14 Best Sights in Nashville, Tennessee

A much-loved 20-acre site at one end of the 12South neighborhood, Sevier Park is the site of festivals and a weekly farmers' market on Tuesdays from May through late October. The park opened in 1948 and features trails, a creek, two playgrounds, a shelter, picnic tables, and a historic mansion (currently undergoing renovation). The updated community center was opened in 2014 and offers $3 drop-in fitness classes, including yoga. There are also tennis and basketball courts, as well as bike rentals. It's open from 6 am until dark.

Tucked behind an apartment complex, the Browns Creek Greenway is a 0.65-mile trail in Battlemont Park. Occupying a space that was cleared of houses after the 2010 Nashville Flood, the repurposed area features a dog-friendly paved loop that is shaded by mature trees. The Battle of Nashville Monument stands nearby in Battlemont Park to commemorate soldiers from both sides of the Civil War who fought in an important battle in this portion of the city in 1864.

Home to the Parthenon, this 132-acre park has a 1-mile walking trail, Lake Watauga, the Centennial Art Center, Musicians Corner, sunken gardens, and a bandshell. It's home to the bench that was famously dedicated to Taylor Swift by the city of Nashville in 2023 to honor the park's mention in Swift's song “Invisible String.” It's also a great place to explore an outdoor festival or hear live music.

A small urban block originally earmarked for yet another Downtown skyscraper has been repurposed into a delightful little pocket park that offers organized arts, music, and fitness programs for children and adults throughout the week.

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 playground, 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.

A place to play for humans and dogs, this green space has paved walking paths, sports fields, restrooms, and a dog park. The Bransford Avenue and Craighead Street entrance is a good spot to enter the park.

While Hillsboro Village itself offers plenty of charming outdoor walking space, the nearby Fannie Mae Dees Park is the perfect place to stop for a picnic with your Fido goodies. Take the little ones to play on the playground, and check out the large dragon statue. Kids can play on it, but, with its bright colors and funky design, it's just as fun for adults who love a good photo op.

This recently constructed green space provides a welcome oasis in the middle of this high-rise district. A large shaded patio peppered with tables makes for an ideal spot to chow down on takeout from a nearby restaurant, and there are plenty of benches and even wooden loungers for soaking up some Southern sun. In the warmer months, the park hosts movie and music nights along with the occasional market.

Known for formerly hosting festivals like Live on the Green or Nashville Pride, Public Square is located in front of the courthouse. Featuring an expansive green space perfect for having a picnic or playing ball, statuesque elevator towers that can be climbed for an expansive view, and fountains that children play in during warmer months, it’s a lovely place to take a break from the hubbub of Downtown.

The spacious greenery of Richland Park is situated opposite several of Charlotte Avenue’s walkable independent shops and eateries. Covered picnic tables and a small playground share an easily accessible parking lot with a quaint public library branch and tennis courts. The Richland Park Farmer's Market operates every Saturday morning beside the playground.

Though considerably smaller than the Mississippi, the Cumberland River has been as important to Nashville as the Mississippi has been to Memphis. This welcoming green enclave on its banks has an expansive view of the river and Nissan Stadium, where the Tennessee Titans play. The park serves as a popular venue for free summer concerts, block parties, and the annual New Year's Eve and 4th of July celebrations (Nashville boasts the largest fireworks display in the South). It's also home to Fort Nashborough Interpretive Center, which was home to the city's first European settlers in the later 1700s.

Shelby Park (as well as the connecting Shelby Bottoms and Cornelia Fort Airpark) is an East Nashville gem. With more than 336 acres of park land, hiking trails, public recreational facilities, and bike/pedestrian paths, Shelby offers a wide variety of free outdoor activities to locals and visitors alike. There's a public 18-hole golf course, too, so bring your clubs.

This 374-acre park along the Cumberland River has more recreational activities than any other park in Nashville. To name just a few, there’s a skate park, golf course, and small water park called Wave Country, featuring a wave pool and several slides. The Two Rivers Dog Park is one of the largest in the city, and there’s a walking track around the perimeter so you can jog or walk while your dog frolics. The Stones River Greenway is a 10.2-mile paved trail that runs straight through Two Rivers Park, ending in the Cumberland River Pedestrian Bridge that leads east across the river to Shelby Bottoms Park. In addition to the natural sights provided by leafy green Tennessee, you may pass a beautiful Italianate mansion on your walk. That’s Two Rivers Mansion, an 1859 plantation home that’s now used as a private venue for weddings and events.

This rare patch of green in Nashville's urban core features a walkway of stars commemorating many of the people who turned the city into Music City, USA. Visitors will find plaques with the names of iconic country stars like Johnny Cash, Reba McEntire, Loretta Lynn, Alan Jackson, and Dolly Parton alongside surprising names of stars with connections to Nashville from other genres such as Little Richard, Jimi Hendrix, Kid Rock, Steve Winwood, Peter Frampton, and the Fisk Jubilee Singers. It's "Music City," not just "Country Music City."