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Kids Eat Free

10 free (or free-for-kids) things to do with kids in Nashville, TN (updated November 2026)

Updated Nov 4, 2026

By Kids Eat Free Map

Here are 10 free (or free-for-kids) things to do with kids in Nashville this November and December, led by the Tennessee State Museum’s Children’s Gallery, Nashville Public Library story times, and the Shelby Bottoms and Warner Park nature centers. Each entry says exactly what its official page lists for cost, hours and kids’ programs dated through mid-December. Two need a note up front: the Frist Art Museum is free for ages 18 and under but charges adults, and the Main Library’s puppet show page doesn’t list a price.

If you only have time for one

Which Nashville museums are free for kids?

The Tennessee State Museum and the Tennessee State Capitol tours are free for everyone. The Frist Art Museum is free for visitors 18 and under, while adults pay $20.

1. Tennessee State Museum

Area: Bicentennial Mall, 1000 Rosa L. Parks Blvd. Cost: free. Hours: Tuesday–Saturday 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Sunday 1–5 p.m.; closed Monday and on Thanksgiving.

The Children’s Gallery is designed for ages 3 to 8: kids walk a giant floor map of Tennessee, dress up in a Memphis music corner, try an earthquake table, run a pretend farmers market, play with trains and trace fossils. It’s open Tuesday–Saturday 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. and Sunday 1–4:30 p.m., and the museum may limit how many people are inside at once. Story time in the gallery is every Tuesday and Saturday at 10:30 a.m., with an American Sign Language interpreter on the fourth Saturday of each month; the museum says its recurring events are free and first come, first served. Free highlight tours run Fridays at 2 p.m. On Saturday, Dec. 5, 2026, the museum holds Carols, Cookies and Crafts, a free family event with cookies, crafts, caroling and local choirs; its page gives two time ranges (10 a.m.–2:30 p.m. and 10:30 a.m.–3 p.m.), so check before you go. Parking is free in the lot shared with the Nashville Farmers’ Market, which fills fast on weekends, and there’s two-hour free parking on 6th and 7th Avenues. Backpack-style child carriers have to be checked at the Visitor Desk.

Sources: Plan Your Visit | Tennessee State Museum; Children’s Gallery | Tennessee State Museum; Calendar of Events | Tennessee State Museum; Carols, Cookies and Crafts; Information (Tennessee State Museum, tn.gov), checked Nov 3, 2026.

2. Tennessee State Capitol tours

Area: Capitol Hill, 600 Dr. Martin L. King Jr. Blvd. Cost: free. Hours: self-guided visits Monday–Friday 9 a.m.–4 p.m.; 45-minute guided tours Monday–Friday at 9, 10 and 11 a.m. and 1, 2 and 3 p.m.; closed on state holidays.

Guided tours start at the first-floor information desk and run first come, first served, so a family can simply show up; only groups of 10 or more are asked to schedule ahead. Large bags and backpacks aren’t allowed (small bags and purses are), and every bag goes through security. The Capitol has no parking of its own, so on weekdays plan on a paid lot or a street meter. While the Motlow Tunnel is closed for the Legislative Plaza renovation, visitors who need mobility help should use the Cordell Hull building tunnel at 425 Rep. John Lewis Way North and tell the guards they’re visiting the Capitol.

Source: State Capitol | Tennessee State Museum, checked Nov 3, 2026.

3. Frist Art Museum and Martin ArtQuest

Area: 919 Broadway. Cost: free for ages 18 and under; adults $20; seniors 65 and up, military and college students with ID $16; adults with an EBT, SNAP or WIC card $0 (up to four, with photo ID). Hours: Monday 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m.–8 p.m., Friday and Saturday 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m., Sunday 1–5:30 p.m.; closed Tuesday, Wednesday and on Thanksgiving.

Martin ArtQuest, the Frist’s hands-on art space, is included with admission, so kids use it free. They can draw, animate, make prints and paint, and the activities change three times a year to match the exhibitions. Children 12 and under must stay with an adult in ArtQuest. The guest lot on Demonbreun Street between Ninth and Tenth Avenues is $3 an hour with validation for up to three hours, credit cards only.

Sources: Location, Hours & Admission - Frist Art Museum; Martin ArtQuest - Frist Art Museum, checked Nov 3, 2026.

Where are story times and puppet shows this month?

Nashville Public Library branches hold free baby, toddler, preschool and family story times, mostly on weekday mornings with a few 6 p.m. sessions, and the Main Library’s puppet troupe has shows on Nov. 13, 14 and 20 (no price listed). The Tennessee State Museum (No. 1) and Shelby Bottoms Nature Center (No. 6) host story times too.

4. Nashville Public Library branch story times

Area: branches across Nashville, from Bellevue to Goodlettsville. Cost: free; the library lists its story times among its free services for families. Hours: mostly weekday mornings, plus a few 6 p.m. sessions; dates and times below.

Sessions are split by age: baby and lap-sit times (most for 0 to 12 months), toddler times (mostly ages 1 to 3), preschool times (3 to 5), family times (mostly 0 to 5), Music and Movement, and a bilingual story time at Edmondson Pike. The library says branches may pause programs during school breaks, voting or other community events, so check the branch calendar before you go. Green Hills is closed for a full renovation, and Edgehill closes Nov. 16 for HVAC repair, with reopening expected in early December.

BranchStory time (as listed)Dates and time listed
BellevuePreschool Story Time (3-5 Years)Wed, Nov. 4, 10:30 a.m.
BellevueFamily Story Time (0-5 Years)Thu, Nov. 5, 6 p.m.
BordeauxFamily Story Time (Ages 2-5)Tue, Nov. 10 and 17, 10:30 a.m.
DonelsonMusic and Movement Story Time (2-6 years)Wed, Nov. 4, 10:30 a.m.
Edmondson PikeStarry Night Story Time (Ages 0-5)Mon, Nov. 9, 6 p.m.
Edmondson PikeBilingual Story Time with Rachel Rodriguez (Ages 0-5)Thu, Nov. 12, 10:30 a.m.
GoodlettsvilleBaby Story Time (0-2)Thu, Nov. 5 and 12, 10:30 a.m.
HermitagePreschool Story Time: Playing with PuppetsWed, Nov. 4, 10:30 a.m.
LoobyFamily Story Time (Multi-Age: 0-5 Years)Wed, Nov. 4, 18 and 25, 10:30 a.m.
MadisonToddler Story Time (1-2 Years)Thu, Nov. 5, 10:15 a.m.
Richland ParkToddler Story Time (Ages 1-3)Wed, Nov. 4, 10:30 a.m.
SoutheastFamily Story TimeTue, Nov. 10, 10:30 a.m.

Sources: Story Time | Nashville Public Library; Free Library Resources and Services for Families | Nashville Public Library, checked Nov 3, 2026.

5. Wishing Chair Productions puppet shows at the Main Library

Area: Main Library, 615 Church St. Cost: story times are free (see No. 4); the puppet show listing doesn’t give a price. Hours: library open Monday–Friday 9 a.m.–6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Sunday 2–5 p.m.; closed Saturday, Nov. 7, for the Literary Award Gala.

Wishing Chair Productions is the library’s own puppet troupe, and it stages literature-based puppet shows in the Children’s Theatre. Its current show, A Child’s Calendar, plays Friday, Nov. 13, Saturday, Nov. 14 and Friday, Nov. 20, at 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. The troupe’s Story Time with Wishing Chair Productions is listed for Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 9:30, 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. Library parking has moved to Nashville City Center, 220 6th Ave. N.: it’s $4.99 for up to four hours with the library’s QR-code validation (one code in the garage, a second near the first-floor Circulation Desk).

Sources: Wishing Chair Productions | Nashville Public Library; Main Library | Nashville Public Library; Free Library Resources and Services for Families | Nashville Public Library, checked Nov 3, 2026.

Where can kids explore nature for free?

Shelby Bottoms Nature Center lists free admission and free programs, Warner Park Nature Center offers free programs and a free Nature Play area, and Radnor Lake is a Tennessee state park; the state says its parks are free for everyone to visit.

6. Shelby Bottoms Nature Center

Area: 1900 Davidson St., on the Shelby Bottoms Greenway. Cost: free admission and free programs. Hours: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday 9 a.m.–4 p.m.; Wednesday and Friday noon–4 p.m.; closed Sunday and Monday.

The center has natural and cultural history exhibits, a library with field guides and children’s books, a Children’s Nature Play area and a teaching garden, and it’s the main trailhead for about five miles of paved, accessible trail and five miles of primitive trail. Two all-ages programs need no registration: Nature Storytime, with nature-themed books, on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 10–10:30 a.m., and the Nature Center Puppet Show on Thursday, Nov. 19, 9:30–10 a.m. The center’s calendar lists Veterans Day (Nov. 11) and Thanksgiving (Nov. 26–27) as holidays. Pets must be on a leash 6 feet or shorter, and bikes stay on paved trails. Restrooms: not listed.

Sources: About Your Visit to Shelby Bottoms Nature Center; Shelby Bottoms Nature Center | Nashville.gov; Shelby Bottoms Nature Center Events | Nashville.gov; Nature Storytime | Nashville.gov; Nature Center Puppet Show, checked Nov 3, 2026.

7. Warner Park Nature Center

Area: 7311 Highway 100, in the Warner Parks. Cost: free programs and a free Nature Play area; no admission fee is listed. Hours: Nature Center Tuesday–Saturday 9 a.m.–4 p.m., closed Sunday, Monday and most government holidays; the Warner Parks are open sunrise to 11 p.m., 365 days a year.

The center’s natural history museum lets kids go inside a giant tree, walk under a creek and explore a touch table. Outside, the Teaching Pond can turn up salamanders, frogs, insects or snakes (look, but no collecting), Nature Play is a free outdoor play and exploration space, and the Hungry Hawk trail leads to a bird observation area. Curious Naturalist, an all-ages session where a naturalist leads visitors through a nature mystery, runs Saturday, Nov. 14 and Saturday, Nov. 21, 10 a.m.–noon, with no registration required. A StoryWalk is under construction. Restrooms: open year-round at the nature center (none on the trails), per Friends of Warner Parks.

Sources: About Your Visit to Warner Park Nature Center | Nashville.gov; Warner Park Nature Center | Nashville.gov; Curious Naturalist | Nashville.gov, checked Nov 3, 2026.

8. Radnor Lake State Park

Area: 1160 Otter Creek Road (Visitor Center). Cost: free; Tennessee State Parks says its parks are free for everyone to visit. Hours: park 6 a.m. to 20 minutes after sunset, year-round including holidays; Visitor Center Tuesday–Saturday 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m. (closed 1–2 p.m. for lunch).

The Walter Criley Visitor Center has exhibits on the park’s history, ecology and conservation. The Barbara J. Mapp Aviary Education Center is home to non-releasable birds of prey, snakes and turtles and is open Wednesdays and Saturdays, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.; the park lists aviary open houses on Saturday, Nov. 7, 14 and 21 (no price is given for them). With small kids, stick to paved Otter Creek Road and Hall Drive, which the park calls relatively flat; the South Cove and Ganier Ridge trails climb more than 200 feet. Pets are allowed only on Otter Creek Road, Hall Drive and the dam, off-trail walking isn’t allowed, and you can park only in marked spaces, which often fill in nice weather. Restrooms: 7 a.m. until dark, per Friends of Radnor Lake.

Sources: Radnor Lake State Natural Area | Tennessee State Parks; Homepage | Tennessee State Parks, checked Nov 3, 2026.

Where can kids see Nashville history outdoors?

Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park and Fort Negley Park are both free: the Mall has a 95-bell carillon that plays songs at the top of each hour, and Fort Negley’s free visitors center shows a 20-minute video about how the fort was built.

9. Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park

Area: 600 James Robertson Pkwy.; the Tennessee State Museum (No. 1) sits on its northwest corner. Cost: free; Tennessee State Parks says its parks are free for everyone to visit. Hours: 7 a.m.–8 p.m. from Nov. 1 to March 15 (7 a.m.–10 p.m. from March 16 to Oct. 31).

The 95-bell carillon, one bell for each Tennessee county, chimes every 15 minutes and plays Tennessee-inspired songs at the top of each hour. The Rivers of Tennessee is a set of 31 geyser-like fountains for the state’s major lakes and rivers (they run April through October, so they’re off now, per the park brochure), and the World War II Memorial is a granite plaza with a time capsule to be opened in 2045. The park warns of temporary closures and limited access during capital improvement projects. The park brochure places restrooms in the picnic area. The gift shop is open weekdays 9 a.m.–4 p.m.

Sources: Bicentennial Capitol Mall | Tennessee State Parks; Homepage | Tennessee State Parks; Information (Tennessee State Museum, tn.gov), checked Nov 3, 2026.

10. Fort Negley Park and Visitors Center

Area: 1100 Fort Negley Blvd. Cost: free (park and visitors center). Hours: park dawn to dusk, year-round; Visitors Center Tuesday–Friday noon–4 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m.–4 p.m.

The Visitors Center has interactive exhibits and a 20-minute video on how Fort Negley was built, and education panels line the paved paths for a self-guided walk. The historic fort at the top of the hill is closed for construction, but the park trail of about half a mile stays open (construction vehicles may be around). Restrooms are open only during Visitors Center hours, and parking is very limited, so carpool if you can. On second Saturdays (Nov. 14 and Dec. 12, 10 a.m.–noon, with groups starting every 30 minutes), Fossil Finders has a volunteer geologist show visitors marine fossils about 400 million years old, and you can take some home; you have to RSVP, and the event page doesn’t list a price.

Sources: Fort Negley Visitors Center and Park | Nashville.gov; Fort Negley Events | Nashville.gov; Fossil Finders | Nashville.gov, checked Nov 3, 2026.

Which holiday and family events are coming up?

Two dated events are listed as free: Franklin’s Family Day on Saturday, Nov. 7, and the Tennessee State Museum’s Carols, Cookies and Crafts on Saturday, Dec. 5. Nearby Christmas parades and Franklin’s Dickens of a Christmas have posted 2026 dates, but their pages don’t state a price for spectators.

At a glance

PlaceAreaCostGood for
Tennessee State MuseumBicentennial MallFreeAges 3 to 8; story time Tue and Sat, 10:30 a.m.
Tennessee State Capitol toursCapitol HillFreeWeekday guided tours (last one at 3 p.m.)
Frist Art Museum919 BroadwayFree 18 and under; adults $20Hands-on art in Martin ArtQuest
Library branch story timesBellevue to GoodlettsvilleFreeBabies through preschoolers
Wishing Chair puppet showsMain Library, 615 Church St.Story times free; show price not listedPuppet shows Nov. 13, 14 and 20
Shelby Bottoms Nature Center1900 Davidson St.FreeNature play, storytime, puppet show
Warner Park Nature Center7311 Highway 100Free programs; no fee listedExhibits, Nature Play, Teaching Pond
Radnor Lake State Park1160 Otter Creek RoadFreeBirds of prey, flat paved walks
Bicentennial Capitol Mall600 James Robertson Pkwy.FreeCarillon, granite state map, World War II Memorial
Fort Negley1100 Fort Negley Blvd.FreeHistory video, half-mile trail, Fossil Finders
How we picked
  • What qualified: places and kids’ programs in our Nashville area (Nashville-Davidson and nearby towns such as Franklin and Goodlettsville) that cost nothing for children, with hours or dated programs on an official page. The Frist is free for ages 18 and under but charges adults, and the Main Library’s puppet show page lists no price, so both are flagged. The “If you only have time for one” picks list no cost for the whole family and have a kids’ space or program open in the coming weeks.
  • What we checked, and when: on Nov 3, 2026 we opened each linked page and noted cost, hours, closures and kids’ programs dated Nov 3 to Dec 15, 2026. Dates and times change, so check the linked page before you go.
  • What we left out, and why: the Parthenon (ages 4 to 17 pay $10 and adults $15; under 4 free), Cheekwood (youth 3 to 17 from $13; 2 and under free) and the Nashville Zoo (under 2 free) list no free days on their admission pages. We also skipped closed library branches (Green Hills, and Edgehill from Nov. 16) and programs with a listed fee, such as the Bicentennial Mall’s Campfire Fridays ($2).
  • This guide was researched and drafted with AI tools, and every fact was checked against its linked source on Nov 3, 2026.

More: Where kids eat free in Nashville · Kid-friendly restaurants in Nashville · Outdoor places for kids in Nashville

Sources

Where kids eat free in Nashville