6 Things to Do in Nashville with Kids, by Age

Nashville gives children more to do than listen to country music. Adventure Science Center suits hands-on curiosity, while Nashville Zoo at Grassmere combines animals with a playground break. History, open parkland and music offer different ways to spend the rest of a first visit. Choose by what keeps your children engaged, not just their ages: a child who loves experimenting may want a very different outing from one who enjoys a seated show.

Choose by age, interests and weather

Outing	Best fit	Visit length	Road distance
Adventure Science Center	Hands-on younger and older children	—	about 1.5 miles
Nashville Zoo at Grassmere	Animals and active play	About 2–3 hours, 3–4 with play	about 6.1 miles
Centennial Park	All ages needing a break	—	about 2 miles
Tennessee State Museum	Younger explorers, older history fans	About 1.5–3 hours, depending on ages and galleries explored	about 1.3 miles
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum	Music-minded school-age children and teens	About 2 hours in galleries	about 0.2 miles
Grand Ole Opry House	Children happy to sit and listen	About 2 hours per show	about 11 miles

Nashville is worth visiting with kids if you match outings to their interests. These are alternatives, not a single day’s route. The science centre and museums suit rain. Choose cooler parts of the day for the zoo and park, and let younger children’s attention set the pace indoors.

Adventure Science Center

Adventure Science Center makes science and technology something to investigate rather than just read about. Choose it for children who prefer doing to looking. Let younger children follow what catches their attention, while older children can spend longer working through exhibits. On a rainy day, a selective visit leaves room to linger rather than rush through everything.

The Sudekum Planetarium adds a seated show, but it needs a separate show ticket as well as general admission or active membership. Individual shows have age recommendations rather than a blanket minimum age. Children under 2 sitting in an adult’s lap do not need a planetarium ticket. Choose a programme that suits both their interests and willingness to sit.

General-admission reservations are encouraged, not required, and tickets are also available on arrival. Active members do not need timed-entry reservations.

Nashville Zoo at Grassmere

Nashville Zoo at Grassmere pairs animal habitats with the Jungle Gym, whose playground access is included in general admission. Alternate favourite animals with play rather than attempting every exhibit. That gives siblings with different attention spans something to look forward to, without making the visit a test of how far everyone can walk.

Start earlier in hot weather, wear comfortable walking clothes and bring water. The main visitor paths accommodate pushchairs, but overflow parking is unpaved. Use the main parking lot with a pushchair that is not designed for rough ground.

Non-members must buy tickets in advance for a selected date and arrival time. Entry is permitted from 15 minutes before to one hour after that time. Members do not need reservations. Date-priced tickets for children aged 2–12 cost $4 less than the adult price, and under-2s enter free.

Seasonal hours shorten to 9am–4pm from 13 October 2026 until early March 2027, so favour a morning visit for more time outdoors.

Centennial Park

Centennial Park offers a break from ticketed attractions, with the Parthenon’s full-scale replica exterior as a striking place to begin. You can enjoy the Parthenon from outside without committing to its museum. Look at the columns, then let the children choose between wandering and stopping.

Lake Watauga and the gardens give that wander a focus without requiring a full circuit of the park. Bring a picnic or leave room for an unstructured play pause. This is particularly useful when children have had enough of labels, queues or listening.

In hot weather, choose morning or late afternoon and keep the visit shorter if everyone is flagging. Let the weather and the children’s energy decide when to leave rather than setting a fixed visit length.

Tennessee State Museum

Tennessee State Museum gives younger children a hands-on starting point in the Children’s Gallery, designed for ages 3–8. Start with play and exploration rather than the main history galleries. Older children interested in Tennessee’s past can choose a few objects and stories instead of working through every room.

Storytime for ages 3–6 runs every Tuesday and Saturday at 10:30am, with a book reading and a craft or other activities. That makes a morning visit especially appealing for children who enjoy being read to.

Individual family visits need no advance reservation, though groups of 10 or more do. If everyone still has energy afterwards, nearby Bicentennial Capitol Mall’s Tennessee map gives the state’s geography an outdoor setting.

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum suits school-age children and teenagers curious about instruments, performers and songwriting. Choose a few displays that connect with music they enjoy, rather than reading every label. For older children drawn to other subjects, Nashville’s museum choices also include art and history collections.

The Taylor Swift Education Center adds scheduled participation to gallery browsing. Instructor-led workshops run on Saturdays, plus Fridays during summer, spring and autumn school breaks. Fam Jam welcomes families with children aged 0–5 on the second Saturday of each month. The drop-in Creative Zone runs on selected dates.

These family activities are included with museum admission. Advance reservations are encouraged, not required, for family and public programmes. Reserve ahead for theatre programmes because space may be limited.

Grand Ole Opry House

Grand Ole Opry House presents live country music with rotating performers. Choose a performance for children who enjoy sitting and listening, especially music-minded school-age children and teenagers. A backstage tour is a different experience, not a substitute for hearing the show. Consider their listening stamina before committing to an evening.

Performances fall on varying days, with listed shows starting at 7pm. The Opry House is in Music Valley, so treat it as a separate trip from downtown. Seasonal spring programming at the Ryman Auditorium is at a different venue, while the holiday season includes Opry Country Christmas.

Adult ticket prices depend on the show and seat. Children aged 4 and older need a ticket. Younger children must sit with their guardian.

Sources & fact-checking

Checks against the sources below cover: fares and charges, opening hours, services, and closures.

• Nashville Zoo — fares and charges
• Nashville Zoo — opening hours
• Attractions
• Accessibility
• Visit — Nashville Zoo
• Grand Ole Opry — fares and charges
• Opry — opening hours
• Grand Ole Opry — closures
• Tennessee State Museum — fares and charges
• Storytime in the Children’s Gallery
• Children’s Gallery
• Visitor Guide
• Adventure Science Center — fares and charges
• Adventure Science Center — opening hours
• Adventure Science Center — service
• Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum — fares and charges
• Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum — opening hours
• Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum — service