Nashville Area Outdoor Family Fun
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.
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!
South Inglewood Park and Community Center
South Inglewood Park and Community Center is located a few blocks off Riverside Drive in East Nashville. It is a big park with 2 play areas and a shaded network…
East Park and Recreation Center
Just a few minutes from downtown in East Nashville, East Park and Recreation Center is a great place to run off some energy! The park is large, encompassing more than…
Charlie Daniels Park & Ava’s Splashpad – Come Play in Mt Juliet, TN
Charlie Daniels has given the world two great things. The first is obvious. The second is Charlie Daniels Park in Mt Juliet, TN. Planet playground offers fun climbing areas and…
Old Fort Park
Old Fort Park is located in Murfreesboro, TN. This park is crazy popular so don’t be surprised to find a lot of families having fun there if you visit. Old…
Hermitage Park and Recreation Center
Looking for a beautiful park on the east side of town? Look no further than Hermitage Park which is conveniently located between the Hermitage branch library and the Hermitage Recreation Center. Bring…
Nashville Zoo at Grassmere
The Nashville Zoo at Grassmere was established in 1996 when the Zoo relocated from Joelton, TN. The Zoo sits on roughly 200 acres so be prepared to walk. All of…
Tennessee Titans and LP Field
Founded by Bud Adams, one of the founding fathers of the American Football League in 1959, the Tennessee Titans moved to Nashville from Houston in 1997. For the first two…
Sanders Ferry Park – Hendersonville
Sanders Ferry Park is located in Hendersonville, TN. The park offers fantastic views of Old Hickory Lake. The scenery alone is worth a trip. Sanders Ferry Park has 7 picnic…
Veteran’s Park – Hendersonville
Veteran’s Park is a unique park that is a great place for ‘specialized’ family fun. The park is located in Hendersonville, TN. It is easy to spot from Vietnam Veteran’s…
Circle S Berry Farm
Circle S was established in 1839 and the current farmer, Donnie Steed is the eighth generation of his family to work this land. He grew up on the farm, which…