Family-Friendly Nashville Itinerary Ideas
Nashville was somewhere I expected to enjoy, but didn’t expect to like quite as much as I did. Neither my husband nor I are big country music fans, yet we had such a fun weekend exploring Music City. There’s an infectious energy downtown, live music spilling out everywhere, plenty of delicious Southern food, and much more to do beyond the honky-tonks.
We spent 2 days and 2 nights in Nashville in May, staying at the historic Union Station Hotel and splitting our time between exploring downtown on foot and driving to places farther out. It was a quick couples trip before we had kids, so I want to be clear that I haven’t personally traveled to Nashville with my kids.
Still, much of what we enjoyed translates well to a family trip, and Nashville has plenty beyond its famous nightlife for families to explore. I’ve pulled together the highlights from our weekend along with family-friendly Nashville itinerary ideas, places to eat, and a few practical tips to help you start planning a short trip.
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Family-Friendly Itinerary Ideas for Nashville, Tennessee
- Wander downtown – people watch, hear live music, shop for cowboy boots, and more
- Check out street art – seek out some amazing murals
- Centennial Park – city recreation area including a full-scale replica of the Athenian Parthenon
- Music City Walk of Fame – sidewalk plaques honoring musical artists from a variety of genres, right outside the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
- Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum – one of the world’s largest museums in honor of country music
- The State Capitol – Tennessee state governmental building, tours available
- Walk across John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge – connects to Wasioto Park (formerly Cumberland Park)
- Wasioto Park – a newer park with creative play structures great for kids
- Grand Ole Opry – famous country music concert venue
- Spot Elvis – you can find Elvis impersonators all over!
- Lane Motor Museum – a museum with over 500 vehicles, specializing in European cars, including a unique display of microcars and concept cars
- Tennessee State Museum – all about the history of Tennessee, free admission
- Adventure Science Center – interactive museum for kids with over 100 science-based hands-on exhibits
- Nashville Zoo at Grassmere – zoo park with several animal encounter experiences available
- Riverboat Sightseeing Cruise – ride a classic paddlewheel riverboat while you view Nashville from the water
Food Ideas for Nashville, Tennessee
- Foods/drinks to try: hot fried chicken, fried pickles, catfish, barbecue, banana pudding, biscuits and gravy, cornbread
- The Loveless Cafe – Southern cafe famous for its biscuits
- Prince’s Hot Chicken – Nashville famous hot fried chicken, no-frills
- Hattie B’s Hot Chicken – a casual trendy spot for hot fried chicken
- Jack’s Bar-B-Que – all different BBQ styles on the menu, no-frills, expect to wait in line outside, right downtown (+ 2 other locations)
- The Southern Steak & Oyster – upscale Cajun restaurant
- Monell’s – all-you-can-eat southern comfort food
- Arnold’s Country Kitchen – known for their meat & 3 plates of southern comfort and soul food
- The Stillery – comfort food with local beer and live music
Nightlife Ideas for Nashville, Tennessee
- Wildhorse Saloon – restaurant and bar with the largest dance floor in Nashville, offering free line dancing lessons every evening, kids allowed, must be 21+ late at night
- Robert’s Western World – honky tony, dive bar with live traditional country music
- The Patterson House – intimate and cozy cocktail lounge
- Tootsies Orchid Lounge – historic honky-tonk with three different stages
Top Tips for Nashville, Tennessee
- Don’t worry if you don’t like country music; Nashville is so much fun either way!
- The downtown area is compact enough to walk everywhere.
- Broadway (main street) caters heavily to tourists. So it’s more expensive and gimmicky in some ways. It’s still worth visiting, but make sure you explore beyond here too.
- This area is rowdy at nighttime, so if you’re with kids and want to check it out, bring them earlier in the day.
Is Nashville Worth Visiting?
Nashville surprised us in the best way. We went for a quick weekend without being particularly interested in country music and still found plenty to eat, see, and experience.
Two days gave us a fun introduction to the city, but there was plenty we didn’t get to. I’d happily return, especially now that we could experience Nashville from a completely different perspective with our kids.
Use these Nashville itinerary ideas as a starting point, then adjust for your family, your kids’ ages, and how much you realistically want to squeeze into your trip.
Keep Planning Your Family Trip
Once you have a rough idea of what you want to do in Nashville, tackle the rest of your trip planning:
- Family Trip Planning: Find more itinerary ideas, hotel advice, destination inspiration, and practical resources for putting a family trip together.
- Best Travel Websites for Planning a Trip: See the websites and tools I actually use to research and book our family travels.
- How to Find Hotels for a Family of 5: Traveling with 3 kids? Learn how I find hotel rooms, suites, and other accommodations that actually fit all 5 of us.
- How to Pack for a Family Vacation with Kids: See how we organize and pack for our family of 5 without giving everyone their own suitcase.
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