can discover any time of the year, whether it's during the hot southern summer or the cold winter that blankets the Tennessee capital in snow, but it's also a great destination for families, especially as there are plenty of attractions to enjoy with children.
Some of the best things to do in Nashville if you're planning to tour the city with kids include touring the Science and Art Museums, experiencing zip-lining, taking part in marshmallow walks on Owl's Hill, visiting the Mammoth Cave caves and touring the massive Nashville Zoo.
1. Experience zip lining in Whites Creek Valley
If you want to experience Nashville beyond the city centre, music festivals and concerts, museums and halls of fame, you can visit Whites Creek Valley, a wooded region 15 minutes' drive from downtown that is one of Tennessee's premier green lungs. There you can admire the views of the valley and enjoy the Fontanel Zipline with the kids.
The Fontanel Zipline crosses the valley from end to end and adds a dose of adrenaline to your visit to the city, which is usually characterised by urban activities, away from the adventure circuit. This experience can be done whether you visit Nashville in winter or summer, as it's always available, although in both cases you'll need to make sure you pack the right clothing to keep you warm and dry.
The zip line experience will also give you a chance to enjoy the sweeping views of the forest and take in the natural blanket that covers the outskirts of Nashville. You can reach the valley by car or by buses 14 and 22.
Interesting details
- Price... The initial cost of the zip line experience is about 54 euros per person for adults.
- Location... Whites Creek Valley, Nashville.
- How to get there... By car or buses 14 and 22.
2. Visit Nashville Shores Water Park
Nashville Shores is one of the most famous water parks in the southern United States, but it's also an amusement park that includes a dozen water slides, a huge wave pool, a man-made lazy river and Kowabunga Beach, which is a reproduction of a Caribbean island with a tree house and playground.
This water park on the shores of Percy Priest Lake also includes an adventure park with zip lines, river boat rentals and accommodations, so you can also stay at the Nashville Shores hotel. The park is open from March to November and the water attractions are fully operational between May and August, which is the city's peak season.
Nashville Shores is located on the outskirts of the city, so you can get there by public transport on the #6 bus, by car via I-40 E or on the Nashville Sightseeing Bus, which includes a stop in the Percy Priest area.
Details of interest
- Price... Admission to the water park has an initial cost of approximately 49 euros per person.
- Location... 4001 Bell Rd, Hermitage.
- How to get there... By car, bus #6 or city tour bus.
3. Enjoy the Nashville Zoo
The Nashville Z oo is one of the largest zoos in the southern United States and is known for the variety of animals you can find there, with almost 400 species living in the 76 hectares of countryside surrounding the 200-year-old house that serves as the centre of the zoo and also as a reception area for visitors.
The zoo is home to giraffes, tigers, kangaroos, a huge aviary, a butterfly house and many other animals, making it an ideal place to visit if you're planning to tour the city with children. And if you're visiting Nashville in April, you can enjoy Family Week, where you'll get discounts for the whole family, who can enter the zoo for the price of one.
Some zoo activities, such as the train ride or the butterfly garden tour, cost extra, and you can also opt for a guided tour of the zoo's walking trails to learn about the history of the farm, which until the 18th century was a slave farm on the outskirts of Nashville.
Interesting details
- Price... Admission to the zoo is approximately 16 euros.
- Location... 3777 Nolensville Pk, Nashville.
- How to get there... 52 bus or Nashville Sightseeing Bus, which includes a stop at the Zoo.
4. Tour the Nashville Museum of Science
Downtown Nashville, which is the epicentre of the city's main activities, is home to the Science Museum, which is a child-oriented research site with themed exhibits and displays and a wide range of activities for kids.
At the Science Museum you will find simulators, projections and experiments where children can learn about the human body, outer space and science in general. There are also special exhibits that include videos in the museum's audio theatre and other activities that defy gravity or take you on a journey back in time to the age of the dinosaurs.
The interactive exhibits feature themes of biology, astronomy, physics, geology and energy, so kids will be amazed by the wide variety of activities. In addition, the museum offers a quick tour, so you can also visit if you have a short stay in the city planned. If that's your case, here's a list of activities so you can discover Nashville in 3 days.
Details of interest
- Price... Admission to the museum is approximately 18 euros for adults and 12 euros for children up to 12 years of age.
- Location... 800 Fort Negley Blvd, Nashville.
- How to get there... Buses 8, 52 and 55 or the Nashville Sightseeing Bus.
5. Enjoy traditional movie nights under the stars
If you're planning to visit Nashville in June or during the summer months, you can enjoy movie nights under the stars, a popular tradition in the city that is also part of American Southern folklore and consists of film screenings in different neighbourhoods.
You can enjoy movies under the stars from your car or in the seats in front of the big screen, and usually cult films are shown, although there are also a few places that show children's films or films of a particular genre. These shows are great for the whole family as there are usually food and drink trucks and stalls.
You can buy tickets for individual films or for a series of shows, as during the summer the screenings are repeated every day except during rainy days, which you should be aware of because during the summer the weather in Nashville is hot but it is also humid and rainy.
Interesting details
- Price... The initial cost of tickets for each film is 10 euros per person.
- When... Every year during the summer and in some places also during the spring.
- Where... In different locations around the city.
6. Join the Marshmallow Walks at Owl's Hill
Winter is often cold in Nashville and most activities are indoors, but winter also offers the chance for adventure experiences, such as the Owl's Hill Marshmallow Hike, which makes the most of the natural environment surrounding the city and is a great family activity.
These walks consist of a tour of the trails at Owl's Hill Nature Sanctuary, an ecological reserve containing over 2000 species of local flora and fauna, and aim to promote care for the environment and the city's green spaces. The Marshmallow Walks are so named because they include a bonfire, hot chocolate for participants and marshmallows at the end.
This activity is ideal if you plan to visit Nashville with children and want to see Owl's Hill. You can also check out the nature preserve's summer and spring activities.
Details of interest
- Price... Tickets for the Marshmallow Walk start at approximately 10 euros if you book online in advance and 12 euros if you buy tickets on the day of the event.
- Location... 545 Beech Creek Rd S, Brentwood, Tennessee.
- How to get there... You can arrive by car or private transport.
7. Visit Mammoth Cave Caves on a family tour
Mammoth Cave National Park is home to the largest cave system ever discovered in the United States and the world and is one of the largest natural attractions in the southern part of the country. You can visit these caves as a family or with children, as the trails are safe and easily walkable.
At Mammoth Cave, you can experience rolling hills and deep river valleys, making it an ecosystem of plant and animal life and an international biosphere reserve. In addition, the national park also offers canoeing, kayaking, boating, horseback riding, biking and fishing.
Mammoth Cave National Park is located in Kentucky, a state bordering Tennessee, about an hour and a half's drive from Nashville, so be aware that the entire tour can take almost a full day, which may not be advisable if you're planning a short stay in the city.
Interesting details
- Price... Entrance to the park has an initial cost of approximately 25 euros per person.
- Location... Mammoth Cave, Kentucky.
- How to get there... You can get there by car or private transport.
8. Family fun with the Schermerhorn Treasure Hunt
The Schermerhorn Symphony Center is home to the Nashville Symphony and each year hosts a fundraising scavenger hunt where groups have to follow clues to find the treasure hidden in the building.
This activity, which is organised several times a year, especially during the winter and autumn, also includes other interactive games in escape rooms and board games, as well as a live musical performance by the Nashville Symphony and members of the Crescendo Club.
The Schermerhorn Symphony Centre, which is housed in one of the city's most beautiful buildings, is located downtown, so you can also combine this activity with a visit to some of Nashville's best museums, which are located in the area.
Interesting details
- Price... Entry to the event has an initial cost of approximately 25 euros per person.
- Location... Schermerhorn Symphony Center, Nashville.
- How to get there... Buses 18, 52 and 55 or the Nashville Sightseeing Bus.
9. Attend Nashville Children's Theatre
One of the best things to do with kids in the city is to visit the Nashville Children's Theatre, which offers seasonal acting classes, puppet shows, premiere performances of children's plays and lecture series.
The Children's Theatre is one of Nashville's top attractions and offers year-round, age-appropriate activities at different times of the day, so you can choose shows at any time of the day or night.
Nashville Children's Theatre is also a non-profit organisation, so it actively participates in the city's charitable events, organises donations and also donates a portion of its proceeds to charity.
Interesting details
- Price... Admission to the children's shows starts at approximately 10 euros per person.
- Location... 25 Middleton St, Nashville.
- How to get there... Buses 18, 52 and 55.
10. Visit the Frist Art Museum
The Frist Art Museum is one of the city's most famous art museums and is responsible for presenting temporary exhibitions of the works of Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, René Magritte and many other prominent artists to the city. The museum also organises activities such as Family Mondays, which you can visit if you plan to visit Nashville in February
During Family Mondays in February, everyone in the family can enter the museum for the cost of a single ticket, making it ideal if you plan to visit Nashville with children. In addition, this event includes special programming for the little ones, such as theatre, storytelling and interactive guided tours.
Interactive guided tours of the museum's rooms for children are available year -round, so you can enjoy the Frist as a family no matter what time of year you visit.
Interesting details
- Price... Admission to the museum costs approximately 15 euros for adults. On Mondays in January the whole family can enter for the cost of a single ticket.
- Location... 919 Broadway, Nashville.
- How to get there... Buses 3, 7 and 8 and the Nashville Sightseeing Bus.