Notice I didn’t title the post, “Can you take your kids to Nashville?” They’re your kids…of course, you can. But that doesn’t always mean you should.
But, when it comes to Nashville…yes, yes, YES, you should go to Nashville with kids!
We didn’t make that decision without some research though. Over the past few years, Justin and I had two work trips to Nashville. On the second trip, I paid close attention to families in Nashville. In comparison to a bachelorette party, the family is a rare sighting.
But, the families we saw were thoroughly enjoying themselves. The key seemed to be an appreciation for music…from toddlers dancing to teenagers singing along with the bands in the Honkey Tonks.
This was not a problem for us because our girls love music. One of our favorite games has been “Who Sang it Better?” For years, we’ve played two versions of a song. The girls would listen and take notes. Then, they’d go to discuss and come back with their supporting reasons and name a winner. When they were really little, the reasons consisted of, “the first was too loud” or “the second one had a better voice.” Now that they are a little older, the reasons for the winner are more in-depth.
Anyway, we all love music. We explained to the girls that the main point of our trip to Nashville was the opportunity to see/hear a lot of live music. It didn’t hurt that Carrie Underwood was going to be at the Grand Ole Opry.
Camping in Nashville
There are several camping options just outside of Nashville. We stayed at the Grand Ole RV Resort in Goodlettsville. We were only there for a long weekend, so, unfortunately, we didn’t spend much time at the campground. So little time, in fact, that I failed to take any pictures at the campground.
But, it was an amazing campground! They had live music most evenings, served breakfast and dinner, and had a great store. One of the owners escorted us to our site and helped us get settled. The price of the Grand ‘Ole RV Resort as compared to the KOA nearby is a steal! I can’t wait to go back for a longer stay and spend more time at the campground.
Friday
We left Pigeon Forge and arrived in Nashville early on a Friday afternoon. After we got everything set up at the campground, we decided to Uber into town, instead of having to deal with parking.
Our first stop was lunch at Hattie B’s…the best fried chicken in Nashville (imho). Justin and I went there on one of our previous trips and waited in line for about an hour for it. It was totally worth it! But that trip was in March, and the weather was very comfortable. There are several locations in Nashville, I’m told the others are less crowded and equally good, but we went for the one on Broadway and 19th.
Tip: Order online at Hattie B’s to avoid the long lines.
This time, it was July and 95 degrees. Waiting in line for an hour in the blazing heat is not on my bucket list for any reason. Fortunately, you can order online. They tell you when the order will be ready (so you can time your Uber accordingly). As long as you don’t mind getting dirty looks from the people who have been waiting in line for an hour in the blazing heat, you can walk right into the ‘EXIT’ door to pick up your order.
Seating is limited at Hattie B’s, period. If you order online, you are welcome to sit and eat on the patio at the counters along the edges. The girls and I found two stools, while Justin when in to get the food. A super-nice waiter actually asked people who had space in between each other to scooch down, and brought over an extra stool. So there we were with our amazing chicken, four seats and NO WAIT.
With only a couple of hours until the Grand ‘Ole Opry, we took another Uber down to the end of Broadway where we walked around for a bit. We checked out the “Buy 1, Get 2 Free” cowboy boot sale. Justin and the girls found pairs that they liked, but I’m too cheap to allow them to pay basically $200 for Justin’s boots, and two pairs that the girls will outgrow in 6 months. Maybe someday.
We also hit the Goo Goo Shop. Delicious! I love to find things that have a history, and this is the first “combination confection” made in the U.S. Our favorite was the original flavor.
Now it was time to Uber over to the Grand Ole Opry. This was actually the girl’s first concert. We especially hyped the experience from the last time Justin and I went there (we saw Old Crow Medicine Show and Brad Paisley). We told them how the emcee would do commercials with old school sound props (a la Annie). That didn’t happen at this concert, so I was a little bummed.
But…we saw Carrie Underwood. AMAZING! If you haven’t been to the Opry, several bands play 3-4 songs each (with an amazingly efficient set-up in between). The show really made us realize we’d like to see Carrie Underwood in a full concert. If you are planning to go to a show, there are seats with limited visibility, but those are clearly marked on the website. Even if you are in the balconies, the venue is small and you’ll have a great time.
Saturday
We headed back down to Broadway Saturday morning around 11 AM. From our previous observations, it seems that Broadway between 11 AM and 3 PM is pretty safe for families in Nashville with kids.
One big change that we found in the last two years was how many “celebrity” bars there were. Jason Aldean’s, John Rich’s, Kid Rock’s… the commercialism seemed over the top, so we avoided these places for the most part. We stopped in Kid Rock’s, but the band was so bad we left after a few minutes…we like the old school Honky Tonks best. We hit Legends, Tootsies, Robert’s Western World, Nudies and more, all with kids in tow. Every place we stopped had food and drink options for all of us, so we had no issues.
We only had one potentially inappropriate situation. We had been in one bar for about half an hour and were requesting songs and tipping the band in the pickle jar. A bachelorette party came in with their paraphernalia and attempted to take the stage. The singer congratulated the bride-to-be on her upcoming wedding. But he told the group that we have kids in the audience and asked them to sit down.
Keep in mind, this was around 1:00 in the afternoon. We weren’t trying to have the kids out at a time or in an environment that was not appropriate for them. I was so pleased that this singer looked out for us. The girls didn’t even notice.
By 3:00, we started to see some people stumbling around. We knew it was time for us to head off of Broadway.
Things To Do in Nashville with Kids that Aren’t on Broadway
We didn’t get to do all of these things on this trip, but I am including things Justin and I did on our previous trips too that the kids would have enjoyed.
- Music City Hop On/ Hop Off Bus Tour – This bus tour starts at the Riverfront Train Station and hits all of Nashville’s Major sites. It is also a great way to get around, but it can take a long time. You can see the Tennessee State Capitol, the Parthenon, The Gulch among others.
- The Parthenon – This recreation of the Parthenon is in Centennial Park. It was built in 1897 for Tennessee’s Centennial Exhibition. If you can’t make it to Greece, Nashville’s version is an impressive sight.
- The Gulch – The Gulch has a lot of great restaurants and shopping. On our last trip, Justin and I walked there from Broadway. I highly recommend taking some other form of transportation. We had brunch at Biscuit Love, and it was delicious. Although we didn’t make it to the Gulch on this trip, I am including as a place to take kids because of the murals. This is the area you will often on blogs and Insta.
- Antique Archaeology (American Pickers) – This is one of the girl’s favorite shows and antiquing/flea marketing is one of our favorite activities. We love to look for treasures! The store was full of neat things, but we were a little disappointed because everything was really expensive. Aside from souvenirs, we couldn’t just pick up a “treasure” at a reasonable price.
Sunday
We worshipped at the Presbyterian Church in Downtown Nashville. The service was lovely. But when you travel a lot and attend a lot of different services, sometimes it is the architecture that stands out the most.
William Strickland (who also designed the Tennessee State Capitol) designed this church in the Egyptian Revival Style. Few other examples of this architecture style remain. Because we were there to worship, I didn’t take many photos (regrettably). But if you are a fan of architecture, it is a unique option.
The weather called for thunderstorms in the afternoon. We had been pushing ourselves pretty hard over the past several weeks. So, we decided to hit the Opry Mills. We had lunch at the Bavarian Bierhaus (very similar to a Hofbrauhaus) and saw a movie. It was nice to relax a bit.
Justin and Claire 
Justin and Avery
I know as they get older, a trip to Nashville with kids will be easier. What other tips or recommendations do you have for traveling with children? Also, be sure to check out what else we saw in the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee.
