How to spend 24hrs in Nashville with Kids (+ Broadway Street)
Passing through Nashville? Get the most out of your visit!
“From the bridge, you have a view of the skyline in every direction.” John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge
On a road trip just passing through Nashville? With kids? We recently did just that! You can find a playground, free parking that allows an easy walk to all the honkey tonk bars on Broadway Street. Add the Opryland and the popular “What lifts you” wings mural to the mix and it was a great 24 hours!
Cumberland Park
John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge
Honkey Tonk Bars on Broadway Street
Grand Ole Opry
Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center
Centennial Park - The Parthenon
“What Lifts You” Wings mural
Cumberland Park
Cumberland Park has a free parking lot next to the Nissan Stadium. There are cameras monitoring the parking lot, and (at the time) some construction. We saw a few homeless roaming around but I didn’t feel unsafe parking there.
From the parking lot, it’s a short walk to the “Cumberland Park” it’s no playground but some artificial turf creating hills for the kids to run and play on. Mine loved it! Bonus, there is a bathroom right in the area which was perfect before we headed into the city more.
John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge
John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge
You can get to the bridge from Cumberland Park by stairs or there is a clear elevator that you can take to the top. Unfortunately for our visit, the elevator was out of commission. Stairs it was! From the bridge, you have a view of the skyline in every direction. Being split into sidewalks and a mini road for scooters it was a stress-free walk where the kiddos could run around and jump on concrete spacers they had.
Honkey Tonk Bars on Broadway Street
Reaching the end of the bridge, you can really just follow the flow of people onto the main drag. Off the bridge, you take a right and head toward the music. You’ll see the Johnny Cash museum and from there, explore to your heart's desire. For me, I was a little nervous because I had my 4 & 5-year-olds. Where the heck was a kid-friendly bar?
Fortunately for me, there were lots of families with kids all doing the same thing I was. We were welcomed into “Lucky Bastards Saloon”. There was a cowboy out front inviting the girls to “get their wings”. A mural, painted near the entrance after you walk in has wings for photo ops. Moving in more, there is plenty of seating, a large dance floor with a live band, and a good selection of drinks. The littles chose lemonade and pretzel bites while they rested their feet. Also around the area is the country music hall of fame. We didn’t check that out this go around, but I have heard it's actually pretty interactive and kid-friendly.
The “big guitars” the girls were most excited to see - Grand Ol Opry
Grand Ol’ Opry
A well-known music venue for Country American music. While we didn’t go to a show, the Grand Ol’ Opry was near our hotel and my girls wanted to see the “big guitar”. If you do go, I saw they have an option where you can add on a tour of the establishment. Check it out!
Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center
You don’t have to stay at the Gaylord Opryland Resort to enjoy it. We actually stayed at a hotel across the street but had heard multiple times that it was a really neat experience. The resort certainly didn’t disappoint! Since it was just after Christmas, we were able to experience the full Christmas display!
There was a $32 parking fee which I was definitely not about. I decided the Cracker barrel across the street was a solid safe zone and we trekked across the street and through the grounds. Upon walking up to the front, there was a nativity scene, trees covered in twinkle lights and hues of red lighting the front of the resort. Walking in was another level, a large staircase also decked in lights and decor. As you walked around the halls we saw restaurants, shops, spas, a sound bath experience, and then you come upon the conservatory.
Levels and levels of walking paths, guitars hanging from the ceiling, waterfalls, delicate gazebos, plants, plants, and more plants. I’m not sure if it was just a Christmas thing or not, but there was a water show cued to sync up with music and lights. A really fun part (I thought) was that you could reserve a room that had a balcony opening into the conservatory. It reminded me of something you would find in Las Vegas. Definitely a neat place to explore (especially if you’re experiencing undesirable weather as we did).
Centennial Park
There is a lot more to Centennial Park than just the Parthenon. It was a little too chilly for the girls to want to wander and explore the grounds. However, getting there early did mean we were able to see the Parthenon without a lot of other visitors around. Inside, there is a statue of Athena and some other displays to take in. Seeing the massive structure was a fun quickie on the list of things to see.
“What Lifts You” wings mural
One of the most iconic murals in Nashville. The “what lifts you” mural can be found smack dab in the middle of an outdoor shopping center. As we were popping by just to see this on our way out of town, I was a little nervous about parking, walking, and accessibility. I was pleasantly surprised to find the mural at the entrance of a parking garage, and the first hour of parking was free! We parked, the girls grabbed their polaroids and we made it to the mural without having a wait in line. They even have tiny wings for babies. The girls loved it!
Have you been to Nashville? What places would you suggest for families touring Nashville?
