Kid-Friendly Places in Nashville, Tennessee

Featured in this Article:

Adventure Science Center
Frist Art Museum
Nashville Zoo
The Parthenon at Centennial Park
Cheekwood Estate & Gardens
Soundwaves at Gaylord Opryland
The Escape Game
 

Explore the wonders of space when you visit Adventure Science Center. Walk through and participate in engaging exhibitions. Catch a show in the Sudekum Planetarium featuring state-of-the-art digital projection and surround sound. Learn about science, culture and history. It even hosts laser shows throughout the year. Exhibitions include the merging of science and medicine, nanoscale science and technology, and even a high-tech makerspace.

• Early Explorers science-themed story time for pre-K children, ages 5 and under, every Monday at 9:30 a.m. in the Eureka Theatre on the second floor of the science center

• Galactic Gardens is an outdoor learning area that includes an engraving of the phases of the moon, a Galactic Garden mural perfect for photo-ops, rain garden and amphitheater

• Check out the events and activities happening at Adventure Science Center

• Accessible services and options including sensory, deaf & hearing, visual and mobility needs provide an inclusive experience for all guests. Find details

• Adventure Science Center is located in the Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood, minutes from downtown. Open 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays

• Ticket information

Visitors 18 years old and younger are always free at the Frist Art Museum, making it easy for families to make art and see the works currently on display that range from large installations to ancient art to world-renowned paintings.

• Toddlers and older children can let their creativity run wild in the Martin ArtQuest Gallery, home to 30 hands-on, imagination-sparking activities

• Cafe Cheeserie, a concept from local The Grilled Cheeserie, serves up sandwiches, soups, salads, charcuterie boards and grab-and-go items. Kids' meals include grilled cheese, mac and cheese, charCUTErie box of cheddar cubes, apple slices, almond flour crackers and more, as well as hidden veggie and chicken nuggets

• The Frist Art Museum is open 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Mondays, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 1-5:30 p.m. Sunday. The museum is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays

• Guests 18 and younger are admitted free. See full ticket information

Get close to kangaroos; see cougars, Elands, Baird tapir, giraffes and meerkats among many other mammals, birds and reptiles at the Nashville Zoo. Catch a zoo keeper talk, held throughout each day at the zoo, that offers more information and a deeper experience with animals like red pandas, flamingos, rhinoceros hornbills and more.

• Experience a Backstage Pass Tour March-October to learn about animal care, behavior and conservation. Meet a rhino, giraffe, okapi, sloth, red panda, giant anteater, aardvark, giant tortoise or cassowary. Feeding opportunities are available

• Adventure 4D Theater featuring 3D and multi-sensory special effects

• Soaring Eagle Zip Line lifts you 110 feet high and several hundred yards back before launching you to a 28 mph ride 

• Additional attractions include the Wild Animal Carousel featuring animals carved by Zsolt Hormay, the master carver who helped create the Tree of Life at Disney's Animal Kingdom; Wilderness Express Train, Grassmere Historic Home tours; jungle gym with a 35-foot tall tree house; and up-close animal experiences

• Ticket prices vary by date

Since Nashville is considered “the Athens of the South,” the city needed an exact replica of the Parthenon in Athens, Greece. The structure was constructed for Tennessee’s 1897 Centennial Exposition and houses a 42-ft. statue of the goddess, Athena - the world's only exact-size replica of the original. Enjoy Centennial Park’s grounds by taking a refreshing walk and having a picnic for a perfect, laidback afternoon. 

• An exterior architecture audio tour is available 24/7

• The Parthenon is open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 12:30-4 p.m. Sunday. Check special hours and holiday hours before you go

• Rotating art exhibits are hosting throughout the year. Check out the permanent exhibit, The Cowan Collection of American Art before your tour

• Ticket information

Take the family to Cheekwood Estate & Gardens for a day spent in nature. About 10 miles south downtown Nashville, Cheekwood has a variety of beautiful gardens, a natural sculpture trail, children’s garden and running brooks that welcome some quiet time. Large lawn areas are perfect to spread a blanket and enjoy the sunshine. Step inside the Cheekwood Estate to see historic artifacts from Cheek family. Upstairs is an art gallery with changing exhibits to give you a fresh experience every time you come to Cheekwood.

• Kids especially love the Bracken Foundation Children's Garden that sparks imagination, love for the outdoors and nature watching as the turtles swim in the pond.

• TOTS! is an annual program perfect for toddlers and small children March-May on Tuesdays to Saturdays 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Enjoy drop-in style, hands-on activities, story time and Turtle Talks where garden staff feed the turtles and answer questions. Each week is themed by current exhibits and seasonal festivals

• Special events happen throughout the year including Cheekwood in Bloom featuring 250,000 blooms, live music in the beer garden, Cheekwood Harvest featuring pumpkin houses and Holiday LIGHTS at Cheekwood with 1 million dazzling lights

• Ticket information

If the kids wants to make a splash in Nashville, take them to Soundwaves at Gaylord Opryland, an indoor water attraction for all ages when you stay at Gaylord Opryland Hotel. Four acres of indoor rides include a lazy river, a mega raft ride, a double FlowRider®, a lily pad walk, basketball hoops and rock wall. After time spent in the water, dry off and hit The Bass-ment, an arcade full of virtual reality games, a rock climbing wall and game tables.

• Indoor water attractions are open year-round while the seasonal outdoor attractions are open on select dates mid-May through Labor Day.

• Indoor and seasonal cabanas are available to rent by guests who have pre-purchased a SoundWaves experience. Each cabana seats up to six guests and includes 2 bottles of LIFEWTR, refrigerator and TV. Food and beverage cabana service is available for additional purchase

• Guarantee your SoundWaves access by booking the SoundWaves Water Experience package

Kid-friendly games filled with clues, puzzles and more will appeal to older kids at The Escape Game in downtown Nashville, Opry Mills and Berry Hill. You'll have an hour of nonstop action navigating temple runs, space travel, taking part in a heist and more. It's a fun thing to do with kids in Nashville.

• Games available from 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. every day 

• Parking: Metered street parking as well as paid lots and garages are available at The Escape Game Nashville Downtown; free parking is in the front lot of the building of The Escape Game Berry Hill; and parking is free around the mall at The Escape Game Opry Mills

• If you're going to the Opry Mills location, it's recommended to park in the lot on the backside of the mall and enter through the entrance closest to Madame Tussauds

• Ticket information

Kids and parents will have a blast in Nashville. For even more kid-friendly ideas, check out these things to do.