The Kid-Friendly Tennessee Attractions You Should Visit

Bike wheels rolling over wooded trails. Laughter among Tennessee's lush gardens located around the state. The pure adrenaline rush you feel as you fly along the tracks of the world's fastest wooden coaster. The awe of the vast scenic landscapes, history, and exhibits that transform learning into a fond memory. Check out these kid-friendly places for the ultimate Made in Tennessee family vacation.

Kid-Friendly Places Near Bristol

Bays Mountain Park and Planetarium – Kingsport

Among the top things to do with kids in Tennessee, explore Bays Mountain Park & Planetarium's 3,500 acres along beautiful hiking trails and mountain bike trails. See artifacts from the earliest families who settled on Bays Mountain in the mid 1800's.

• Take a trip through space in the state-of-the-art planetarium

• Catch a glimpse of bobcats, wolves, river otters, turtles or white-tail deer

• Hiking trails lead you to fire towers that offer stunning mountain views

Family Things to Do in and Near the Smokies

Dollywood – Pigeon Forge

Dollywood is one of the top family things to do in Tennessee. The park's newest coaster, Big Bear Mountain, is a family-friendly coaster with a mix of twists, turns, and scenic views. Couple that with plenty of gentle rides and fun family activities for younger kids, musical performances and award-winning Broadway style productions. Enjoy delicious dining options serving up traditional southern food, the picturesque Great Smoky Mountains and seasonal festivals you'll love attending year-round.

• Wild Eagle - America's first wing coaster built in 2012

• FireChaser Express - America's first dual-launch family coaster that has forward and backward thrills

• Lightning Rod - The world's fastest wood rollercoaster

Soaky Mountain Water Park - Sevierville

Opening for endless summer fun starting in May every year, Soaky Mountain Waterpark in Sevierville has thrills and fun for kids of all ages. For the little ones, go to Boomer's Bay which has smaller versions of the big kid rides including a wall ride, twisting slides and more. There's also a Mini Mayhem featuring kid-sized gravity challenging walls, with a big splash finish.

• The Hive - multiple water play features including a water bucket dump, body slides and body bowl slides.

• Hang 10essee - a dual FlowRider surf system

• American Racer's Rush - translucent slides with stars and stripes and a fireworks finish

• Holler! - a body slide that has a heart-thumping drop

Ober Mountain - Gatlinburg

Plan a visit to Ober Mountain and have winter family fun with activities like skiing, tubing and snowboarding. Their slopes are open early to mid-December through early to mid-March each year. Family members who have never skied or snowboarded before can sign up for a lesson before going on the slopes. Snow tubing is an exhilarating activity for kids and adults of all ages. Ice skating can be found inside Ober Gatlinburg’s indoor mall along with lots of unique shopping options. The whole family will love the Wildlife Encounter, home to native wildlife that can be found in the Smokies: flying squirrels, bobcats, black bears, raccoons and much more.

• The Gatlinburg Tram - One of America's largest aerial tramways that offer the best views of the Smokies

• Mountain Biking - professionally designed trails that offer a thrilling ride among the majestic Great Smoky Mountains

• The Cloud Catcher - Highest zipline in the Smokies over 300 feet off the ground and 3,200 feet long

Anakeesta - Gatlinburg

Discover a mountain of family fun and adventure at Anakeesta, Tennessee’s award-winning outdoor attraction nestled above and in the heart of downtown Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains. Begin your adventure at Firefly Village, a whimsical mountain town with quaint shopping, cozy atmosphere, and scenic views. Kids will love the imaginative play at Treehouse Village.

• New Bird-Venture attraction - First of its kind in the U.S., an aviary-inspired adventure with larger-than-life bird houses, 12 interactive adventure zones and seven giant serpentine slides with light features that wind more than 50 feet down the mountain

• Treetop Skywalk - a series of 14 hanging bridges more than 50 feet in the air and get a bird’s eye view of the forest floor below

• TreeVenture Challenge Course - Climb, swing and crawl your way through three levels in interactive treehouses with six netted bridges and different challenges around every turn.

• Dueling Zipline Adventure - Zip over 2,600 feet through the tree canopy side-by-side with friends and family

• Rail Runner Mountain Coaster - First of its kind in the U.S. A single rail track with 1,600 feet of downhill twists and turns at speeds up to 25 mph and 400-foot elevation change

• AstraLumina - a one-of-a-kind nighttime illumination and sensory experience along winding trails that truly amazes

• Chondola - World's only fixed-grip Chondola where guests choose to ride in an open-air 4-person chair or enclosed in a gondola cabin with seating for 6

Things to do with Kids in Chattanooga

Rock City – Chattanooga

See Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and North Carolina atop Lover's Leap. Discover Fairytale Caverns and Mother Goose Village. The kids will love expelling some energy among the beautiful gardens at Rock City, one of the top things to do with kids while in Chattanooga. Timed entry tickets are available online or at the ticket window when you arrive. 

• Balanced Rock - Most iconic landmark in Rock City and a geological wonder, features a massive boulder perched atop a smaller one.

• 180-ft. suspension bridge 

• Hall of the Mountain King - art installations, lighting effects and troll sculptures

• Fat Man's Squeeze - pass through the narrow and thrilling crevice between towering rocks

• Rainbow Hall - kaleidoscope of colors through carefully placed stained glass windows

Ruby Falls - Chattanooga

Descend 260 feet into Lookout Mountain to see the tallest and deepest underground waterfall, Ruby Falls. See unique rock formations along the cavern trail and learn the story behind the discovery of the cavern. Above ground, you can enjoy shopping at the Village Gift Shop filled with curated gifts, a rock candy mountain and more. Enjoy dining at The Back Porch, Ruby's Kitchen and the Cavern Cafe.

• Ruby Falls is the tallest and deepest underground waterfall in the U.S. 

• High Point ZIP Adventure has amazing views of Lookout Mountain

• Make your way up to the Blue Heron Overlook to see views of the Tennessee Valley featuring a colorblind viewfinder outfitted with Enchroma lenses, designed to alleviate red-green colorblindness

Tennessee Aquarium - Chattanooga

Discover the magical world of life under the sea at Tennessee's top aquarium. With a number of engaging exhibits and interactive features, visiting the Tennessee Aquarium is a perfect thing to do with kids in Chattanooga. With more than 10,000 creatures, marvel at the rich biodiversity of the Southeast and in the world.

• Touch tanks - Kids can gently touch and feel sea creatures like starfish and sea urchins

• Penguin Playhouse - Watch the resident penguins swim and interact with each other in their habitat

• Deeper Dives: In-Depth Tours - Go behind-the-scenes to experience the unseen magic of the Tennessee Aquarium on an exclusive guided tour or participate in feeding some of the marine life

Fun Family Activities In and Near Knoxville

Ijams Nature Center - Knoxville

You can find adventure just a few minutes from Knoxville's downtown. Ijams is a 315-acre urban greenspace with more than 14 miles of natural-surface trails. There are also more than nine miles of mountain bike trails in the Mead's Quarry and Ross Marble Natural Area. Cool off in Toll Creek, discover Mead's Quarry Lake by canoe or kayak or take a swim in the quarry. Outdoor Knoxville can supply all the equipment you need to have a great outdoor adventure. So, get outside along the blueways and greenways, parks and natural areas and enjoy all the outdoor family activities Knoxville has to offer.

• Navitat - Conquer 8-12 elements like zip lines, bridges, swings, nets and more. Navitat at Night lets you adventure under the stars, illuminated by twinkle lights. 

• Ijams Crag - Knoxville's only outdoor rock climbing area

• Ijams Primal Playground - a scalable green exercise space featuring tree trunks to lunge and leap from, rocks for resistance weight and more

• Jo's Grove - kid-friendly area for climbing logs, exploring twigloos and the quarter-acre natural playground

Museum of Appalachia - Clinton

The Museum of Appalachia is a pioneer mountain farm-village, home to 36 historic log structures, exhibits filled with thousands of authentic Appalachian artifacts, gardens and free range farm animals. The Southern Appalachian history museum will keep kids of all ages entertained for hours. Learn how life was like for the first Tennessee settlers. The restaurant onsite serves home-cooked lunch specials 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

• Hall of Fame - largest exhibit building with 15,000 square feet of exhibit space. Find quilts, Native American artifacts, hand-made musical instruments including Roy Acuff's fiddle and so much more. Learn about people closely connected with the Southern Appalachian Mountains, some members even being internationally renowned

• Display Barn - Pioneer relics inside the two-story barn including a goosewing axe found near Fort Loudon (1756-1765), 6-foot-long bear trap, extensive saw collection and a piece of the former World's Largest Polar Tree that was nearly 600 years old

• Special events include the annual Barn Dance, Independence Day Anvil Shoot Celebration, Sheep Shearing Days and Candlelight Christmas where you can walk through the village and explore the structures adorned in candlelight and early pioneer Christmas decor.

Museum of Scott County – Huntsville

The Museum of Scott County is a museum built, curated and maintained by students, for students and the general public. Exhibits are vast, ranging from the prehistoric era to coal mining and  a Pioneer Playroom where children can dress up and participate in "hands on" experiences. Couple that with historic structures and farm animals for a uniquely educational visit.

• U.S.S. Battleship Memorial Museum - Contains the largest collection of U.S.S. Tennessee memorabilia in the world. The ship fought in more battles and fired more volleys than any other ship in World War II. 

Kid Friendly Spots in and Near Nashville

Adventure Science Center – Nashville

Exploration and fun for the whole family awaits at Adventure Science Center with interactive activities that are found in the Adventure Tower where earth science, creativity and innovation, sound and light, air and space, and health and energy are blended to create non-stop fun. Continue on to Space Chase where cosmic rays, the Star Walk and Infrared Wall can be found. 

• Soundbox - Unique to Nashville's identity, make music in this exhibit and use floating pellets to visualize sound waves as you change the frequency

• Sudekum Planetarium - Features a 63-foot dome theater for planetarium shows, laser shows and concerts

• Wonders of the Universe Exhibit - Touch a Mars meteorite, see the Curiosity rover up close and compare the James Webb and Hubble telescopes

• Live Science demonstrations happen daily

Carnton – Franklin

Civil War history comes to life with the stories that are included with the tours at Carnton, a critical field hospital during the Battle of Franklin. Travel up the wooden stairs to the second floor where bloodstains from the brutal battle remain. Take in some fresh air in the Garden at Carnton, reflecting popular 19th century garden design. Extend your tour with a silent walk through the McGavock Confederate Cemetery.

• Carnton features original details and period furnishings

• McGavock Confederate Cemetery - Nearly 1,500 Confederate soldiers are laid to rest here, making it the largest privately owned military cemetery in the U.S.

• All Men are Created Equal Tour - A new tour offered nowhere else in Tennessee. Follows the U.S. from its founding to Civil War, diving deep into the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson and the issue of African slavery

Discovery Center at Murfree Spring - Murfreesboro

Children can have fun learning and playing at the Discovery Center in Murfreesboro. Interactive exhibits include the great outdoors, learning about the five senses, phosphorescence where kids can play with shadows and a tiny town complete with a postal center, music store and more.

• Wetland Walks - Boardwalks wind through wetlands where you can see birds, turtles, insects and more while learning the importance of wetlands in our environment

• Super Slide - 2.5-story slide presents gravity and motion in a fun, exhilarating way

• LEGO Lab - A new Duplo and LEGO building lab

Soar Adventure Tower - Franklin

Kids and adults can challenge themselves mentally and physically on four levels of adventure courses featuring over 110 climbing elements at Soar Adventure Tower. Enjoy two hours of climbing and maneuvering the course with the Tower Adventure Pass.

• Twilight Pass - Enjoy during the last two hours of the day for $30. Watch the sunset while you navigate

• Mini golf - 18-hole course with over 10 custom design, musically themed holes

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum - Nashville

Among the top family friendly places in Nashville, the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum dazzles all ages and generations with its 350,000 square feet of state-of-the-art galleries, interactive exhibitions and memorabilia from legends like Elvis Presley and Waylon Jennings to today’s stars like Kelsea Ballerini, Tim McGraw and Eli Young Band. Cap off your visit with a family photo in the Rotunda with the iconic “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.”

• See the operations of Hatch Show Print, the oldest continuously operating letterpress print shop in the U.S.

• Tour Historic RCA Studio B on Music Row, Nashville’s oldest surviving recording studio where legends like Elvis Presley and Dolly Parton recorded their hit songs

• Family activities - Kid-friendly workshops ranging from instrument instruction to songwriting and costume and instrument design help kids of all ages to dig deep into the story of country music

• CMA Theater - An intimate venue designed for music lovers to enjoy live performances of their favorite artists from Trisha Yearwood to Taj Mahal

Nashville Zoo at Grassmere - Nashville

Add some exotic to the everyday with a family trip to the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere. Children of all ages will be fascinated with the zoo’s animals as well as the extensive steps taken to conserve these precious animal species. 

Wild Animal Carousel - 39 colorful, wooden animals including a clouded leopard, giant anteater and more all carved by Zsolt Hormay, the master carver who helped create the Tree of Life at Disney's Animal Kingdom

Soaring Eagle - Zip line that lifts you 110 feet high and several hundred yards back before releasing you at 28mph back to earth

66,000-square-foot Jungle Gym

Grassmere Historic Home and Farm - Take a historic tour of the 1810 home listed on the National Register of Historic Homes

Backstage Pass Tours - Go behind-the-scenes to meet, pet and feed animals like rhinos, giraffes and sloths

Adventure 4D Theater - A 50-seat 4D theater that shows 2 films throughout the day featuring multi-sensory effects like bubbles, mist, snow, wind and more

Cheekwood Estate & Gardens - Nashville

Offering a range of family-friendly activities for kids, Cheekwood Estate & Gardens in Nashville is a perfect place to explore nature through the beautifully landscaped Botanical Gardens, the interactive Children's Garden with features like a treehouse and water play area, and the TRAINS! exhibit which transports little ones to a charming forest train depot complete with a main station, model trains, observation dome, and more. Seasonal festivals and events like Cheekwood Harvest and Holiday LIGHTS provide additional fun and special exhibits that kids will love. 

Things to do with Kids in and Near Memphis

Casey Jones Home & Railroad Museum – Jackson

Learn the incredible story of the railroad hero Casey Jones through interactive exhibits and artifacts at Casey Jones Home & Railroad Museum. Enjoy a meal at the world famous Brooks Shaw's Old Country Store Restaurant; tour the Providence House and The Village Chapel, Casey Jones Mini-Golf and the Shoppes at Casey Jones Village. End your visit sweetly with some confections from the authentically recreated 1890's Ice Cream Parlor & Fudge Shoppe. 

West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center – Brownsville

Plows, fertilizers and planters pulled by mules and horses are on display at the West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center to help tell the story of West Tennessee's cash crop: cotton. An old roller gin, cotton baskets and sacks are also displayed. Kids can see 11 species of catfish, a model of the alligator snapping turtle, and hear stories from Uncle Luther, modeled after the late Luther Windrow who grew up on the Hatchie River.

Discovery Park of America – Union City

An immersive experience of a wide range of topics is just inside this multi-million dollar museum, Discovery Park of America. Experience the historic 1811-1812 earthquakes that formed Reelfoot Lake; take a 40-minute interactive ride through outer space in the Starship Theater; and see West Tennessee from new heights by climbing up to The Tower and step on the two glass floor panels in side and four panels outside for a different view. Among the most fun things to do in Tennessee for families, this museum truly has something for everyone.

Memphis Zoo – Memphis

Perfect for a fun family day, explore the 70 acres of habitats that house more than 3,500 animals at the Memphis Zoo. Be sure to check out the Zambezi River Hippo Camp, an immersive experience where you can stand on a balcony of a lodge to see hippos and crocodiles. Underwater views and an explorative fishing village are all included in the new exhibit. 

Children's Museum of Memphis - Memphis

At the Children's Museum of Memphis, kids of a variety of ages can play and learn through interactive exhibits and games. For children 4 and under, activities include exploring a school bus, castle, tree house, Little Light Bright and the Mini Airways exhibition spaces. Additional exhibits for kids 5 and up include basketball, learning about earthquakes, dinosaurs, automobiles and more. 

Elvis Presley's Graceland - Memphis

Take you and your family through an unforgettable journey through the most famous rock ‘n’ roll residence in the world. Explore the personal life of Elvis Presley and learn how his revolutionary style and unique sound changed the face of popular music and culture forever. Walk through Elvis Presley’s mansion, see his cars and custom jets, and explore the gardens on his more than 13-acre estate. Head across the street to explore Elvis Presley’s Memphis, a full city block of Elvis-themed museums, exhibits, shops and restaurants. 

Shelby Farms Park - Memphis

Home to a resident herd of buffalo, this 4,500-acre park is one of the largest urban parks in the country.  Featuring over 40 miles of paved and nonpaved trails, more than 20 bodies of water, and multiple playgrounds for kids including the Woodland Discovery Playground and Water Play Sprayground for those hot summer days.  Whether you and your family play the park on foot, on wheels, in the trees, in the open or on the water, this spot truly has something for everyone. 

With so many kid-friendly places for kids of all ages, Tennessee is the best place to explore with your family.