Nashville has lots of wonderful places to enjoy the outdoors. Parks, playscapes, natural areas and more – I'm sure there are great places to explore near you.
Check out Nashvitality – the City's iPhone/iPad app for outdoor fun.
Have several days to play? Check out our 5 day staycation plans for preschoolers, school aged kids and teens!
Outdoor Fun Centers
These outdoor fun centers have several options for go kart racing, mini-golf, driving ranges, batting cages and more outdoor recreational sports.
- Cedar Creek Sports Center (Mt Juliet)
- JellyStone Park (Opry Mills area)
- Go USA Fun Park (Murfreesboro)
- Topgolf (Downtown Nashville)
Parks and Playgrounds
There are more than a hundred playgrounds scattered through Middle Tennessee. If you live in Davidson county, find one nearby on this HUGE list of parks in Nashville. For those in surrounding counties, there are lots of options on this list of parks and playgrounds in Middle Tennessee. Get more details on the parks we've visited included pictures and a list of amenities in the articles below.
- Charlie Daniels Park (Mt Juliet)
- Fannie Mae Dees/Dragon Park (Nashville)
- Cumberland Park (Nashville)
- Nashville Zoo (Nashville)
- Memorial Park (Hendersonville)
- Rose Park (Edgehill)
- Reservoir Park (Edgehill)
- Centennial Park (Nashville)
- Moss Wright Park (Goodlettsville)
- Bicentennial Park (Downtown)
- Cedar Hill Park (North Nashville)
- Sanders Ferry Park (Hendersonville)
- Veteran's Park (Hendersonville)
- Hermitage Park (Hermitage)
- Don Fox Community Park (Lebanon)
- Crockett Park (Brentwood)
- Old Fort Park (Murfreesboro)
- East Park (East Nashville)
- The Fountains at Gateway Park (Murfreesboro)
- Gateway Island (Murfreesboro)
- Granny White Park (Nashville)
- Nat Caldwell Park (Gallatin)
- South Inglewood Park and Recreation Center (East Nashville)
Museums and Gardens
Nashville has some amazing gardens to explore, historic homes to visit, and outdoor museums that are great destinations when the weather is warm.
- The Hermitage (Hermitage)
- Traveller’s Rest Plantation and Museum (Nashville)
- Cheekwood (Belle Meade)
- Fort Nashborough (Downtown)
- The Parthenon (Nashville)
- Rock Castle (Hendersonville)
- Oaklands Historic House Museum (Murfreesboro)
- Belle Meade Plantation (Belle Meade)
- Stones River Battlefield (Murfreesboro)
- Nashville Zoo (Nashville)
- Discovery Center & Murfree Spring Wetland (Murfreesboro)
- Carnton Plantation (Franklin)
- Fontanel (Whites Creek)
Natural Areas
Middle Tennessee is full of trails to walk, lakes to swim in, and recreational areas to visit. Take your family out for a hike next time you have a free weekend. Here are some suggestions of places we love to explore.
- Old Hickory Walking Trail (Old Hickory)
- Cedar Creek Day Use Recreation Area(Mount Juliet)
- Avondale Recreation Area (Hendersonville)
- Radnor Lake (Nashville)
- Shelby Bottoms Nature Center and Trails (East Nashville)
- Lone Branch Recreation Area (Mt Juliet)
- Cook Recreation Area (Mt Juliet)
- Shutes Branch Recreation Area (Old Hickory)
- Rockland Recreation Area (Hendersonville)
- Laguardo Recreation Area (Lebanon)
- Davidson County Beaches
- Middle Tennessee Beaches
Farms, Orchards, and Agricultural Fun
- Lucky Ladd Farm (Murfreesboro)
- Juro Stables – Horse Riding (Mt Juliet)
- Honeysuckle Hill Farm (Springfield)
- Tojo Creek Gourd Farm (Lebanon)
- Circle S Farm (berry picking) (Lebanon)
- Pratt's Orchard (peach and apple picking) (Lebanon)
- Shuckle's Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch – open in the fall (Gallatin)
Other Outdoor Adventures
- Nashville Music City Star – Commuter Train (Wilson Co. to Downtown)
- Cumberland River Cruises (Mt Juliet/Gallatin)
- LP Field & the Tennessee Titans (Downtown)
- Become a Junior Ranger at a State or National Park
- Go Plane Spotting – Find a place to watch airplanes
- Pokemon Go in Nashville
- Smyrna Outdoor Adventure Center (Smyrna)
- Stardust Drive-In (Watertown)
We have some great ideas for indoor fun in Nashville and Middle Tennessee too!