Planning a family vacation is different from planning a trip involving just adults. For a family vacation to be successful, you have to pick a destination that has plenty of kid-friendly things to do and see. Whether you live in Tennessee or somewhere else, you needn\u2019t look beyond Nashville for a great family-friendly vacation destination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you’re looking for ways to make the most of family time, look no further than \u201cAdventures From Scratch: Family Edition<\/em><\/a>.\u201d Uncover a new challenge whenever you want to explore, enjoy some excitement, or just be together at home, in Nashville, or anywhere! <\/p>\n\n\n\n When it comes to getting around Nashville to see all of the city\u2019s amenities, there are several fun options available to you. Signing up for an app-led scavenger hunt is one of those options. Let\u2019s Roam has pre-planned tours of Music City<\/a>, three of which are great for families visiting the city with children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some kid-friendly scavenger hunts we\u2019re put together include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nashville earned the nickname \u201cSmashville\u201d thanks to the dominance and sometimes rough-and-tumble nature of its professional hockey team, the Nashville Predators. The Predators play at Bridgestone Arena, which is one of the busiest multi-purpose venues in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From NHL games to concerts, comedy shows, and more, there\u2019s always something going on at the arena. To get your Nashville family vacation off to a good start, buy tickets to a family-friendly show during your stay in Music City. Just be sure you purchase your tickets in advance because shows and events at the arena often sell out quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, there are plenty of other things to do and see in Nashville. Music City is ripe for both indoor and outdoor sightseeing, and the city doesn\u2019t have a shortage of amenities that will interest kids of all ages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Grand Ole Opry bills itself as \u201cthe platform that connects artists and fans to the music they love\u201d and \u201cthe show that made country music famous,\u201d and rightfully so. For nearly 100 years, the Grand Ole Opry has been home to country music\u2019s humble beginnings, its evolving growth, and its bright future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can catch a live music radio concert in the gallant hall. The show is just 45 minutes long, which will prevent kids from getting impatient or bored. You\u2019ll appreciate the venue\u2019s church pew seating because it will allow your children to move around freely in their seats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before or after the show, you may want to sign up for a tour of the facility. Guided tours kick off with an immersive experience featuring husband and wife duo Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood. You can hang out backstage, visit dressing rooms where world-famous musicians have prepared for upcoming performances, and even stand in the world-renowned circle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Established in 1931, the Nashville Children\u2019s Theatre is the oldest kids\u2019 theatre in the United States. The theatre has trained generations of aspiring kid actors and continues to put on a full calendar of live performances every year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Acting classes culminate in fantastic performances that allow trained, professional child actors to demonstrate their skills to the delight of audience members. In addition to its performances and acting classes, the theatre offers programs to educate kids about the autism spectrum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your children get bitten by the \u201cacting bug\u201d when you visit NCT, don\u2019t worry! You can sign them up for virtual acting classes year-round. The theatre also gives your children the chance to participate in some fun-filled activities virtually. From breaking codes to solving mysteries, saving a far-off galaxy, and more, your kids can do them all through the theatre\u2019s digital programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also referred to as the \u201cSmithsonian of Country Music,\u201d the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum pays homage to all things related to country music and its storied history. The facility has a large collection of county music memorabilia, state-of-the-art galleries, event halls, classrooms, and a fun-to-explore gift store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The institution\u2019s main exhibit is named \u201cSing Me Back Home: A Journey Through Country Music.\u201d This exhibit takes visitors on an odyssey that explores the history, voices, instrumental sounds, faces, and legendary tales related to country music and its ever-increasing popularity. In addition to other noteworthy exhibits, the museum has a CMA Theater and the Taylor Swift Education Center. The Museum is also home to CMF Records.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re making a list of the best family-friendly things to do in Nashville, you should put \u201cvisit Honky Tonk Highway\u201d near or at the top of your list. Honky Tonk Highway is littered with a wide array of places where you and your family can enjoy some live music, including AJ\u2019s Good Time Bar, Alan Jackson\u2019s Bar, Savannah\u2019s Candy Kitchen, and Whisky Row Gastropub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While some establishments are adult-only at night, most of them welcome families with kids during the day. If you\u2019re going to let your kids stay up past their bedtime, you and your children will still have a great time along Honky Tonk Highway after the sun goes down because some places let kids in after dark, and overflow tunes will keep you entertained as you stroll along the sidewalks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It may seem strange to put a resort on a list of fun things to do in Music City, but it\u2019ll be more understandable once you\u2019re familiar with two of the property\u2019s amenities. The first one is the Treetop Adventure Park and the second is Nashville\u2019s largest waterpark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Treetop Adventure Park gives visitors the chance to explore the outdoors as they\u2019ve never done before. The park features 100 challenging obstacles, which include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Groups start their adventures every hour on the hour starting at 10 am. Since it takes a while for people to cover the four large courses in the park, the last daily group departs the starting point at 2 pm. The park asks visitors to fill out their virtual waivers before they arrive and requests that they arrive at the starting point at least 15 minutes before their scheduled start times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After you work up a sweat at Treetop Adventure Park, you can cool off at the nearby waterpark. This park has multiple slides, including Mega Mayhem, which is a fun, thrilling family raft ride that\u2019s over six stories high. The park also has a wave pool, Kowabunga Beach, and a huge treehouse and playground. If you want to relax at the park, consider renting one of the available cabanas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Located near Nashville\u2019s border on West End and 25th Avenue North, you may have to travel a bit to get to Centennial Park if you\u2019re accommodations are on the other side of the city. Centennial Park is a large outdoor space that occupies 132 acres. The park has a slew of amenities, which include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to those amenities, Centennial Park is home to the iconic Parthenon, which is a full-size replica of the Parthenon located in Athens, Greece. The Parthenon has a statue of the goddess Athena Parthenos that stands tall at 42 feet. Confederate veteran William Crawford designed the structure and it was constructed way back in 1897.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today, the Parthenon is an art museum. The museum\u2019s permanent collection is maintained on the lower floor and it includes paintings by American artists from the 19th<\/sup> and 20th<\/sup> centuries. During the summer, the Parthenon\u2019s steps serve as the stage for various Greek-themed plays like \u201cMedea\u201d by Euripides and \u201cAntigone\u201d by Sophocles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You have to pay a modest entry fee to go inside the Parthenon. Entering Centennial Park, enjoying its varied amenities, and watching the summertime plays reenacted on the Parthenon\u2019s steps are all free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Known as the people\u2019s president, Andrew Jackson and his wife Rachel once owned The Hermitage, which is located about 10 miles east of Nashville. While it\u2019s outside of Music City, The Hermitage is worth the short ride it will take to reach the grounds if history, architecture, and beautiful landscaping are of interest to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now a museum, The Hermitage offers an intimate look into the lives of its former residents. Exhibits and various displays offer glimpses into the history of the property and the former president\u2019s lifestyle and interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you visit the grounds, make sure you check out the monument where Rachel and Jackson are buried. Jackson had the monument built for his wife after she passed away suddenly in 1828, and he joined her there in eternal rest two days after he passed away on June 8, 1845. The tomb is located in the garden, which was Rachel\u2019s favorite place, and it\u2019s built to look like one of the Greek temples seen on the Telemachus wallpaper Jackson\u2019s wife had selected for the home\u2019s entrance hall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Hermitage offers several types of tours, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also participate in various programs and events that run throughout the year. Given the former president\u2019s relationship with wine and whiskey, it should come as no surprise that tastings are regular events at the property. Vintage Baseball, Painting with the President, and Jackson\u2019s Library Card Virtual Book Club are additional things you may want to sign up for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like The Hermitage, the Frist Art Museum is a National Historic Landmark. Located at 919 Broadway in Nashville, the museum occupies what was once a U.S. post office building which shows off an unapologetic Art Deco style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The non-collecting institution gives visitors the chance to see rotating art exhibits that display all sorts of artistic works. Similarly, the museum encourages kids to be hands-on in the interactive, art-making space known as the Martin ArtQuest Gallery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While adults have to pay a modest fee to enter the museum, kids under 18 can experience the space for free. The Frist Museum has Free Family Days throughout the year and whole families can visit the museum for the price of just one adult on the second Monday of every month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On Family Days, your kids can enjoy trilingual storytime in the Martin ArtQuest Gallery, where stories are told in English, Spanish, and sing language. Due to COVID, your kids will have to enjoy storytime online for now. Just like the museum\u2019s website should be your destination for virtual storytime, you should also navigate to that site for how-to videos for art projects your kids can do at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s no reason to pack snacks before you visit the museum. The Frist Art Museum Caf\u00e9 has a kid- and family-friendly menu that includes sandwiches, pizza, chicken fingers, salads, corn dogs, and yummy dessert items.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Built as the residence of Leslie and Mabel Cheek back in 1929, Cheekwood Estate and Gardens became a museum and botanical garden that opened to the public in 1960. The estate is one of the most striking samples of the American Country Place Era that you\u2019ll come across anywhere. Cheekwood Estate and Gardens occupies 55 acres that are landscaped to maintain an idyllic look and feel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The 30,000 square-foot museum is home to a permanent art collection that includes about 600 paintings and around 5,000 prints, photos, and sketches. When you step into the gardens, you\u2019ll see a vast array of local flora that will take your breath away. If you walk along the Carrell Woodland Sculpture Trail, you\u2019ll see 15 sculptures crafted by artists from around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Approximately 300,000 people visit Cheekwood Estate and Gardens every year, and the museum boasts a membership list of around 19,000 households. You may want to consider signing up for a membership because it will grant your kids access to the museum\u2019s Tots! Program. With the on-site Tots! program currently suspended, the museum is sharing some fun things parents and kids can do, create, and explore at home on its website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you visit the museum on a Tuesday morning, your kids can participate in Storytime. Storytime is perfectly timed to keep everyone\u2019s attention, with each session lasting just 15-20 minutes. Sessions start at 10 am, 10:45 am, and 11:30 am, and they\u2019re held outside in the aptly named Bracken Foundation Children\u2019s Garden. Storytime is weather permitting, so it will be canceled if it\u2019s raining. Be sure you get to the site early because seats are occupied on a first-come, first-served basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Nashville Zoo at Grassmere is for kids of any age who love animals. Nearly 3,000 animals from over 350 different specials live at the zoo, including amphibians, birds, fish, mammals, reptiles, and arthropods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Attractions aren\u2019t in short supply at the zoo. Your family members can enjoy personal experiences with select animals by visiting Critter Encounters, Lorikeet Landing, or Kangaroo Kickabout. You can take a tour of the Grassmere Historic Home and learn some of the stories the historic home has hidden between its storied walls. The Soaring Eagle Zip Line, the Wilderness Express Train, and the Wild Animal Carousel are perennial favorites among the zoo\u2019s visitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do your kids have some extra energy to burn off? Take them over to the zoo\u2019s Jungle Gym. The Jungle Gym has more than 66,000 square feet of excitement and fun for all your family members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before you visit the Nashville Zoo, you can arrange for your family to take a Backstage Pass Tour. Depending on the timing and length of your trip, you may also want to sign your kids up for a camp, class, or overnight experience at the zoo. In addition to its in-person programs, the Nashville Zoo has some online programming you can register your kids for, such as ZooTots-to-You and Zooniversity for At-Home Students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Adventure Science Center is designed to get kids interested in science. The facility is a non-profit museum that\u2019s home to more than 175 interactive, themed exhibits. With 44,000 square feet of floor space, the museum also has the following attractions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n With much to see, do, and experience at the Adventure Science Center, it\u2019s advisable to reserve the better part of a full day to explore the museum. Even if it\u2019s raining on the day you devote to visiting the Adventure Science Center, you should still make it a point to check out the museum\u2019s Galactic Gardens. When you do, you can see the museum\u2019s Rain Garden, the Galactic Gardens Mural, a Phases of the Moon Engraving, and the Cornerstone Financial Credit Union Amphitheater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Percy Priest Lake should be your destination if you\u2019re interested in doing some fun things outside. The 42-mile like is located just ten minutes from downtown Nashville. If you need to recharge, you can use the short car ride over to the man-made reservoir named for Congressman Percy Priest to do some of Let\u2019s Roam\u2019s suggested 20 short and effective meditations<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The reservoir has shorelines in three counties, including Wilson, Davidson, and Rutherford. More than 18,000 acres of land surround Percy Priest Lake. Most of that land is dedicated to preserving and managing local flora and fauna, but select spots allow for outdoor recreation. Here are some of the family-friendly activities you can engage in during a trip to Percy Priest Lake:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Named after the Tennessee Central Railway, which operated from 1902 until 1969, the Tennessee Central Railway Museum shows off multiple diesel-electric locomotives along with a sizeable collection of train cars, engines, and railroad-related memorabilia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Occupying what used to be a freight depot, the museum allows visitors to take a ride on a train that traces its origins back to the 1950s. If you sign up for the ride, the train will take you through a portion of breathtaking Middle Tennessee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you’re wondering how you’ll see all the best spots in Nashville<\/a>, why not try a scavenger hunt<\/a>? These app-led walking tours will lead you to the best landmarks and you can pause and resume at will!<\/p> <\/div> Let’s Roam has published a list of family-friendly things to do in Nashville<\/a>. For some impromptu fun anywhere, uncover one of the 50+ activities in Adventures From Scratch: Family Edition<\/em><\/a>.<\/p> <\/div> Two of the best places for family adventures in Nashville<\/a> are the Adventure Science Center<\/a> and Nashville Shores Lakeside Resort<\/a>. If you’re taking a road trip, don’t forget the travel games<\/a>!<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Heading to Tennessee with kids in tow? There are fantastic family-friendly things to do in Nashville.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":6770,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\n\n\n\nSee Nashville on a Scavenger Hunt<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Must-See Kid-Friendly Attractions and Amenities<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Grand Ole Opry<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Nashville Children\u2019s Theatre<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Honky Tonk Highway<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Nashville Shores Lakeside Resort<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Treetop Adventure Park<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Waterpark<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Centennial Park and the Parthenon<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Andrew Jackson\u2019s Hermitage<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Frist Art Museum<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Cheekwood Estate and Gardens<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Nashville Zoo at Grassmere<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Adventure Science Center<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Percy Priest Lake<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Tennessee Central Railway Museum<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nFrequently Asked Questions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n