This ultimate guide to family-friendly museums near Nashville rounds up every must-visit spot — from hands-on children’s museums to Civil War historic homes — across Nashville, Franklin, Murfreesboro, Hendersonville, Spring Hill, Smyrna, and Columbia.

Middle Tennessee is packed with kid-friendly museums — and not just the music-history kind you’d expect from Music City. Between Nashville, Franklin, Murfreesboro, Spring Hill, Smyrna, Hendersonville, and Columbia, families have access to hands-on science centers, giant art estates, Civil War homes with interactive scavenger hunts, and even a museum full of microcars. Whether you’re planning a rainy day activity, a free weekend outing, or a full family day trip, here’s a complete, city-by-city guide to the best museums in Middle Tennessee — and what makes each one a genuinely great thing to do with kids.

Nashville: Family-Friendly Museums & Kid-Friendly Attractions

Adventure Science Center

Nashville’s flagship hands-on science museum, and arguably the single best kid-museum stop in the city. Highlights include BodyQuest, where kids can crawl through a giant beating heart and take the famously silly colorectal slide; Space Chase, with a weightlessness-simulating Moonwalker; and the seven-story Adventure Tower, which has a piano you play with your feet and a bike-powered elevator. Destination Exploration is a dedicated, gentler zone built specifically for kids under 5, and there’s a planetarium plus daily science demonstrations. This is the rare museum where toddlers and tweens can both spend hours entertained. Website: adventuresci.org

Tennessee State Museum

A free, beautifully renovated museum tracing the full sweep of Tennessee history — Native American life, the Civil War, and beyond — with genuinely engaging artifacts like Andrew Jackson’s inaugural hat. What makes it a standout for families is the dedicated Children’s Gallery, plus regular story times and free admission, which makes it easy to pop in for just an hour without feeling like you have to “get your money’s worth.” Website: tnmuseum.org

Frist Art Museum

Consistently ranked one of the most family-friendly art museums in the country, with free admission for everyone 18 and under. The real draw for kids is the Martin ArtQuest Gallery, a hands-on creative space included with admission where children can paint, build, and experiment — a rare chance to treat “fine art” as something to touch rather than just look at. Website: fristartmuseum.org

National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM)

Located right on Broadway, NMAAM tells the story of how African American music shaped nearly every genre we listen to today — gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, and hip-hop. Kids get a wristband at the entrance that lets them build a personalized playlist as they move through the galleries, so they walk out with an actual soundtrack of what they learned — a clever, genuinely kid-friendly twist on a music museum. Website: nmaam.org

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

The essential Nashville museum experience: a large, polished walk through the history of country music, from vintage instruments and stage costumes to the Hall of Fame Rotunda. It’s engaging for kids who like interactive exhibits and big, immersive spaces, and pairs well with a stop at Historic RCA Studio B, which the museum also operates. Website: countrymusichalloffame.org

Cheekwood Estate & Gardens

Part art museum, part botanical garden, Cheekwood gives kids room to actually run around outside while still soaking up culture — a big plus for families who need built-in energy-burning between gallery stops. The historic mansion houses rotating fine art exhibits, while the sprawling grounds include sculpture gardens, seasonal installations, and plenty of open lawn. Website: cheekwood.org

The Parthenon

A full-scale replica of the ancient Greek original in Centennial Park, complete with a towering, gold-draped statue of Athena that never fails to wow kids. On Saturday mornings, look for Kidsville, a free weekly program with crafts, stories, and activities for younger children — a great reason to combine a museum visit with time at the park’s lake and walking trails. Website: nashville.gov/parthenon

Lane Motor Museum

A genuinely unique stop for car-loving kids: the largest collection of European vehicles in the country, including microcars, amphibious vehicles, and propeller-driven cars, housed in a former bakery building. It’s less crowded and more hands-on-feeling than the big downtown museums, which makes it easy to explore at a kid’s pace. Website: lanemotormuseum.org

Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum

Rather than focusing on famous frontmen, this museum honors the behind-the-scenes session musicians who actually played on some of the most iconic recordings in American music history. Older kids and tweens with a budding interest in instruments tend to love seeing the actual guitars, drum kits, and studio gear used to make legendary records. Website: musicianshalloffame.com

Smyrna

Historic Sam Davis Home and Museum

A 168-acre historic farm and home tied to Sam Davis, the “Boy Hero of the Confederacy,” with two historic houses, outbuildings, and a family cemetery to explore. Regular tours begin with a short film before a self-guided walk through the museum, and the site hosts Toddler Tuesdays on the last Tuesday of each month — a dedicated, low-pressure morning program built specifically for the littlest visitors. Website: samdavishome.org

Hendersonville

Historic Rock Castle

An 18-acre historic site on the shores of Old Hickory Lake, just 25 minutes from downtown Nashville, and one of the oldest surviving buildings in the region. Built from stone found right on the property between 1784 and 1796, the home comes with a family cemetery, a smokehouse, and lake views that make the grounds enjoyable even before you step inside. Summer and early fall bring kid-friendly camps, tours, and outdoor concerts, making it more than a one-and-done history stop. Website: historicrockcastle.com

Murfreesboro

Discovery Center at Murfree Spring

Murfreesboro’s dedicated STEAM museum and nature center, and one of the best all-around kid museums in the region. The 32,000-square-foot facility includes themed exploration areas (town life, science, trains, a fire engine, a farmers market), a two-story slide, live animals, and 20 acres of outdoor wetlands with a boardwalk and nature play area. It genuinely blends indoor and outdoor exploration in a way few museums manage, and with over 130,000 visitors a year, it’s a proven family favorite. Website: explorethedc.org

Oaklands Mansion

A historic Italianate house museum offering guided tours and educational programs, with a strong focus on telling the full history of the property — including the stories of the enslaved people who lived and worked there. It’s a good next step for families with older kids who’ve outgrown the more playground-style museums and are ready for deeper historical context. Website: oaklandsmansion.org

Franklin & Williamson County: Best Historic Sites for Families

Williamson County Museum

A free, often-overlooked museum in downtown Franklin covering the county’s history from Native American artifacts through today. What makes it especially kid-friendly: pick up an activity book at the front desk before you start exploring — there’s a scavenger hunt for younger kids, one for tweens and teens, and an elementary-age activity book that turns the exhibits into a self-guided treasure hunt. Find them: search “Williamson County Museum Franklin TN” for current hours.

Lotz House Museum

A preserved Civil War-era home that sat at the epicenter of the Battle of Franklin, with original furnishings, personal effects, and even battle damage still visible in the walls. Guided tours are built to be interactive and engaging for kids, and admission is free for children under 6. Website: lotzhouse.com

Carter House & Carnton (Battle of Franklin Trust)

Two connected Civil War historic sites offering daily guided tours that bring 1864’s Battle of Franklin to life — the Carter House still bears bullet holes from the fighting, while Carnton’s preserved rooms and gardens tell the story of its use as a field hospital. Best suited to older kids and history-curious tweens with the patience for a guided tour. Website: boft.org

McLemore House Museum

A well-preserved home dedicated to telling the story of African American life and contributions in Franklin and Williamson County, from the antebellum period through Reconstruction. It offers a valuable and important counterpoint to the area’s many Civil War battle-focused sites. Find them: search “McLemore House Franklin TN” for current hours and tour info.

Spring Hill

Rippavilla

A restored 1850s plantation home tied to the Battle of Spring Hill, with guided tours covering both the architecture and the site’s Civil War history. A good complementary stop for families who’ve already visited Franklin’s Civil War sites and want the fuller regional story. Website: boft.org/rippavilla

Columbia

aMuse’um Children’s Museum

Located in the heart of historic downtown Columbia, aMuse’um has been sparking hands-on learning through play since 2009. It’s designed for kids up to about 8–10 years old, with interactive exhibits, weekly rotating activities, and scheduled play sessions that keep the space from feeling overcrowded. A standout feature: the third Saturday of every month is reserved specifically for families with children on the autism spectrum or with sensory processing needs. Website: amuseumcolumbia.com

Quick Guide: Best Museums by Age Group

Not sure where to start? Here’s a fast way to match the best kid-friendly museum to your child’s age:

• Toddlers (0–3): Tennessee State Museum’s Children’s Gallery, Adventure Science Center’s Destination Exploration, aMuse’um, Sam Davis Home’s Toddler Tuesdays
• Young kids (4–8): Discovery Center at Murfree Spring, Adventure Science Center, Frist Art Museum’s ArtQuest Gallery, Lane Motor Museum, Cheekwood, Historic Rock Castle
• Tweens and teens: Country Music Hall of Fame, NMAAM, Musicians Hall of Fame, Carter House and Carnton, Oaklands Mansion, Williamson County Museum’s scavenger hunts

Top Tips for Visiting Museums with Kids in Middle Tennessee

• Free is your friend. The Tennessee State Museum and Williamson County Museum are both free, making them low-stakes options if you’re not sure how long your child’s attention span will last.
• Ask about activity books and scavenger hunts. Several sites, especially the Franklin history museums, offer these at the front desk — they turn a passive walk-through into an active game.
• Check for sensory-friendly hours. aMuse’um’s monthly sensory-friendly Saturday is a great example of a program worth planning around if it fits your family’s needs.
• Pair indoor and outdoor stops. Cheekwood, the Parthenon, and Discovery Center at Murfree Spring all combine museum time with outdoor space, which helps kids reset between exhibits.
• Hours and admission change — always worth a quick website check before heading out, especially for the smaller historic house museums with limited open days.

The Best Museums in Middle Tennessee, All in One Place

From a giant beating heart you can crawl through at Adventure Science Center to a quiet Saturday morning at the Parthenon and a hands-on Civil War scavenger hunt in Franklin, Middle Tennessee’s museums cover an enormous range — science, art, music, and history — and nearly all of them are genuinely built with kids in mind. Whether you’re searching for free things to do with kids near Nashville, rainy day activities in Middle Tennessee, or the best family day trips near Nashville, bookmark this list — you’ll never run out of new places to explore on the next school break, long weekend, or rainy afternoon.

Hours, pricing, and program details are current as of publication but do change — always worth a quick check before you head out.