The Best Things to Do in Nashville with Kids

I took my 2 young kids (toddler & preschooler) to Nashville in between Christmas and New Years. I found cheap non-stop flights to Nashville, so I thought why not!

My husband had to work, so I convinced my mom to come with to help with the kiddos.

Below are the best things we found to do with kids in Nashville.

1. Free Puppet show at the Nashville Public Library

Our visit to the Nashville Public Library (on Church Street – downtown) was by far my kids favorite stop on our trip to Nashville.

They have a free puppet show (called Story Time) that is open to the public. Here is a link to the library’s website that shows their upcoming events.

Be sure to save some time to explore the rest of the children’s area of the library after the puppet show. They have an activity room (across the hall from the puppet show) and a little indoor play area.

Note: The library has a parking garage (park on level 4). The first 90 minutes are free (just be sure to validate your ticket before leaving the library).

2. Make your own Goo Goo Cluster

The Goo Goo Cluster is a candy that was born in Nashville.

They have a store downtown (near Broadway). We walked here from the Nashville Public Library (on Church Street – downtown). Another way to get here (to avoid walking down Broadway for a stretch) would be to park at Cumberland Park for free (by Nissan Stadium) and walk the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge into the downtown area.

They offer some unique experiences or you can ‘make your own’ Goo Goo cluster for $15 using one of their several kiosks.

My daughter did the make your own cluster. It was a highlight for sure!

Since this is downtown, I recommend visiting here early in the day (they open at 10am – check their website for updated hours) to avoid walking through the rowdier crowds.

3. Country Music Hall of Fame

The Country Music Hall of Fame is a must if this is your first time visiting Nashville (if you are into country music, of course).

The Taylor Swift Education Center offers some fun activities for kids.

4. Music City Walk of Fame

Right across from the Country Music Hall of Fame, you will find the Music City Walk of Fame.

As mentioned above, if you are visiting downtown area with kids, I recommend doing so before lunchtime to avoid the rowdier crowds.

5. Walk the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge

We parked for free in the Nissan Stadium parking lot (not on a game day). This bridge will take you right into downtown. It offers some great views of downtown and the Nissan Stadium.

There is also a park below the bridge (on Stadium side of the river) called Cumberland Park. It was snow covered when we visited, so we didn’t get a chance to play here.

6. The Parthenon

The Parthenon in Nashville is probably the most random attraction I have seen, but I loved it!

It is in Centennial Park which has lots of grassy area to run/play soccer or have a picnic if it’s nice out.

I read that it started as a temporary structure, but then it was liked so much that they decided to make it a permanent structure. A very unique tourist attraction in Nashville! More details here.

Bonus: There is a playground across the way from the Parthenon!

7. Enchant (end of November-December)

If you are visiting Nashville in December, I recommend checking out a light display. There are multiple in the area with most being drive-through light displays.

We chose to visit Enchant (at the First Horizon Park/Stadium). We loved it!

They have several activities (including ice skating) with the main activity being the light display maze. They also had little Christmas village huts selling hot cocoa and adult beverages.

Kids were free on Wednesdays, so be sure to check their website for special offers!

8. Visit the Gaylord Opryland Resort

The Gaylord Opryland Resort is massive. It is pricey to stay at, but it is free to walk around inside. But heads up, parking is around $33. I think it was worth it for all of us to explore!

Inside they have a boat tour. Also, be warned.. there is an arcade in this place.

This was a fun place to explore around Christmas time as there are lots of special holiday events!

9. Children’s Theater

The Children’s Theater offers some fun shows for the kiddos. Unfortunately the theater did not have any plays showing on the days we were here. But here is their website to check out the calendar.

10. Hike

We didn’t have any time for hiking on this trip, but below are some areas we plan to check out next time. I recommend using the ‘AllTrails’ app to find trails!

• Warner Woods Trail at Percy Warner Park
• Radnor Lake

If you have time, the Smoky Mountains (pictured above) are only a 3.5 hour drive from Nashville. Here is my post on Things to Do in the Smoky Mountains.

Other Things to Do:

• Indoor Playground (We Rock The Spectrum)
• Walk around Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park
• Cooter’s (free Duke’s of Hazard Museum)
• McKays Nashville (used book store)
• Adventure Science Center
• Lane Motor Museum
• Pinewood Social (for bowling)

Before visiting Nashville with kids, I recommend checking out this Facebook page called Nashville Fun for Families. It shares some fun things to do with kids in and near Nashville.

If you run out of things to do, find a park! And if the kids are too tired for activities, drive around the area (in hopes the kids will take a car nap) and just explore. I recommend grabbing something from a local coffee shop while doing so!

Where to Stay

We stayed at this Airbnb rental. It was a very nice house. I didn’t love the location (would have preferred to be further from downtown).

Originally, we were supposed to stay in an Airbnb rental in East Nashville. I think I would have preferred to stay in East Nashville (specifically the Lockeland Springs area looked nice and quiet/kid friendly).

Other Posts You Might Like:

• The Best Places to Eat in East Nashville
• 1 Week Family Vacation in The Smoky Mountains
• Hiking Trip in Dillon/Frisco/Breckenridge, Colorado with Kids
• The Best Hiking Trails & Food in Estes Park, Colorado

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