Top 20 Places to Take Kids In and Around Nashville - 2022
Nashville's favorite places to take kids for 2022
Every May and June, thousands of local parents, grandparents, and caregivers weigh in on their favorite local places to take kids. Typically, we showcase the Top 20 winners... but this year, in honor of KidsOutAndAbout.com's 21st birthday (we originally launched in June of 2001), we bring you the Nashville area's
TOP 21 Places to Take Kids!
Of course, there are literally hundreds of wonderful places to take your kids in our area, not just this year's winners! Make sure to visit our Everything That's Free page, check out our packed daily calendar, and sign up for our fantastic FREE weekly e-newsletter with dozens of ideas each week for local stuff to do with kids, many of them free.
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1. Nashville Zoo
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.
2. Adventure Science Center
For over 75 years, Adventure Science Center has been bringing science to life for students, teachers, and families in Middle Tennessee and across the U.S. The science center offers engaging learning experiences and science fun through hands-on, interactive exhibits, innovative programs, and full-dome productions in the state-of-the-art Sudekum Planetarium.
3. Historic Mansker's Station
At Historic Mansker’s Station guests are able to experience the life of a frontier settler and life on a plantation. Mansker’s Fort is a replica log station that was built in the early 1780’s. The original Bowen House is the oldest standing brick home in Middle Tennessee and was constructed in 1787. Tours are conducted Monday thru Friday 9:00am – 3:00pm and typically last around one hour with an interpreter as the guide. We pride ourselves on a hands on educational approach that is applied to visitors of all ages.
4. Cheekwood Estate & Gardens
Experience Cheekwood, a 55-acre botanical garden and museum located on the historic Cheek estate. Cheekwood presents family activities, year-round programs, seasonal festivals and art exhibitions. The two-acre Bracken Foundation Children’s Garden, inspired by Cheekwood’s historic landscape and architecture, offers an interactive, imaginative experience to inspire interest in art and nature, and the outdoor TRAINS! exhibit is enchanting to the young and young-at-heart. Family programs include Tots! hands-on activities and storytime offered Tuesday through Saturday, 10 am to 12 noon; Summer Camps for kids ages 5-15; and a variety of hands-on learning activities.
5. Frist Art Museum
The Frist Art Museum is a fun and welcoming place to explore and make art! Located in downtown Nashville, the Frist features exciting and ever-changing exhibitions from around the world, a gift shop and café, and the award-winning Martin ArtQuest interactive gallery, where you can create your own masterpieces. Experience and learn something new every visit! Youth 18 and under are always free.
6. Grand Ole Opry
The show that made country music famous with unforgettable moments happening every night. Every show features the new stars, superstars, and legends of country music.
7. Lucky Ladd Farms
The Ladd Family is excited to provide a wholesome source of family entertainment for thousands of visitors each year with more than 60 acres & 70 exciting activities for all ages, including a petting zoo, playgrounds, hay rides and more!
8. Nashville's Greenways
Greenways are linear parks and trails that connect neighborhoods to schools, shopping areas, downtown, offices, recreation areas, open spaces and other points of activity.
9. Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park
Located in the shadow of the Capitol in downtown Nashville, Bicentennial Capitol Mall gives visitors a taste of Tennessee’s history, natural wonders and serves as a lasting monument to Tennessee’s Bicentennial Celebration, which was June 1, 1996. With just a simple walk in the 11-acre park visitors can experience many facets of Tennessee’s history including a 200-foot granite map of the state, a World War II Memorial, a 95-Bell Carillon, a Pathway of History and the Rivers of Tennessee Fountains. The 11 planters along the Walkway of Counties show native plant species from different regions of the state.
10. Grand Old Golf & GoKarts - **CLOSED**
Located on Music Valley Drive in Nashville, TN, Grand Old Golf & GoKarts is the place to be for family fun in Middle Tennessee. With three outdoor mini golf courses and a high-octane go-kart track, we’ve got something for everyone.
11. Hendersonville Strike &Spare
A great place for all ages! 46 bowling lanes, Bumper Cars, Laser Tag, Gyroxtreme, Time Freak, Roller Skating, Bungy Trampoline, Arcade, Bar & Grill.
15. Bledsoe Creek State Park
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.
16. My Local Library
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 to the list of best places to take kids this year!
17. Fannie Mae Dees / Dragon Park
Metro Parks & Recreation is your gateway for all things green and healthy in and around Nashville and Davidson County. Kids of all ages and backgrounds can enjoy various activities in our 178 parks and 100 miles of greenways. We offer engaging nature-related programs for children at our sprawling nature centers, school and after-school programs, arts, music, and dance classes, water activities, sports leagues, and just fun and camaraderie at our many playgrounds. The best thing is that most of it is free or for a very low fee. Check our website for a complete list of programs and activities, and don’t forget to bring your water bottle!
19. Sudekum Planetarium
Our state-of-the-art giant screen dome is located inside Adventure Science Center. Our featured events include laser shows, spectacular explorations of astronomical wonders, and more. On most Mondays, preschool families come together for Early Explorers. Don't forget to check out this month's Star Chart, or take a look at our upcoming showtimes.
20. Bells Bend Outdoor Center
Come see for yourself why visitors like you rate the Tennessee Aquarium the best aquarium in America for overall guest satisfaction. Enjoy a remarkable journey from the mountains to the sea as you explore above and below the surface in the Aquarium’s two buildings.
21. Gentry's Farm
We offer educational programs for school groups in the fall and the spring and we also offer a down-to-earth fun summer day camp.
Winners in Special Categories
In the second part of our survey, we asked readers to select their favorites in three categories. Here were their choices.Top Arts Educator: Frist Art Museum
The mission of the Frist Center is to present and originate high quality exhibitions with related educational programs and community outreach activities. The vision is to inspire people through art to look at their world in new ways.
Top Sports Educator: YMCA
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.
Top STEM Educator: Adventure Science Center
For over 75 years, Adventure Science Center has been bringing science to life for students, teachers, and families in Middle Tennessee and across the U.S. The science center offers engaging learning experiences and science fun through hands-on, interactive exhibits, innovative programs, and full-dome productions in the state-of-the-art Sudekum Planetarium.
