With kids · Nashville · United States
Nashville with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Nick Shields, CC BY 2.0
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Quick answer
Nashville is better for families than its party reputation suggests: the music museums, the Parthenon, the Opry, Bicentennial Mall's fountains and the Nashville Zoo work well with children. Avoid Lower Broadway late at night. Top picks: Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, The Parthenon and Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park. Families usually base themselves in Music Valley.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 6
- Best area for families
- Music Valley
- Rainy-day options
- 3
- Busiest months
- June and October
Best things to do with kids
Museum · Downtown and Lower Broadway
1.Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
The largest museum dedicated to a single genre traces country music from its folk roots to today, with instruments, costumes, Elvis Presley's gold Cadillac and the Hall of Fame rotunda of inductees' plaques. It is also the starting point for tours of the historic RCA Studio B.
Book the Studio B tour with your museum ticket; it is only reached by the museum's shuttle.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Rainy day
Museum · Midtown and Music Row
2.The Parthenon
A full-scale replica of the Athens Parthenon built for the 1897 Tennessee Centennial Exposition stands in Centennial Park. Inside are an art museum and a 12.8-metre gilded statue of Athena, the tallest indoor statue in the Western Hemisphere.
The park around it is free and a pleasant place for a picnic.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- Art
- Kids
- Rainy day
Park · Germantown
3.Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park
A long state park below the Capitol, with a 60-metre granite map of Tennessee, a World War II memorial globe, fountains children can play in and a 95-bell carillon representing the state's counties.
Pair it with lunch at the Nashville Farmers' Market food hall next door.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- History
- Outdoors
Museum · Downtown and Lower Broadway
4.National Museum of African American Music
Opened in 2021 at Fifth and Broadway, this museum traces more than 50 genres shaped by African American musicians, from spirituals and the blues to jazz, gospel, R&B and hip-hop, with interactive booths where you can sing, dance or produce a beat.
Plan at least two hours; the interactive galleries take time.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
- Art
Gallery · Downtown and Lower Broadway
5.Frist Art Museum
An exhibition centre with no permanent collection, housed in the city's former Art Deco main post office, which shows touring exhibitions from major museums, plus a hands-on art studio for children.
Check the current exhibitions online; under-18s go free.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Architecture
- Kids
Experience · Music Valley
6.Grand Ole Opry
Broadcast on radio since 1925, the Opry is a live show of several country artists, from legends to newcomers, each playing a few songs. At the Opry House a circle of wood from the Ryman's stage is set into the centre of the stage. Backstage tours are offered by day.
Check whether the show is at the Opry House or, during some winter weeks, at the Ryman.
- Time needed
- 2–2.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Book tickets ahead, especially for weekend shows.
- Iconic
- After dark
- History
Rainy-day ideas
- National Museum of African American Music — Plan at least two hours; the interactive galleries take time.
- The Parthenon — The park around it is free and a pleasant place for a picnic.
- Frist Art Museum — Check the current exhibitions online; under-18s go free.
Where families should stay
$$ · Best for families and budget
Music Valley
About 15 km northeast of downtown, Music Valley holds the Grand Ole Opry House, the vast glass-roofed Gaylord Opryland Resort with its indoor gardens and the Opry Mills outlet mall, along with many mid-priced chain hotels.
- Good
- Walk to the Opry; Cheaper chain hotels with parking; Family-friendly
- Watch out
- Far from downtown nightlife; Car-dependent
- Nearby
- Grand Ole Opry, Gaylord Opryland Resort, Opry Mills
Family travel tips
- Honky-tonks generally admit under-21s only during the day; check each venue's age policy.
- The Nashville Zoo at Grassmere and the Adventure Science Center are good with younger children.
- Gaylord Opryland's indoor gardens and Christmas displays are free to walk through, though parking is charged.
- Bicentennial Mall's fountains are a free splash spot in summer.
- Stay in Music Valley for quieter evenings and easy Opry access.
Day trips for families
- Franklin (About 30 minutes by car) — A historic town with a Victorian Main Street of shops and restaurants, the Carter House and Carnton plantation from the 1864 Battle of Franklin, and live music at the Franklin Theatre.
- Chattanooga (About 2–2.5 hours by car) — A river city in the mountains, known for the Tennessee Aquarium, Lookout Mountain's Incline Railway, Rock City and Ruby Falls, and the Walnut Street pedestrian bridge.
- Mammoth Cave National Park (About 1.5 hours by car) — The longest known cave system in the world, with ranger-led tours through vast chambers and narrow passages, from short walks to strenuous half-day routes.
When to go with children
The best months overall are April–May and September–October. June and October are the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Nashville good for kids?
Nashville is better for families than its party reputation suggests: the music museums, the Parthenon, the Opry, Bicentennial Mall's fountains and the Nashville Zoo work well with children. Avoid Lower Broadway late at night.
+What can kids do in Nashville?
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, The Parthenon, Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, National Museum of African American Music and Frist Art Museum.
+Where should families stay in Nashville?
Music Valley: The Grand Ole Opry, Gaylord Opryland resort and outlet mall.