Top 20 Places to Take Kids In and Around Nashville - 2021

Experience Cheekwood, a 55-acre botanical garden and art museum located on the historic Cheek estate. Originally the home of Leslie and Mabel Cheek in 1929, Cheekwood is one of the finest examples of an American Country Place Era estate. Since being converted in 1960, Cheekwood has presented world-class art exhibitions, seasonal festivals and public programs for visitors of all backgrounds and ages, welcoming over 400,000 visitors and making it one of the city’s top cultural attractions. From 250,000 blooming bulbs in the spring to one mile of holiday lights in the winter, there’s always something to see.

Nashville Zoo is an animal adventure for everyone. Explore beautiful habitats like Expedition Peru: Trek of the Andean Bear, voted the best zoo exhibit in the country. There's the new Sumatran tiger exhibit, Tiger Crossroads as well as Spider Monkey: Treetop Passage and guest favorite Kangaroo Kickabout. Oh, and white rhinoceros, Masai giraffe, Caribbean flamingos, clouded leopards, red pandas and many more! Ride the Soaring Eagle zip line, tour the Grassmere Historic Home, swing and climb at the Jungle Gym, and relax during the award-winning Wild Works Animal Show. Whew! No wonder it's Nashville's top family attraction.

Igniting curiosity and inspiring the lifelong discovery of science. The Science Center also houses the Sudekum Planetarium, offering world-class programs on astronomy and other sciences on a 63-foot dome.

Of course, the libraries in the Nashville area are not really ONE place, but MANY places... but it's important to emphasize how valuable libraries are for family learning and fun. The libraries in our area are wonderful about posting their events to the KidsOutAndAbout calendar so you always can get ideas for free things to do with your kids that celebrate education and imagination. KidsOutAndAbout.com takes this opportunity to salute the wonderful children's librarians who serve our community with such dedication. They're proud that locals voted them #3 in best places to take kids this year!

Bledsoe Creek State Park is rich in history. It was once a prime hunting ground for the Cherokee, Creek, Shawnee, and Chickamauga Native American tribes. Once English settlers arrived to the area, the once-great herds of animals were dispersed, never to return. The area is home to a wealth of Native American history along with various historical sites nearby. The Bledsoe Creek territory became a Tennessee State Park in 1973.

The park features 57 campsites. There are more than six miles of scenic hiking trails. The trails meander through the forest and along the lakeshore of the park. One mile of these trails is paved making it accessible to persons with disabilities. The trails are open year-round.

Bledsoe Creek offers two boat launch ramps, one for registered campers only and the other open for the general public. Other activities include fishing at Old Hickory Lake, picnic facilities (the largest able to accommodate up to 150 people), and park programs that provide entertainment for all ages and change annually.

Centennial Park is one of Nashville's premier parks. Located on West End and 25th Avenue North, the 132-acre features: the iconic Parthenon, a one-mile walking trail, Lake Watauga, the Centennial Art Center, historical monuments, an arts activity center, a beautiful sunken garden, a band shell, an events shelter, sand volleyball courts, dog park, and an exercise trail. 

The Nature Center is a place where people and nature come together. We serve as a jump-off point for exploring the 2,684 acres of Nashville's Percy Warner and Edwin Warner Parks. We provide natural history and education reference for individuals and groups. We promote and serve as a resource for organic gardening and native plant landscaping. We offer a wide range of environmental education programs, school field trips, educator training workshops, outdoor recreation programs and other special activities for people of all ages.

Located in the heart of downtown Nashville, the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum documents and interprets the history of country music—a musical genre and culture central to the identity of the city, the state, and the nation. Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the museum proudly combines subject expertise, ambitious research, and preservation of an unparalleled collection with expressions of creativity in music, art, and history. The museum collects artifacts that illustrate the evolving history and traditions of country music while providing diverse learning opportunities. The core exhibit follows the story of country music from its folk beginnings through its emergence as a commercial art form.

Discovery Center at Murfree Spring is a hands-on museum and nature center that inspires exploration, enhances learning, and builds confidence through diverse programs and exhibits.

Greenways are linear parks and trails that connect neighborhoods to schools, shopping areas, downtown, offices, recreation areas, open spaces and other points of activity.

We help people grow in spirit, mind and body. Whether you come for a workout, coach a soccer team, volunteer as a tutor, or join a support group here, we’re grateful to have you in the Y community. Through nurturing the potential of youth and teens, improving our community's health and well-being, and providing opportunities to give back and support neighbors in need, the Y is strengthening Middle Tennessee.