Crow Family Happenings

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Things to do in Nashville

The Parthenon / Centennial Park / Athena’s Statue: For those of you who thought this was in Athens, Greece, you were seriously mistaken. OK, so they have one there too. But this one is in much better shape. Centennial Park is around it and inside in Athena’s Statue. It is $2.50/$5 per kid/adult so a pretty good deal.
Tennessee State Capital/ Bicentennial Park / Farmer's Market: Cool place to walk around. Small monuments and fountains scattered through out the park. The farmer’s market is kind of indoors with international shops and flea markets. The capital is at the top of the hill and the museum is on the other side. All Free.
Edwin & Percy Warner Parks: Great place to walk around. I haven’t been there yet but it come highly recommended by everyone I ask. It is on the far side of Nashville.
Port Royal State Park: Nearby our house. It is a day use park that has a river running through it and picnic tables.
Dunbar Cave State Park: This one is a little further away (only a little), but has a bit more to see. The cave is only open for tours on Wednesday through Sunday at 1 and 3 pm and is $5 per person
Bledsoe Creek State Park: Unless you want to stay in a glorified mobile home park, this may be the closest place to go camping.
Adventure Science Center: This one would be good for the kids. Hours of non stop stuff to do. It is $7/$9 per kid/adult, though. Jennifer & Alyssa went here with her school group. They have a handful of fun exhibits, but the rest is less than average.
Belmont Mansion: 19th-century Italian villa-style mansion. It is $3/$10 per kid/adult. Can you guess why the kids are only $3.00?
Belle Mead Plantation: Southern plantation at its best. It is $6/$14 per kid/adult.
The Hermitage: Andrew Jackson’s home. It is $7/$15 per kid/adult. We went here with the whole family. The audio tour is included in the cost of the ticket, which made it better than some other historic tours I have been on with my kids. But there is only so much a kid can tolerate. The grounds are huge and there is lots of room to play around in.
Cheekwood: Botanical Gardens. Hiking trails. Art museum. It is $5/$10 per kid/adult
Tennessee State Museum I walked through this on my lunch hour. I didn’t see the whole thing. It is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. It focuses on periods of Tennessee history. Indigenous, Antebellum settlement, Civil war, Reconstruction, and lots of small exhibits of silverware, apothecaries, politics, etc. In some ways it reminds me of the Museum in Stockton, but without the French paintings.
Tennessee Central Railway Museum: I haven’t been there yet.
Opryland Hotel: Huge indoor atriums (four of them, I think) with periodic exhibits, restaurants, shopping, music-synchronized lighted fountain shows, even a bayou style boat ride inside the largest atrium. I’ve been there, more than once. I’d go again.
The General Jackson is a river boat that has cruises docking just outside the Opryland. It goes up and down the river. They have shows on the boat and serve you food.
Country Music Hall of Fame: I don’t think I need to say much about this. But I can’t just leave it off the list.
Grand Ole Opry: If you go to Nashville and don’t go here, what will you friends say when you get back? Pricy. $20 to $50 per person depending on the show you see.
Ryman Auditorium: This is the old location of the Grand Ole Opry. Historic tours and such.