Indoor Fun
Nashville and Middle Tennessee have some great places for indoor family fun, perfect to escape the rain, cold or heat. While we think Nashville is perfect, the weather doesn’t always cooperate to enjoy outside. Check out some of the area museums, indoor playgrounds, family fun centers and more! Have a favorite we haven’t been to? Be sure to Contact Us and let us know – we’d love to add it and share more places to explore in the area.
If you are looking for fun places to visit near you, you can see indoor fun locations divided out by county.
Indoor Playgrounds
There is a wide variety of indoor playgrounds and places to jump and run all over Middle Tennessee. Some are in malls, some in churches, some with a fee and some are free but they are all fun! Here’s a great list of playgrounds to start with and then below are full stories of places we have visited.
- Cornerstone Indoor Playground (Madison)
- Pump It Up (Mt Juliet & Brentwood)
- Chuck E. Cheese (4 locations)
- Hoppity Hop Inflatable Play Center (Hendersonville)
- Monkey’s Treehouse (Brentwood)
- Sky High Sports (Airport area)
- Bounce U (Nashville & Murfreesboro)
- LaserQuest (Downtown)
- Above All Extreme Air Sports (Franklin)
- Nashville Airsoft (Downtown)
Bowling and Family Fun Centers
Before you head out to bowl, make sure you register for the summer fun Kids Bowl Free program, then check out this list of every place we know of to go bowling in Middle Tennessee. Plus, you can get more details in the articles below about the bowling alleys we have visited.
- Hendersonville Circus World (Hendersonville)
- Holder Family Fun Center (Hendersonville & Gallatin)
- Dave and Busters (Opry Mills Mall)
- Donelson Bowl (Donelson)
- Hermitage Lanes (Hermitage)
- Lanes, Trains and Automobiles (Murfreesboro)
- Kings Bowl (Cool Springs)
Skating Rinks
Sign up for the year-round Kids Skate Free program for free skate times and then find a skating rink near you on this giant list of places to skate in Middle Tennessee. Then check out more details on the rinks we’ve visited below.
Roller Skating Rinks
- Rivergate Skate Center (Madison)
- Sumner Skate Zone (Gallatin)
- Brentwood Skate Center (Brentwood)
- Skate Center Smyrna (Smyrna)
- Hermitage Recreation Center (FREE skating at certain times) (Hermitage)
- Skate Center West (Murfreesboro)
Ice Skating Rinks
- Ford Ice Center (Antioch)
Arts and Crafts
- Fired Up! Paint Your Own Pottery Studio (Mt Juliet)
- Brushfire Pottery Studio (Nashville)
Experience Restaurants and Stores
- Pfunky Griddle (Berry Hill)
- Cock of the Walk (Opry Mills Mall area)
- Loveless Cafe (West Nashville)
- Chuck E. Cheese
- McNamara’s Irish Pub (Donelson)
- Dave & Busters (Opry Mills Mall)
- Aquarium Restaurant (Opry Mills Mall)
- The Lego Store (Opry Mills Mall)
- A Family Guide to Restaurants (Opry Mills Mall)
Museums and Historical Homes
- The Hermitage (Hermitage)
- Lane Motor Museum (Nashville)
- Gaylord Opryland Hotel (Nashville)
- The Frist Center (Downtown)
- Country Music Hall of Fame (Downtown)
- RCA Studio B Tour (leaves from the Country Music Hall of Fame)
- Tennessee State Military Museum (Downtown)
- Tennessee State Capitol (Downtown)
- The Parthenon (Nashville)
- Cooter’s Place (Music Valley/ Opry area)
- Willie Nelson and Friends (Music Valley/ Opry area)
- Grand Ole Opry Backstage Daytime Tour (Music Valley/Opry Mills Mall)
- Grand Ole Opry Backstage Evening Tour (Music Valley/Opry Mills Mall)
- Musicians Hall of Fame (Downtown)
- The Fontanel (Whites Creek)
- Belle Meade Plantation (Belle Meade)
- Oaklands Historic House Museum (Murfreesboro)
- Travellers Rest Plantation and Museum (Nashville)
- Carnton Plantation (Franklin)
- Rock Castle (Hendersonville)
- The Earth Experience – A Natural History Museum (Murfreesboro)
Science and Nature Centers
- Dyer Observatory (Nashville)
- Adventure Science Center (Nashville)
- Nashville Main Library (Nashville)
- Discovery Center & Murfree Spring Wetland (Murfreesboro)
- Shelby Bottoms Nature Center (East Nashville)
- Smyrna Outdoor Adventure Center (Smyrna)
Music and Theatre
- Larry Keeton Theatre (Donelson)
- McNamara’s Irish Pub (Donelson)
- Nashville Children’s Theatre (Downtown)
More Ideas for Indoor Fun…
- Fun at Opry Mills Mall – there is more to do than just shop (Donelson/Opry Mills)
- Find a Storytime near you. There are options at libraries, bookstores, and more!
- Free Kids’ Building Workshops where your kids can create something to take home.
- FREE and Cheap Kids’ Classes and Workshops to sign up for and learn something new.
- Let’s have a Tea Party – there are lots of places to have tea in Nashville
- Cooking Classes for kids – from main dishes to desserts
- Cheap and FREE places to see Movies – discounts at local theaters plus places you may not think of when you plan to see a movie.
- LEGO play times – Join in a weekly LEGO event and build something amazing!
Ideas for Fun at Home
Have several days to play? Check out our 5-day staycation plans for preschoolers, school-aged kids and teens!
Dyer Observatory
Dyer Observatory is part of Vanderbilt University in Nashville. It was built in 1953 after Arthur Dyer organized an in-kind services and material donation campaign with 80 firms contributing to…
Willie Nelson and Friends Museum
Are you a fan of the red headed stranger? If so, then this place can’t be missed. It is a shrine to Willie and his friends – 5000 square feet…
The Ultimate List of Indoor Playgrounds in Nashville
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The Parthenon – Nashville
Located in Centennial Park, The Parthenon is one of Nashville’s most famous landmarks. It is a full scale model of the original Parthenon in Athens, Greece. It was built in…
Brushfire Pottery Studio
Brushfire Pottery Studio is located in the Hillsboro area of Nashville, TN. This is a paint your own pottery place perfect for the entire family. When you arrive the first step…
The Hermitage – Home of Andrew Jackson
Have you been to the Hermitage lately? A lot has changed since my first visit as an out of town tourist in 2003. While I had a great time learning…
Game Terminal – An Arcade Paradise for Gamers
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Soundwaves: Escape at Gaylord Opryland’s Water Park Resort
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Tennessee State Library and Archives
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The Loveless Cafe
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