25 Best Sights in Nashville, Tennessee

Yes, this is a space designed with kids in mind, but there are also several elements that adults can enjoy, such as virtual reality stations, planetarium and laser shows, and the Blue Max flight simulator. Popular “Way Late Play Dates” are after-hours events exclusively for adults 21 and older and features themes like Harry Potter and Star Wars versus Star Trek. The Adventure Science Center sits on a bluff making it a great spot to watch Nashville’s Fourth of July fireworks during the center’s annual “Red, White & BOOM!” event.

Nashville has a unique and active arts community, and the city's main art museum reflects that. Instead of focusing on a beefy permanent collection like Atlanta's High Museum, the Frist, which opened in 2001, aims to expose the city's inhabitants and visitors to as many different and disparate artists, mediums, and movements as possible, with multiple rotating exhibitions. Depending on when you're in town, you can catch anything from an extensive focus on a single artist, like Soundsuit sculptor Nick Cave, to an exploration of Impressionism. Visitors can dine in their alfresco café after perusing thought-provoking exhibitions in the 1930s art deco building that once served as a post office.

Built to celebrate Tennessee's bicentennial, this beautifully landscaped 19-acre park includes a 2,000-seat amphitheater, a scaled map of the state in granite, a World War II memorial, a wall etched with a time line of state events, and fountains representing each of Tennessee's rivers (you'll see both kids and adults splashing in them April–October). The park has a number of picnic tables and there are several dining options at the nearby Farmers Market.

Built for the 1897 Tennessee Centennial Exposition, this popular park is not only home to the Parthenon Museum but is also a pleasant place for walking, relaxing, and participating in outdoor festivals. Craft fairs, festivals, and performances are often held in the 132-acre park, which includes a small lake, picnic areas, a band shell, an arts center, and a dog park.

This park on the east bank of the Cumberland River at the foot of the Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge was designed with kids and families in mind. Sandboxes, a "sprayground" of fountains, an obstacle course, a climbing wall, and trails (one designed to attract butterflies) are among the offerings for kids; there's also a picnic area and 1,200-seat amphitheater. You can also enjoy great views of the river with the Nashville skyline just beyond the bank.

One's man passion for automobiles (and motorcycles) led to this collection of mostly European vehicles of all shapes and sizes, from mini cars (including a Smart car) to an amphibious car—one vehicle for almost every letter of the alphabet. The museum also includes a children's area, art gallery and gift shop.

Nashville Shores is a fun water park and marina on Percy Priest Lake with a 25,000-square-foot wave pool, a 1,000-foot-long lazy river float experience, and other splashy activities. You can air-dry in the Shores' Treetop Adventure Park where there are zip lines, cargo nets, suspended bridges, and other challenges. Private guide service is also available.

An exact copy of the Athenian original, Nashville's Parthenon was constructed to commemorate Tennessee's 1897 centennial. Across the street from Vanderbilt University's campus, in Centennial Park, it's a magnificent sight, perched on a gentle green slope beside a duck pond. Inside are the 63-piece Cowan Collection of American art, traveling exhibits, and the 42-foot Athena Parthenos, the tallest indoor sculpture in the Western world.