Kids' activities in Nashville: Shelby Park playgrounds, free spraygrounds, library and nature center story times, and rainy-day picks from science to cars.

Last checked Oct. 19, 2026. Details come from each place’s own page: Metro Parks, the Parks events calendar, Nashville Public Library, Adventure Science Center, the Lane Motor Museum and Nashville Children’s Theatre. Hours change; check before you go.

Nashville’s best free kids’ outings are in its parks. Shelby Park has playgrounds, ball fields and a fishing lake two miles from downtown; Metro’s two spraygrounds are free from Memorial Day to Labor Day; and four Metro nature centers run family hikes, story times and puppet shows. For rainy days, Adventure Science Center, the Lane Motor Museum and Nashville Children’s Theatre are all indoors. Metro Parks: 615-862-8400.

Quick picks

  • Free and outdoors: Shelby Park playgrounds; Kirkpatrick and Watkins spraygrounds (summer).
  • Free story times: Nashville Public Library branches; Shelby Bottoms Nature Center.
  • Rainy day: Adventure Science Center, Lane Motor Museum, Nashville Children’s Theatre, indoor pools.
  • Seasonal: Halloween, holiday lights, Easter egg hunts, summer camps.

Playgrounds and parks

  • Shelby Park, East Nashville: a 300-acre park on the Cumberland River, about 1,200 acres with Shelby Bottoms. Playgrounds, youth ball fields, Sevier Lake for casual fishing, a fenced dog park and the Shelby Park Community Center’s free programs. Open dawn to 11 p.m.
  • Centennial Park, West End Avenue at 25th Avenue North: 132 acres with the Parthenon, a one-mile walking trail, Lake Watauga, a sunken garden and an arts activity center.
  • Neighborhood playgrounds: Metro lists every park and its features on the Metro Parks site.

Splash pads and pools

  • Spraygrounds (free, Memorial Day to Labor Day): Kirkpatrick, 620 S. Ninth St.; Watkins, Jo Johnston Avenue at 17th Avenue North. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekends.
  • Wave Country, 2320 Two Rivers Parkway: Metro’s summer wave pool with a kiddie slide; children 12 and under must be with an adult.
  • Free open swim at most Metro pools; see summer camps and pools for the list.

Story times

  • Nashville Public Library says it has story times for children of all ages, plus Spanish Story Time, where kids sing, dance, rhyme and read in Spanish, and a drop-in Homeschool Friends program. Branch times are on the library’s calendar.
  • Metro nature centers: the Parks events calendar lists Nature Storytime at Shelby Bottoms Nature Center (10 to 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4) and a Nature Center Puppet Show there (9:30 to 10 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 19), along with family hikes at Bells Bend and junior naturalist programs.

Rainy-day picks

  • Adventure Science Center: exhibits, planetarium and laser shows, plus school-break camps (a Thanksgiving camp runs Nov. 23-24, 2026).
  • Lane Motor Museum, 702 Murfreesboro Pike: microcars, motorcycles and propeller-driven vehicles. Children 5 and under get in free. 615-742-7445.
  • Nashville Children’s Theatre, 25 Middleton St.: family shows plus drama classes and camps. Parking is off Middleton Street between Second and Hermitage avenues.
  • Indoor pools: year-round at the Centennial Sportsplex and the Coleman, East, Hadley and Hartman regional centers (Metro pools).

The zoo

The Nashville Zoo at Grassmere runs seasonal family events: Boo at the Zoo in October and the new Glow Wild holiday lights, nightly Nov. 13 to Jan. 3, with Santa from Nov. 27 to Dec. 24. Summer camps for kindergarten to 12th grade post in December.

What this means for you

  • Under 10? Leave them outside the fence at Metro dog parks; children under 10 are not allowed inside (dog-friendly Nashville).
  • On a budget: parks, spraygrounds, nature centers, library story times and most Metro pool open swims are free.

Related guides: free things to do, summer camps and pools, spring break and parks and trails.

Frequently asked questions

Where are free splash pads in Nashville?

Metro’s spraygrounds at Kirkpatrick Park (620 S. Ninth St.) and Watkins Park (Jo Johnston Avenue at 17th Avenue North) are free from Memorial Day through Labor Day, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekends.

Does the Nashville Public Library have story time?

Yes. Nashville Public Library says it has story times for children of all ages, including Spanish Story Time. Times and branches are on the library’s events calendar.

What can kids do in Nashville on a rainy day?

Adventure Science Center, the Lane Motor Museum (free for 5 and under), Nashville Children’s Theatre at 25 Middleton St., Metro’s indoor pools and the public library are all indoors.

Where is a big park with playgrounds in Nashville?

Shelby Park, two miles from downtown on the Cumberland River, has playgrounds, ball fields, Sevier Lake for fishing and a community center with free programs. It is open dawn to 11 p.m.

Are there free nature programs for kids in Nashville?

Metro Parks’ nature centers at Shelby Bottoms, Warner Park, Beaman Park and Bells Bend run family hikes, story times and puppet shows; many are free. Dates are on the Parks events calendar.