The 10 Best Nashville Parks & Playgrounds For Families

Wherever we travel with our girls, one of the first things we look for is a park or playground. It provides them some space to run and play — perhaps after a long day of museums or tours — and allows them to interact with other kids. I have found playgrounds to be a common “universal language” where families come together to play, people watch and simply enjoy the day.

Our hometown of Nashville may be known for its music, but the city is also incredibly family-friendly, for visitors and natives alike. And, Nashville has parks all over the city that are unique and fun and you may even discover some music in these music city parks from time to time too!

Here are 10 of our favorite parks and playgrounds in Nashville:

Fannie Mae Dees (Dragon Park)

2400 Blakemore Ave.

Locally known as Dragon Park, Fannie Mae Dees park is a gem in the city. Located across from Vanderbilt Medical Center, the centerpiece of the park is a huge mosaic dragon sculpture that kids can play on and find hidden pictures and designs. There is also an all abilities playground that has wheelchair accessibility and large fields for running and frisbee throwing. Other play structures include a climbing area that looks like a huge pile of rocks with a tunnel built in and a slide, a giant seesaw, and a large sandbox area. The park is also a short walk to the shops and restaurants in Hillsboro Village – perfect for grabbing some lunch and enjoying a picnic while befriending the dragon!

Sevier Park

3021 Lealand Lane

Located in the ever-popular 12 South neighborhood, Sevier Park is a wonderful spot to picnic or play. It has two play structures — one for older kids and one for younger kids and toddlers. There are large rolling hills, a small creek that kids can stomp around in and a community center with classes and events. They also host the 12 South Farmer’s Market on Tuesday afternoons throughout the year and several festivals and concerts during warmer months.

Centennial Park

2500 West End Ave

Centennial Park is home to the famous Nashville Parthenon which includes an art gallery and giant 40-foot tall Athena statue (Tip: On Saturday families can get into the Parthenon for free from 11-11:45 for the Kidsville storytime and craft). Throughout the grounds, there are several play structures, a large pond with ducks and geese, an amphitheater where you can see Shakespeare in the Park productions in late summer and tons of festivals, music concerts and events year round.

Richland Park

4711 Charlotte Pike

Richland Park is a neighborhood park and playground located off of Charlotte Pike. It’s right across the street from Headquarters Coffee, so grab a cup and settle in while the kids enjoy themselves. The sweet neighborhood library is on the property too — with free bathrooms! There is a farmer’s market on weekends, tennis courts and some of our favorite trees to climb and play in the city!

Nashville West

6670 Charlotte Pike

The Nashville West playground is located on the East end of the Nashville West shopping center and has a great play structure and several Nashville guitar sculptures that are fun to explore with kids. It’s a great reward after a day of errands/shopping or also worth a visit to the park to run around.

Elmington Park

3531 West End Ave.

Elmington Park has tons of open space for running and playing, a fun play structure at the base of West End Middle School and it is the start of the 440 Greenway. In the summer, Elmington park hosts the free Movies in the Park series and on the weekends, food trucks line up and you can view any number of lacrosse or soccer games and also Medieval Fantasy fighting where a community of “larpers” recreate a Dungeons and Dragons fantasy world every weekend!

Cumberland Park

592 S 1st Street

Cumberland Park is located by the Titans Football Stadium and offers lots of fun and inventive play! There is a splash pad open in the summer, a climbing wall, slides and paths to explore along the Cumberland River. You can also ride the elevator up to the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge and walk across for some of the best skyline views of Nashville!

McCabe Park

101 46th Ave N

McCabe Park is a small playground at the base of the Richland Park Greenway. The playground has swings, slides and climbing structures and is located next to a baseball field and the McCabe Park Community Center and Golf Course. It’s also directly across the street from Star Bagel, so grab some breakfast and sit on the benches to watch the kids play! (Fun Tip: one of the benches is dedicated to my dad with the plaque “Bubba’s Bench” located just outside the doors of the community center. It’s a fun spot to find and sit for a while!)

Shelby Bottoms

1900 Davidson St.

Shelby Bottoms located in East Nashville has a great little playground and a fantastic spot for sports games and recreation. Plus, you can hike the trails or visit the nature center if you need to switch it up a bit.

Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park

600 James Robertson Pkwy

Located at the base of the Capitol in downtown Nashville, Bicentennial Capitol Mall has tons of wonderful play spaces for kids. Our favorites are the fountains and the 200-foot granite map of Tennessee located under the train trestle along with picnic tables, bathrooms, and a visitor’s center. The park also includes an amphitheater and lots of historical markers and statues about Tennessee. Adjacent to the park is the Nashville Farmer’s Market which is open year-round and full of food, ice cream, and shops for the whole family.

Do you have favorite parks in Nashville or your town or city? Check out our favorite parks in Paris, France and also where you can find kid-friendly music venues with your kids here in Nashville.