The Best Things To Do In Nashville With Teens

Nashville, Tennessee is known for its music — honky tonks and late-night bars; line dancing and recording studios — but it’s also an extremely kid and family-friendly town. I love sharing kid-friendly things to do in Nashville and lately, I’ve received many requests for what to do in Nashville with teens.

Whether they’re music lovers (and not just country, I promise) or sports enthusiasts; history and art buffs or outdoor adventurers…or they simply want to find a coffee shop and people watch (Nashville celebrities abound!) – here are the best things to do in Nashville with your teens!

(Also, this list is approved by and contributed with recommendations from some of my favorite real-life Nashville teens! Thanks Y’all!)

1. Hear Live Music

There are tons of music venues in Nashville where you can hear country, pop, blues, bluegrass, rock — you name the music genre and you’ll find it in Nashville. Here is a list of family friendly music venues, and for teens, I especially recommend the last 3 on the list: The Bluebird Cafe, 3rd & Lindsley and The Ryman for an authentic Nashville music experience.

2. Visit The Country Music Hall of Fame, Taylor Swift Education Center & Hatch Show Print

The city’s long and deep-rooted country music history is indisputable—and intriguing, even for teens! There’s no better starting point for your teenagers country-music education than The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, which covers almost every imaginable aspect of country music.

Included in the museum, The Taylor Swift Education Center offers a fun space for unique hands-on experiences connected to the museum’s content, just for kids and teens.

At the back of the museum (with access from the side too) is Hatch Show Print, a working letterpress print shop that has been open since 1879. Teens and families can see how the letterpress prints are made, look for their favorite performers’ posters in the shop and gallery, and / or try their hand at making a letterpress print themselves.

3. Discover Nashville Murals

Nashville is full of Instagram-worthy murals and public art all over the city that are beautiful, colorful and fun to photograph. My girls and I have designated our Nashville mural adventures as “Music City Muraling” and we always find new murals on each adventure. Here and here are some favorites to find around Nashville.

4. Enjoy the Art Museums & Galleries of Nashville

Nashville has some world renowned art museums such as The Frist Museum (which is always free for kids 18 and under), the Gallery at the Parthenon (where you can also see the 40-ft tall Athena statue) and Cheekwood Botanical Gardens and Museum of Art. Music City also has many smaller galleries that are incredible. Here is a local Art Gallery Tour that would be perfect for your art-loving teen.

5. Catch A Movie at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center

Nashville Schermerhorn Symphony Center is a pretty amazing venue here in Music City for classical music. They often host Young People’s Concerts for K-12 students; sectional lessons with band and orchestra students; and free Community Concerts.

The Symphony also regularly hosts Movies at the Schermerhorn wherein a movie is played in HD while the Nashville Symphony performs the movie score live. The schedule includes beloved and music-filled films such as Harry Potter, Star Wars, Batman, Disney classics and many more!

6. Take A Civil Rights Walk

Nashville has a rich and fascinating Civil Rights history. Here is a short Nashville Civil Rights History walk that would be a great start for teens interested in this powerful story of Music City.

7. Eat At Authentic Nashville Spots

Sometimes teens simply want to sit somewhere fun and eat! Here are some of our favorite teen-friendly Nashville eateries:

• Hattie B’s Hot Chicken – If your teen prefers their chicken NOT hot, order the Southern which is simply fried chicken without the spice.
• The Loveless Cafe – Arrive early and eat all the biscuits and jam.
• Biscuit Love – There is always a line, but it moves quick!
• Pharmacy Burger – Try the homemade cream sodas too.
• Hugh Babies – My favorite fries in Nashville.
• Mas Tacos Por Favor – Because all teens love Mexican, right?
• Five Points Pizza – And pizza!
• Martin’s Bar-B-Que – A Nashville classic.
• Five Daughter’s Bakery – For an incredible sweet treat morning, noon or night!

8. Shop til’ you Drop

Similarly, teens may enjoy shopping in some of Nashville’s trendiest spots. Here are the best neighborhoods and areas in Nashville for you to enjoy local shopping with plenty of restaurants and coffee shops nearby:

• 12 South
• Hillsboro Village
• The Gulch
• L&L Marketplace on Charlotte
• Downtown Nashville Farmers Market
• Green Hills Mall
• Opry Mills Mall
• Fifth + Broadway

9. Opt Outside through Nashville Hiking & Biking

Nashville has lots of fabulous greenways and hiking trails. There are bike rentals throughout the city through, a bike share that allows you to check out bikes for an hour at a time. Ride them throughout Nashville and along our beautiful greenways! Some favorite (short) hikes include:

• Warner Parks Warner Woods Trail –  2.5 mile loop
• Percy Warner Park Mossy Ridge Trail – 4.5 mile loop
• Edwin Warner Harpeth Woods Trail –  2.5 mile trail
• Radnor Lake State Park Lake Trail – 1.35 miles around the lake
• Beaman Park Henry Hollow Loop -2.5 mile loop

10. Cheer On A College or Professional Sports Team

Sports enthusiasts have plenty of options too depending on the season:

• Nashville Predators (Hockey)
• Nashville Sounds Baseball Club
• Tennessee Titans (Football)
• Nashville Soccer Club
• Vanderbilt University & Belmont University Athletic Events

11. Peruse an Independent Bookstore or Record Shop

• Grimeys Record Store
• The Great Escape Records
• Third Man Records
• Ernest Tubb Record Shop
• Vinyl Tap
• Boulevard Record Shop
• Parnassus Books
• Rhino Books
• McKays – Used Books & Music

12. Relax At A Nashville Coffee Shop

Even if your teen doesn’t drink coffee, these spots are great for tea, lunch, hot chocolate or simply people watching!

• Headquarters
• Sam & Zoes
• Fido
• Frothy Monkey
• White Bison
• Dose
• 8th and Roast

13. Indulge in Some Ice Cream

We have countless favorite ice cream shops in Nashville including Bobbie’s Dairy Dip, Jeni’s Ice Cream, Elliston Place Soda Shop and many more – so why not just go all out and enjoy a Nashville Ice Cream Crawl!

14. Shop at a Nashville Thrift Store

Discover iconic Nashville items or simply unique clothes, home goods, books, and more at Nashville Thrift stores around town. Here are some of our favorites!

• Music City Thrift
• This n That Thrift Shop
• Southern Thrift
• Platos Closet
• Goodwill
• Buffalo Exchange
• Sage Refill Market (has a small but amazing curated section of second-hand clothing from New Normal Vintage)

So there you have it – anything your teen would love to do, see or eat in Nashville!