40+ Things to do in Nashville

Discover the best things to do in Nashville for families, couples, and visitors of all ages. From iconic music venues and historic neighborhoods to scenic parks, unique attractions, and hidden gems, this ultimate guide covers 40+ activities that showcase the best of Music City.

Fun Things to Do in Nashville

1. Explore Broadway’s honky-tonks and live music venues

Head to Lower Broadway, better known as Honky Tonk Highway, where live music pours out of bars from late morning until deep into the night, often with no cover charge. It is the fastest way to experience Nashville’s high-energy music scene, with neon signs, packed dance floors and back-to-back sets all along the strip.

2. Tour the Country Music Hall of Fame

Spend time at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in downtown Nashville, where rare stage costumes, instruments, recordings and rotating exhibitions tell the story of country music from its early roots to modern stars. This is one of the city’s essential music attractions and worth more than a quick walk-through.

3. Visit the Ryman Auditorium

Take a tour or catch a live performance at the Ryman Auditorium, the famous former home of the Grand Ole Opry and one of Nashville’s most revered stages. Known as the “Mother Church” of country music, it combines historic atmosphere with some of the best acoustics in the city

4. Check out the Johnny Cash Museum

Visit the Johnny Cash Museum in SoBro to see personal memorabilia, handwritten lyrics, stage costumes and one of the most comprehensive collections of Johnny Cash artifacts anywhere. It is a strong stop even for casual fans, because it gives a much fuller sense of his life and career than the name alone suggests.

5. Walk around Music Row

Stroll through Music Row, the historic center of Nashville’s recording industry, where studios, publishers and label offices helped shape the city’s global reputation. For a more meaningful visit, pair the walk with Historic RCA Studio B, one of the area’s best-known recording landmarks.

6. Attend a live show at the Grand Ole Opry

See a show at the Grand Ole Opry House, where country legends, current hitmakers and rising artists share the same stage in the format that made the Opry famous. It remains one of Nashville’s signature live experiences and one of the most recognisable names in American music.

7. Snap photos at Nashville’s famous murals

Go mural-hunting in neighborhoods like 12 South, Downtown, The Gulch and Wedgewood-Houston, where large-scale street art has become one of the city’s most popular photo-friendly attractions. This works especially well as a casual daytime activity between bigger museum and music stops.

Things to Do in Nashville With Kids

8. Adventure Science Center

The Adventure Science Center is one of Nashville’s best family attractions, with more than 175 hands-on exhibits plus the Sudekum Planetarium. It is an easy choice for curious kids, especially if you want something interactive that still feels educational.

9. Cheekwood Estate & Gardens

Spend a few hours at Cheekwood, a former 1930s estate with 55 acres of cultivated gardens, a historic mansion, woodland trails and art exhibitions. Seasonal events make it especially good for families, but it also works well as a slower-paced sightseeing stop.

10. Centennial Park and the Parthenon replica

Head to Centennial Park, one of Nashville’s best-known green spaces, where families can picnic, walk the paths and see the city’s full-scale Parthenon replica. Step inside to find an art museum and the huge Athena Parthenos statue, which gives the stop much more impact than an outdoor photo alone.

11. Cumberland Park playground and splash pad

Take kids to Cumberland Park on the East Bank for riverside play space and open views back toward downtown. It pairs especially well with a walk across the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge, so it feels like more than just a playground stop.

12. Lane Motor Museum

The Lane Motor Museum is a great family pick because it focuses on unusual vehicles rather than the standard classic-car lineup. Its collection includes microcars, amphibious vehicles, prototypes and rare European models, so there is plenty here to surprise both kids and adults.

13. Radnor Lake State Park

For a quieter family outing, head to Radnor Lake State Park, just south of downtown, for easy walking trails, still water and regular wildlife sightings. It is one of the best places near Nashville for a more peaceful nature break without a long drive.

Free Things to Do in Nashville

14. Stroll Broadway for live street music

One of the easiest free things to do in Nashville is simply walk Lower Broadway and listen from the sidewalks while bands play inside the honky-tonks. Even without going bar to bar, you still get a feel for the city’s nonstop live-music energy.

15. Explore Centennial Park and the Parthenon

The grounds of Centennial Park are free to enjoy, making it a great place for a walk, picnic or a few skyline-and-Parthenon photos. Even if you do not go inside the museum, the full-scale replica makes this one of Nashville’s most distinctive public spaces.

16. Walk along Riverfront Park

Riverfront Park is a simple but worthwhile downtown stop for Cumberland River views, public art and a bit of breathing room away from Broadway. Its amphitheater and open riverfront setting also make it feel livelier than a standard city park.

17. Visit Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park

This 19-acre downtown park blends green space with Tennessee history, with a giant granite map of the state, memorials and fountains representing Tennessee’s rivers. It is one of the best free places in Nashville for a walk that still feels informative and sightseeing-focused.

18. Tour Tennessee State Capitol grounds

The Tennessee State Capitol offers free guided tours, making it one of the strongest no-cost history stops in the city. It is a good choice if you want to add architecture, politics and state history to a music-heavy Nashville itinerary.

19. Discover public art and murals downtown

Downtown Nashville has a strong concentration of murals and public art, especially around Upper Broadway, SoBro and the blocks north of Broadway. It is an easy free activity if you want a casual walk with photo opportunities built in.

20. Hike Shelby Bottoms Greenway trails

Head to Shelby Bottoms Greenway and Natural Area in East Nashville for paved and primitive trails through wetlands, fields and woodland along the river. It is one of the city’s best free outdoor escapes if you want nature, birdwatching and room to walk or bike.

Unique Things to Do in Nashville

21. Tour Belle Meade Plantation

Visit Belle Meade Historic Site & Winery, a former thoroughbred horse farm that now offers historic tours, wine and bourbon experiences, and a much broader visitor experience than a house tour alone. It is a better, more current way to frame this attraction than simply calling it a plantation

22. Take a Nashville ghost tour

Join a guided downtown ghost tour to hear eerie stories tied to Nashville landmarks and lesser-known corners of the city center. This works particularly well in the evening, when the historic streets and older buildings give the stories much more atmosphere.

23. Try a pedal tavern bar crawl

A pedal tavern or guided pub crawl is one of Nashville’s more playful group experiences, especially around downtown. It is a lively way to combine sightseeing and nightlife, and it fits the city’s social, music-first energy well.

24. Visit The Patterson House

For a more polished night out, head to The Patterson House, an intimate cocktail bar known for craft drinks, seasonal menus and a more low-lit, speakeasy-style feel than the average Broadway bar. It is a good contrast to the louder downtown scene

25. Go on a riverboat cruise along the Cumberland

Book a cruise on the General Jackson Showboat, one of the largest showboats of its kind, for river views, dining and live entertainment. It gives you a more relaxed perspective on Nashville than a typical downtown itinerary.

26. Attend a songwriter round

Make time for a songwriter round at The Bluebird Cafe, where writers perform their own songs in an intimate room that has become one of Nashville’s most iconic listening venues. Shows like In The Round are a big part of what makes Nashville feel different from other music cities.

27. Explore an escape room at The Escape Game Nashville

For an indoor activity with a more playful edge, book a room at The Escape Game Nashville, where the spaces are designed like movie sets and the puzzles unfold across multiple rooms. The Nashville location even includes a music-themed game built around a recording studio storyline.

Family Things to Do in Nashville

28. Shelby Bottoms Greenway & Park

Shelby Bottoms works especially well for families because it combines big open spaces with easy trails, wildlife habitat and plenty of room to bike, walk or picnic. It feels much more immersive than a typical city park while still being very accessible from downtown.

29. Adventure Science Center interactive exhibits

Families can easily spend a half day at Adventure Science Center, where interactive exhibits cover everything from space and sound to weather and the human body. The planetarium adds another layer if you want the visit to feel more substantial.

30. Cheekwood Gardens seasonal events

Cheekwood is especially good for families during seasonal events, when the gardens and estate host special displays and themed programming. That extra layer of activity makes it feel more like a full day out than a standard garden visit.

31. Explore historic Downtown on a family-friendly walking tour

A guided walk with a local company like Nashville Tours helps families make more sense of downtown landmarks instead of just passing them. It is a smart way to add stories and context to places you might otherwise only photograph from the outside.

32. Paddle boating or kayaking at Percy Warner Park

For a better water-based family activity than city-center paddling, head to Percy Priest Lake, just outside Nashville, where rentals make it easy to get out on calmer water. This is a stronger fit than Percy Warner Park, which is better known for land-based trails and green space.

33. Picnic and play at Fort Negley Historic Park

Fort Negley combines open green space with real historical substance, thanks to its visitor center, paved self-guided paths and elevated city views. It is a good choice for families who want something outdoorsy that still has a strong story behind it.

Things to Do in Nashville for Couples

34. Romantic dinner at The Hermitage Hotel

For a more elegant date night, book dinner at Drusie & Darr inside The Hermitage Hotel, where refined seasonal cooking and historic surroundings make it feel like a true occasion restaurant. It is one of the city’s best choices for a polished couples evening downtown.

35. Sunset cruise on the Cumberland River

An evening on the General Jackson Showboat gives couples skyline views, live entertainment and a slower pace than the bar-heavy downtown scene. It is one of the easiest ways to make a Nashville night feel more special.

36. Wine tasting at local vineyards

Drive south to Arrington Vineyards, co-owned by Kix Brooks, for tastings, vineyard views and a more relaxed countryside setting. With five tasting rooms, picnic areas and live music on weekends, it is one of the best couple-friendly escapes from central Nashville.

37. Stroll through Cheekwood Gardens at sunset

A walk through Cheekwood’s formal gardens, woodland trails and estate grounds makes for one of Nashville’s most romantic daytime outings. The mix of flowers, art and mansion views gives it much more variety than a simple park stroll.

38. Attend a live show at the Bluebird Cafe

Few Nashville date nights feel more authentically local than a show at The Bluebird Cafe, where the small room and songwriter-focused format make every performance feel intimate. It is especially memorable if you can catch an In The Round set.

39. Evening cocktails at a rooftop bar downtown

Take in Nashville's skyline views and a more stylish atmosphere, head to a rooftop such as L.A. Jackson in The Gulch or Harriet’s Rooftop in SoBro. Rooftop drinks work particularly well in Nashville because they give you city views without losing the social energy the city is known for.

40. Couples’ spa day at a luxury hotel or resort

For a more indulgent couples experience, book a spa-focused stay or treatment at a luxury property such as Four Seasons Hotel Nashville, which positions itself around couples’ getaways with spa time, fine dining and city views. It is a good way to balance Nashville’s busier nightlife with something slower and more restorative

Biggest events in Nashville

41. Celebrate Nashville Oktoberfest

Nashville Oktoberfest](https://www.thetopvillas.com/collections/event/nashville-oktoberfest) brings German beer, live music, food, and festival fun to Germantown each October.

42. Experience CMA Fest

CMA Fest fills downtown Nashville with major country music performances and fan events each June.

43. Visit Tomato Art Fest

Tomato Art Fest brings art, music, food, costumes, and quirky festival energy to East Nashville each August.