10 Things to Do in Nashville with Kids

Visiting Nashville with kids? I have some ideas of what to do!

We recently visited Nashville for spring break. I have previously visited Music City several times, for weekend getaways (it’s only 6 hours from Ohio) and bachelorette parties. Taking kids was an entirely different experience though and I loved it just as much, being able to share one of Nic + I’s favorite cities with the girls.

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I found it easiest to organize our trip by neighborhoods: Broadway, 12 South, East Nashville, and The Gulch were all on my list. Here is exactly what I typed out into my Notes on my iPhone to help plan our trip:

nashville with kids travel plans — Screenshot

We were able to do a lot on my list but, we still didn’t get to everything! And, like any great trip, we found even more to do while we were there! Here are my top 10 recommendations of what to do in Nashville with kids:

1.) See live music on Broadway!

Is it even a trip to Nashville if you don’t venture to Broadway? I don’t think so! Some may argue this isn’t the friendliest spot for kids, but I disagree! We found that nearly everywhere is kid-friendly during the day and even up until, I’d say, 8pm. After that, it honestly does get crowded and it’s best to not be out with kids. The best days to visit Broadway are during the week – I personally would avoid the weekends with kids – Broadway can become insanely busy, especially if there’s a concert at Bridgestone or Nissan Stadium. We timed it up so after we ate a later dinner, we headed back to our hotel and this worked out perfectly.

We had a fabulous time at Casa Rosa, Miranda’s Lambert’s Tex-Mex restaurant/bar, and Jason Aldean’s! We even went into Tootsie’s around 9am when they opened LOL (otherwise Tootsie’s is usually sooo crowded).

Casa Rosa was my personal favorite – it was girly + it wasn’t very crowded! They had music on the top floor with a huge dance floor so the girls could easily move and dance around. We brought my art bag (filled with notebooks, paper, markers, etc.) and that helped to occupy the girls. Ellie has very sensitive ears so we made sure to bring noise-cancelling headphones to help lower the music volume. She loved wearing them and they totally did the trick!

2.) Take some photos with Nashville’s murals.

Nashville has some really, really fun murals – located all around the city! Some personal faves are:

Looking Pretty Music City mural in 12 South (2709 12th Ave. South)
What Lifts You in The Gulch (230 11th Ave. South)
I Heart Donuts at Five Daughters Bakery in 12 South (1110 Caruthers Ave.)
Bob Dylan, Dolly Parton, & Johnny Cash mural in the downtown Embassy Suites
I Believe in Nashville in 12 South (2702 12th Ave. South)

A great comprehensive list of all of Nashville’s murals can be found here.

what lifts you butterfly mural nashville

3.) Go bowling!

We all thoroughly enjoyed our time at Pinewood Social, which is located downtown. This quaint 6-lane bowling alley with modern vintage vibes was extremely kid-friendly but also caters to adults with a fantastic food + drinks menu. We went here on a not-so-great weather day for a couple of hours. It’s pricey but you’re paying for the experience!

4.) Indulge in some sweets!

You can’t visit Nashville with kids and not get some treats! On one of our last days, we found ourselves in the gorgeous Noelle Hotel coffee bar, Drug Store Coffee, a cozy corner spot with fantastic people watching. Nic + I had some afternoon coffee and the girls enjoyed the fanciest hot chocolate they’ve ever had! This was a complete hit + a nice break from the bustle of the city.

We also visited our beloved Jeni’s for ice cream nearly every night we were there. The 5th & Broadway location was kinda on our way back to our hotel so it made for a fun way to end the day. We still talk about our nightly trips to the Nashville Jeni’s

Finally – and not to be missed – be sure to stop by Five Daughters Bakery. They have locations all over the city. The 12 South location was the best one we visited! It’s a cute, super Instagrammable spot, with a lot of delicious treats.

five daughters bakery 12 south nashville

5.) Educate yourself at the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Our entire family enjoyed the Country Music Hall of Fame, located downtown. Some standouts for us included seeing Elvis’s car, Taylor Swift’s outfits/guitars, Shania Twain’s outfit, the song writing exhibit, and more! I recommend buying your tickets online + reserving your entry time to avoid any potential wait time with kids.

taylor swift bus country music hall of fame

6.) Kid-friendly food in Nashville

We found nearly everywhere we went to be kid-friendly – even the restaurants on Broadway – if we went early enough! Some of our favorites from the trip:

Luke Bryan’s ~ We had dinner here not once but TWICE! The girls requested it again bc the kids’ menu was so tasty! Their favorite? Chicken & waffles We sat upstairs & there was live music playing downstairs… we all had a great time here!
Jason Aldean’s ~ A highlight of our trip! Somehow we found ourselves at a table in the FRONT row of the stage on our last night in town! The girls absolutely LOVED this and it was a dinner we will never forget! Ellie even played her harmonica along with the band and they gave her a shoutout!
Puckett’s ~ This classic is located just off of Broadway! It’s southern, classic, and has live music! And a great kids menu!
Bar Taco ~ Located in the 12 South neighborhood, this place is light + airy with a coastal feel. Service was quick & we had some pretty tasty tacos here. If we lived in Nashville, we would come here all the time!

luke bryan's nashville broadway bar and restaurant

7.) Visit the Gaylord Opryland Resort + the Grand Ole’ Opry.

The Grand Ole Opry is located beside the Gaylord Opryland Resort! We stopped at this massive property, located on 9 acres, on our way into Nashville and the girls had an absolute ball exploring this place! The resort has indoor garden atriums, waterfalls, an arcade, restaurants, and even an indoor/outdoor water park! If you’re looking for more of a pool/water experience in Nashville with kids, this place can’t be beat!

Be sure to catch a show or at least take a backstage tour while you’re in town at the next door Grand Ole Opry. They have multiple shows every week. The original Opry is downtown – at the iconic Ryman Auditorium – also definitely worth catching a show and/or taking a tour!

8.) Stay at a hotel with a pool.

I can’t say enough great things about our stay at the new Embassy Suites in downtown Nashville – we’ve stayed here twice now. We were easily within walking distance to nearly everything – Broadway, the Country Music Hall of Fame, restaurants, coffee shops, the Cumberland River bridge, etc. The entire hotel is suites & our room was perfectly sized for us to spread out a lil’ bit.

The Embassy Suites is also famous for their daily happy hour – tons of snacks + food for both kids and adults, as well as 2 drink tickets per person. At 5pm most days of our trip, you could find us taking advantage of that, with the girls ordering Shirley Temples and loading up on goldfish.

BUT – the star of this hotel is the indoor ROOFTOP POOL. However, the pictures definitely don’t do it justice. The views of the city are absolutely incredible. There’s a bar with food next to the pool and there’s a small outdoor rooftop space as well. The pool is only 3 ft. which was nice for piece of mind. We had many afternoon swims here to reset and wash off the day. It was also a great spot to let the girls let off their last bit of energy before bed. If you’re visiting Nashville with kids, Embassy Suites is perfect!!!

embassy suites nashville hotel with rooftop pool

9.) Go shopping in Nashville!

There is no shortage of fantastic shopping when visiting Nashville with kids. Some standout shops we visited were:

Stoney Clover ~ 12 South neighborhood – it’s sooo colorful, girly, and fun! They have a lil’ stage & a fun “Hey Y’all” mural that can’t be missed!
White’s Mercantile ~ 12 South ~ an upscale general store with something for everyone! My personal favorite store in Nashville.
Boot Barn ~ Broadway ~ in the heart of all of Broadway’s action! Their red store front + name are enough to draw you in but it’s absolutely filled with boots for everyone – the price tags can get pretty high but such an experience! Their boots are gorgeous!
Mall at Green Hills ~ If you’re looking for Nordstrom, Zara, Sephora, Anthro, etc. – this mall has it all!

For a comprehensive shopping list organized by neighborhood, this is a great resource!

stoney clover 12 south nashville tennessee

10.) Day trip to Franklin.

The drive from the Green Hills mall to Franklin, Tennessee is like something out of a storybook. Beautiful homes and scenery – it’s no surprise that many country singers live around this area. We found Franklin to be absolutely charming, filled with quaint shops, cozy coffee shops, and delicious restaurants. We were sure to visit White’s Mercantile and we ate at a Tennessee classic, Puckett’s.

However, it started raining on us, so we finished our trip with grabbing coffee at Frothy Monkey. I highly, highly recommend visiting Franklin for that quintessential southern small town feel. I already want to go back and next time on the list, when hopefully the weather is better, visiting Wines in the Fork, a winery where the kids can play in the creek, and the newly opened Hank’s Coffee Station.