I live in Nashville and have spent years testing what actually works for families here — not just what looks good on a list. I’ve dragged kids through the Country Music Hall of Fame, chased donuts through the 12 South neighborhood, and done the Grand Ole’ Opry with a seven-year-old who didn’t know who Dolly Parton was before we walked in. This Things to Do in Nashville With Kids guide covers what I know from real visits.
Is Nashville Good for Families?
Yes, Nashville is genuinely good for families. Music City has a full range of kid-friendly attractions across every neighborhood — from interactive science discovery at the Adventure Science Center to outdoor adventures along the Cumberland River and local music immersion on Broadway.
Nashville’s family-friendly restaurants, walkable neighborhoods, and mix of free and paid attractions make it a practical family vacation destination for kids of all ages.
Downtown Nashville & Broadway With Kids
1. Grand Ole’ Opry — Live Music Immersion for the Whole Family
The Grand Ole Opry is Nashville’s most iconic live music venue, and attending a show with kids is one of the best Nashville family activities I can recommend. The Opry runs multiple shows weekly, and the format — a mix of performers, short sets, and storytelling — holds kids’ attention better than a full concert.
Kids hear names like Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, and Bob Dylan come up in the Opry’s history and context. The venue itself, just outside downtown near the Gaylord Opryland Resort, is large enough to feel like an event without being overwhelming.
Book seats in advance. Shows sell out. Kid-friendly tip: the afternoon matinee shows on Saturday run shorter and are better for younger children than late evening performances.
Location: 2804 Opryland Dr, Nashville | Best for: All ages
2. Country Music Hall of Fame — Historical Exploration Kids Actually Engage With
The Country Music Hall of Fame (CMHoF) at 5th & Broadway is a full-day Nashville family activity for kids who engage with music, history, or interactive exhibits. The CMHoF covers Elvis, Taylor Swift, Shania Twain, Luke Bryan, and dozens of country music legends across multiple exhibit floors.
The interactive displays — including listening stations, video archives, and costume exhibits — keep kids moving rather than just reading. The CMHoF connects to the Ryman Auditorium via a covered walkway and sits directly inside the 5th & Broadway development, which also has restaurants and shops for post-museum lunch.
Location: 222 5th Ave S, Nashville | Best for: Ages 6 and up | Cost: Paid; family packages available
3. Ryman Auditorium — Backstage Adventure for Music-Loving Kids
The Ryman Auditorium on Broadway offers daytime tours including a backstage Ryman adventure option that takes families behind the scenes of one of America’s most historic music venues. The Ryman has hosted performances by Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, and Dolly Parton — and the backstage tour makes that history tangible for kids.
The self-guided daytime tour works well for families with kids ages 8 and up. Younger children may find the tour length challenging, but the main hall and pew seating area photograph beautifully for family photos. Evening shows at the Ryman tend to run late — daytime tours are the family-friendly format here.
Location: 116 5th Ave N, Nashville | Best for: Ages 8 and up | Cost: Paid tours
4. Broadway Honky Tonks — A Quick Live Music Stop That Kids Love
Broadway’s live music on honky tonks runs from mid-morning through the night, and the daytime Broadway experience is completely family-friendly. Tootsie’s, Jason Aldean’s Kitchen + Bar, and Casa Rosa — Miranda Lambert’s Tex-Mex restaurant and bar on Broadway — all allow families with kids during daytime hours.
I’ve walked Broadway with kids multiple times. The neon lights, the live music spilling out of every door, and the general energy of the street hold kids’ attention in a way that no planned activity quite matches. Keep the daytime window — Broadway shifts to 21+ focused late at night.
12 South Neighborhood With Kids
5. Nashville’s Murals — Artsy Adventure Scavenger Hunt
The 12 South neighborhood has 4 murals that make for a perfect artsy adventure scavenger hunt with kids. The murals include:
- “Looking Pretty Music City” — located at 2709 12th Ave. South
- “What Lifts You” (the iconic angel wings mural) — located at 230 11th Ave. South
- “I Believe in Nashville” — located at 2702 12th Ave. South
- “I Heart Donuts” — a painted wall near the Five Daughters Bakery area
Turn the mural walk into a game. Give older kids the addresses and let them lead navigation. The 12 South neighborhood is walkable, Instagram-friendly (tag @amandamhamman’s original “What Lifts You” if kids ask who made the wings), and full of family-friendly food stops between murals.
6. Five Daughters Bakery — The Donut Stop Nashville Families Fight Over
Five Daughters Bakery at 1110 Caruthers Ave. in the 12 South neighborhood makes Nashville’s most talked-about donuts — 100-layer croissant-style donuts in flavors that change seasonally. I’ve been with kids who have debated the flavor lineup for 15 minutes before ordering.
Five Daughters has multiple Nashville locations, but the 12 South location pairs perfectly with the mural walk. Get there before noon — the most popular flavors sell out. This is a kid-friendly food stop in Nashville that earns every bit of its reputation.
Location: 1110 Caruthers Ave., Nashville | Best for: All ages
7. Pinewood Social — Kid-Friendly Fun With Bowling, Pool & Great Food
Pinewood Social in The Gulch neighborhood near downtown is one of Nashville’s most family-friendly venues for daytime visits — it has bowling lanes, a pool (seasonal), arcade-style games, and a full food menu in one space. Pinewood Social is located at 33 Peabody St and opens for family visits before the evening bar crowd arrives.
For families with kids who need activity alongside food, Pinewood Social solves the problem. Kids bowl while adults eat. The food menu at Pinewood Social is well above standard bowling alley fare.
Location: 33 Peabody St, Nashville | Best for: Ages 5 and up | Note: Confirm family hours before visiting
Interactive & Educational Nashville Activities for Kids
8. Adventure Science Center — Interactive Science Discovery Nashville Families Love
The Adventure Science Center on Fort Negley Blvd is Nashville’s premier interactive science discovery destination for kids. The center has hands-on exhibits across physics, human biology, space exploration, and environmental science — spread across multiple floors with a planetarium.
The Adventure Science Center works for toddlers through teenagers. Younger kids gravitate to the hands-on building and water play sections; older kids and teenagers engage with the more complex science exhibits and the planetarium shows. Budget a full half-day minimum for a family visit.
Location: 800 Fort Negley Blvd, Nashville | Best for: Ages 2 and up | Cost: Paid; family rates available
9. Nashville Zoo — Zoo Exploration That Beats Most Regional Zoos
Nashville Zoo at Grassmere is a full-day outdoor family activity covering over 200 acres with 2,700+ animals across exhibits including the Bamboo Trail, Lorikeet Landing, and the Wild Animal Carousel. Nashville Zoo also has one of the largest wooden playgrounds in the United States — Jungle Gym — which kids treat as a second attraction in itself.
Nashville Zoo works year-round. The outdoor animal exhibits are best in cooler months, and the indoor exhibits provide rainy day activity options for Nashville families. Pack snacks and comfortable walking shoes — the grounds are large.
Location: 3777 Nolensville Pike, Nashville | Best for: All ages | Cost: Paid; parking fees apply
10. Frist Art Museum — Creative Exploration for Kids of All Ages
The Frist Art Museum on Broadway (919 Broadway) has a dedicated Martin ArtQuest gallery — a free-to-visit interactive art studio inside the main museum — where kids create their own artwork alongside the museum’s changing exhibits. The Frist runs family programming on weekends and during school breaks.
The Frist Art Museum is one of Nashville’s best free things to do with kids, specifically because the Martin ArtQuest gallery is included in museum admission and gives kids hands-on creative engagement rather than a passive walk-through.
Location: 919 Broadway, Nashville | Best for: Ages 4 and up | Cost: Paid admission; children under 18 free
11. Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park — Historical and Outdoor Discovery Free
Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park in downtown Nashville is a free outdoor history experience that works as a kid-friendly activity and a budget-friendly Nashville family stop. The park has the World War II Memorial, a 200-foot granite map of Tennessee, a 95-bell carillon tower, and fountains kids run through in warm weather.
The park sits directly below the Tennessee State Capitol, and the combined walking tour — park plus Capitol grounds — takes about 90 minutes for most families. For Nashville family activities that cost nothing and teach something real, Bicentennial Capitol Mall is my top free pick.
Location: 600 James Robertson Pkwy, Nashville | Best for: All ages | Cost: Free
Gaylord Opryland Resort — The Nashville Family Activity That Becomes Its Own Trip
12. Gaylord Opryland Resort — Indoor Garden Atriums Worth the Visit
Gaylord Opryland Resort near the Grand Ole’ Opry contains 9 acres of indoor garden atriums with waterfalls, rivers, and botanical gardens inside a climate-controlled hotel complex. Visiting the Gaylord Opryland Resort indoor gardens is a free public activity — you don’t need to be a hotel guest to walk through the atriums.
Kids respond to the indoor garden atriums with genuine surprise. The scale of the space — rivers running through hotel corridors, full-grown trees inside a building — is hard to prepare them for. The Gaylord Opryland Resort also has a Delta River flatboat cruise running through the atrium interior, which kids find genuinely exciting.
Location: 2800 Opryland Dr, Nashville | Best for: All ages | Cost: Free to walk through; Delta boat tour is paid
East Nashville With Kids
13. Shelby Park & Bottoms — Outdoor Adventures for Active Families
Shelby Park and Shelby Bottoms Greenway in East Nashville gives families access to 360 acres of greenway, trails, a disc golf course, dog parks, and direct Cumberland River access. The park has wide, flat walking and cycling paths that work for strollers and younger kids alongside more challenging trail sections for older children.
East Nashville families use Shelby Park as a daily outdoor activity anchor. For visiting families, Shelby Park pairs well with an East Nashville food stop — the neighborhood has strong kid-friendly restaurant options within a short drive of the park.
Location: 360 Shelby Ave, Nashville | Best for: All ages | Cost: Free
14. Drug Store Coffee (East Nashville) — The Best Kid-Friendly Coffee Stop
Drug Store Coffee in East Nashville (serving specialty coffee in a converted pharmacy setting) is the coffee stop I recommend to Nashville families who want a neighborhood experience outside the tourist corridor. It’s a low-key, comfortable space where kids sit without pressure and adults get genuinely good coffee.
East Nashville has a strong local coffee and food scene beyond the downtown tourist strip. Drug Store Coffee is one anchor of that neighborhood character.
Nashville Food Experiences Kids Love
15. Puckett’s — Chicken & Waffles and Live Music Together
Puckett’s on Broadway and in Franklin is one of Nashville’s most family-friendly restaurants for a full sit-down meal with live music. The chicken & waffles at Puckett’s are what kids order and what I’d recommend. Puckett’s runs live music during dinner service, which means kids get the Nashville live music experience alongside a real meal without the Broadway honky tonk crowd.
Puckett’s takes reservations — book ahead for weekend visits.
16. Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at 5th & Broadway
Jeni’s ice cream at the 5th & Broadway development is the post-Country Music Hall of Fame stop that families naturally end up at. Jeni’s runs seasonal and permanent flavors across its Nashville locations, and the quality is well above standard ice cream shop fare. The 5th & Broadway location sits inside a walkable development with outdoor seating that works well for families.
17. Bar Taco — Fast, Affordable Family Tacos in 12 South
Bar Taco in the 12 South neighborhood is a fast, affordable Nashville family restaurant option that works for varied kids’ palates. The taco format — customizable, quick, and reasonably priced — handles picky eaters better than most sit-down Nashville restaurants. Bar Taco pairs naturally with the 12 South mural walk.
18. Noelle Hotel Lobby & Notes Coffee — A Downtown Family Rest Stop
Noelle Hotel on 4th Avenue North in downtown Nashville has a coffee shop called Notes in its lobby — one of Nashville’s best-designed coffee spaces and a reliable family rest stop between downtown activities. Notes serves coffee and light food in a setting that’s calm enough for a break without being so formal that kids feel out of place.
Free Things to Do in Nashville With Kids
Nashville has 7 genuinely free kid-friendly activities, including:
- Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park — free outdoor history park
- Centennial Park — 132-acre city park with a full-scale Parthenon replica, duck ponds, and open lawn space for kids
- Riverfront Park — Cumberland River access, walking paths, and seasonal events
- Nashville’s 12 South Murals — free walking activity covering 4 public murals
- Gaylord Opryland Resort indoor atriums — free public access to 9 acres of indoor garden space
- Shelby Park & Bottoms — 360 acres of free greenway and park in East Nashville
- Cheekwood Estate & Gardens — free for Nashville Metro residents; otherwise paid but worth noting for the children’s garden
Rainy Day & Indoor Activities in Nashville With Kids
Nashville has 6 indoor activities for kids on rainy days:
- Adventure Science Center — full-day interactive science discovery
- Country Music Hall of Fame — multiple floors of exhibits with audio and video interactive stations
- Frist Art Museum — Martin ArtQuest hands-on art studio
- Nashville Zoo — indoor animal exhibits within the larger zoo grounds
- Pinewood Social — bowling, games, and food in one space
- Gaylord Opryland Resort — climate-controlled indoor atriums and Delta River boat tour
Nashville With Toddlers — 4 Best Picks
The 4 best Nashville activities for toddlers specifically are:
- Centennial Park — open lawn, duck pond, and safe open space without tight crowds
- Nashville Zoo Jungle Gym — one of the largest wooden playgrounds in the US
- Adventure Science Center younger-kids section — hands-on water and building play areas
- Bicentennial Capitol Mall fountains — free, summer-specific toddler activity that kids love
Nashville With Teenagers — 4 Best Picks
The 4 best Nashville activities for teenagers are:
- Ryman Auditorium backstage tour — behind-the-scenes music history that lands differently than a standard museum
- 12 South mural walk + Five Daughters Bakery — walkable, photographable, social-media native experience
- Adventure Science Center planetarium — full-dome shows on space and earth science
- Broadway daytime honky tonk walk — live music on every block, free to experience from the street
Where to Stay in Nashville With Kids
Embassy Suites Nashville is the family accommodation I recommend most for Nashville family vacations. Suite-style rooms give kids and adults separate sleeping space, the complimentary evening reception includes free drinks for adults, and the location options near downtown and the airport area work for different family itinerary focuses.
Gaylord Opryland Resort is the full-service Nashville family vacation option — on-site restaurants, the indoor atriums, pool access, and proximity to the Grand Ole’ Opry make it a destination in itself. The cost runs higher than standard hotels, but the on-site activities reduce the need to drive every day.
Practical Tips for Visiting Nashville With Kids
5 practical things I tell every family heading to Nashville:
- Start with 12 South in the morning before the mural spots get crowded — best light for photos before 10:00 AM
- Book the Grand Ole’ Opry and Country Music Hall of Fame in advance — both sell out on weekends
- Use the Nashville Hop On Hop Off bus for downtown touring with younger kids who fatigue from walking
- Pack snacks for Nashville Zoo — the on-site food options are limited and expensive
- Keep Broadway visits to daytime with kids — the entertainment district is family-friendly until early evening, then shifts significantly
A Final Note From a Nashville Local
Nashville genuinely works for families — not in a manufactured theme-park way, but in a real-city way where the food is good, the music is everywhere, and the neighborhoods each have their own character. The 12 South murals, the Gaylord Opryland Resort atriums, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and the Adventure Science Center are the 4 I’d prioritize on a first family visit.
Save the Broadway nightlife experience for daytime. Hit Centennial Park with toddlers. Let teenagers photograph every mural on 12th Avenue South. Nashville handles all of it.
