Nashville
Nashville is the capital and the middle of the state. Broadway after dark is not a family plan. The family plan is the zoo, the Parthenon, the science center, a daytime Opry tour, and hot chicken at a table rather than a bar. The basin around the city — Franklin, Belle Meade, the Hermitage — fills a second day.
Things that are always there
222 Rep. John Lewis Way S, Nashville, TN 37203
The serious music museum. Allow two hours. A rotating gallery keeps it from being only for parents.
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2804 Opryland Dr, Nashville, TN 37214
Daytime backstage tours, or a weekend matinee. Night shows run late.
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3777 Nolensville Pike, Nashville, TN 37211
The uncomplicated family morning. Jungle Gym is the piece children ask to repeat.
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2500 West End Ave, Nashville, TN 37203
Full-scale replica in Centennial Park. The park is free; the interior casts a small fee.
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800 Fort Negley Blvd, Nashville, TN 37203
Hands-on science and a planetarium. Built for elementary ages.
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1200 Forrest Park Dr, Nashville, TN 37205
Gardens first, art second. Best in spring bloom and fall harvest.
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Hotels
2800 Opryland Dr, Nashville, TN 37214
Indoor gardens and a pool. Next door to the Opry. Pricey, and easy with children.
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101 20th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37203
West End, near Centennial Park and Vanderbilt. A walk to the Parthenon.
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250 Rep. John Lewis Way S, Nashville, TN 37203
Connected to the Country Music Hall of Fame. Downtown without being on Broadway.
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Restaurants
112 19th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203
Order mild for children. The 19th Avenue shop is the original. Expect a line.
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1796 21st Ave S, Nashville, TN 37212
Hillsboro Village breakfast. Go when the door opens.
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500 Church St, Nashville, TN 37219
Meat-and-three and live music at a reasonable hour. The Franklin original is the better room.
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Events on the calendar
Nashville Oktoberfest
The South's long-running Oktoberfest, with German food, polka, and a street festival families have used as a fall outing since 1980.
Middle TennesseeCelebrate Nashville Cultural Festival
A free one-day cultural festival on the lawn in front of the Parthenon.
Middle TennesseeCheekwood Harvest
Pumpkins, a marigold river, and garden paths at the Belle Meade estate through the first of November.
Middle TennesseeNashville Farmers' Market Fall Fest
Harvest party with live music, a kids' zone, pony rides, and fall produce beside Bicentennial Mall.
Middle TennesseeTennessee State Fair
Livestock shows, a midway, and pie contests — the state fair, recently staged east of Nashville.
Middle TennesseeChristmas at Gaylord Opryland
Indoor gardens, lights, and ice in the atrium next door to the Grand Ole Opry.