We don’t often get out to explore our home city, but when we’re hosting visitors, we always have a to go-to list for fun sights and activities unique to Nashville.
Explore Downtown
Downtown Nashville is iconic and the best place to get a view is the Pedestrian Bridge, spanning the Cumberland river between downtown Nashville and the East side. You can park on the east side of the river by Nissan Stadium and walk across the short bridge for some great views and picture opportunities. When you walk back, there’s a great small park near the stadium as well with a few slides and rock climbing areas. Sometimes, there’s a splash area although this hasn’t been open recently due to Covid.
At the end of the bridge, you’ll be near the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, home of the Nashville Symphony. There’s a beautiful courtyard with a fountain maintained year-round. Also nearby is the Goo Goo shop. The Goo Goo Cluster candy is unique to Nashville and you also can grab souvenirs, have a goo-goo sundae, learn some history and even make a giant goo-goo yourself!
During the day, the honky-tonks are fun to explore. You can listen to music from outside or even wander in to a few depending on the time of day. My favorites that are kid-friendly during the day are B.B. King’s and Wildhorse saloon. It’s probably best to do something else with kids at night.
Up Broadway a few blocks is a new dining complex called 5th and Broadway, and it is amazing. The food halls house over 50 restaurants, many of them local to Nashville. Pizza, Poke, Shaved Ice, Donuts, anything you want! If you wanted to focus your visit here and skip some of the other downtown areas, I’d recommend parking at the nearby library for discounted parking. Plus the library always has awesome events going on, a free art gallery, and a play area for kids as well.
Centennial Park
This area is a few miles from Downtown near Vanderbilt University. Centennial Park is my favorite park. I’m a little biased because it’s close to me. There’s a giant lake surrounded by a walking track, multiple playgrounds, wide open spaces to run, and tons of events happening all the time. Oh and a giant Parthenon which is also home to an amazing art gallery.
Hillsboro Village
Hillsboro Village is a trendy, historical part of town, also not far from Vanderbilt. For kids, there’s a cool playground called Fannie Mae Dees Park that we call Dragon Park because of the large dragon statue that kids can play on. After playing at the park, you’ll have your pick of restaurants in this area. Kaybobs is probably our most-frequented restaurant in Nashville. They have giant salads, Mediterranean platters, pizza and a wide selection of beer choices. Another restaurant we love in this area is Biscuit Love. It started as a food truck and now has multiple locations. Pro tip: Get the off-menu Nasty Princess, a spicy hot chicken on a biscuit smothered in gravy. Many of our college friends think a Nashville visit isn’t complete with a trip to McDougals Chicken (Bonus: free ice cream!) Lately, we’ve also been exploring some of the Asian options on Belcourt. Finally, you’ll have to pick your favorite dessert (or come back twice) The Las Paletas popsicle store just moved to this area next to Fido’s and is a fave. And though Jeni’s isn’t local to Nashville, their unique flavors and yummy favorites make it hard to pass up.
Opryland Hotel and Opry Mills
About 20 minutes east of town is the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. The hotel itself has multiple indoor gardens and fountain shows and even a riverboat you can take in the middle of the hotel lobby! They’ve also recently opened up a waterpark that I’ve heard is amazing. If you’re here anytime around Christmas, move this activity up your to-do list because the decorations and light show are amazing. If you’re just visiting and not staying, don’t pay to park at the hotel. Park near the Opry Mills Theater & Mall to make a short walk. You can also visit the mall for some great shopping, of course, and kids can enjoy the carousel, Lego store, Bass Pro Shop, Dave and Busters and Disney stores.
If you or your kids are interested, there are tons of other to-dos in this area as well. You can catch a show or tour at Grand Ole Opry or even hop on a riverboat to enjoy dinner and a show while going towards downtown.
Cheekwood Botanical Gardens
These beautiful gardens are a wonderful option when the weather is nice. There are miles of paved trails to wander and a fantastic kid’s area with trains and playgrounds. Depending on the time of year, there are often events such as LEGO sculptures, tulip fields or pumpkin patches. They also go all out with lights at Christmas. Santa sometimes makes an appearance too!
Other Favorite Restaurants
If you’re looking for some BBQ, Edley’s BBQ is our favorite. Get the pork Nachos and a local beer. They have great kid’s menu options and all their locations have changing tables in the restrooms. Win!
Tailgate Brewery has a few locations. Our favorite is their headquarters in West Nashville. They have pizza, salads, beer and ice cream! Their outdoor space is massive and there’s a large hill that will keep your kids occupied while you enjoy the fresh air.
More Ideas
If your kids are slightly older, they may enjoy some of our cool museums
- National Museum of African American Music (near 5th and broadway)
- Tennesee State Museum
- Frist Art Museum (great hands-on art area for kids)
- Country Music Hall of Fame
- Hermitage (Andrew Jackson’s home)
