I've lived in Nashville for seven years. I commuted to school here for three years, AT VANDERBILT,…read morebefore that. And somehow, this weekend was my first ever visit to the Dyer Observatory. A friend brought me along to the Special Parade of Planets Telescope Night and I had a blast. We roamed the roof to various telescopes and were able to see Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Seeing Saturn's rings and Jupiter's gaseous colored atmosphere was so unbelievably cool. The staff were super nice and knowledgeable as we approached each telescope. On the front lawn, an astrophotography enthusiast had set up shop and was showing live footage of the Andromeda galaxy. Whether you're already an astronomy enthusiast or just want to try something different one evening, the observatory is absolutely worth a visit!

A hidden gem in Nashville! A great place for all ages. I've only been once and shame on me for…read morenot going more.

The Discovery Center has a lot to offer for kids. They have a two story building with indoor…read moreexhibits and an outdoor area with walking paths. There is plenty of free parking right in front of the building in a paved lot. The entrance has a traffic light which made getting in and out easy. The admission price was comparable to an indoor playground. I thought this was reasonable since they have more to offer than the average indoor playground. Memberships would be the way to go for people who live nearby. The main area of the first floor has a water play area, a pretend fire truck, an arts and craft room, a pretend boat, and a room of imaginative play. The imaginative play room had exhibits including a grocery store and puppet area. The second floor had a train room, an old car, a play mechanic area, and a rotating exhibit section. We spent most of our time inside since it was cold the day we visited. We saw the fox enclosure and walking paths. We plan to return on a warmer day to explore this more. The Discovery Center has plenty to offer for hours of fun.

Nice, interesting facility but curiously rude and dismissive front desk worker today 5/9/26read more

Pretty neat museum in Nashville. It's all about their state and has cool sports memorabilia. The…read morebest part is, it's free! Parking might be hard during peak lunch time so I suggest looking at residential area across the street. It's a short walk over.

This is a great *free* museum in Nashville. We walked from our hotel which took us across the…read moreCapitol grounds and through the farmer's market before the museum opened. On a weekday, there were a bunch of other groups, including a class that made their way through the museum while we were there. Exhibits are upstairs and we spent maybe 90 minutes moving through at a leisurely pace, we didn't read everything but got our fill. Would definitely recommend stopping by on your trip to Nashville to learn about the state's history.

My daughter's first grade class recently visited for a field trip. I was impressed by the…read moreorganization and what was covered as part of the field trip. The location was easy to find and a quick drive from Franklin. Plenty of parking was available for our group. The lot was gravel which I usually hate, but I didn't mind their lot. The field trip was well organized and had three parts. It was a great mix of being educational and entertaining. The kids started in the barn area and ate lunch (that they brought) at the tables in there. Bathrooms were available in that building. The guide there (a taller gentleman) taught the kids dances and etiquette. He was great with the kids. Next, we moved to the home tour. The guide there obviously did not like kids and was on the dry side. It was still educational and interesting to see the house. Lastly, the kids made cards using feathers and "ink" for writing. It was a nice variety of activities. Travellers Rest is a good spot to check out for people with an interest in history.

I had the pleasure of visiting Traveller's Rest on a sunny October afternoon. There are layers of…read morehistory here, with very knowledgeable guides. Our guide, Hannah, was an personable, engaging storyteller who could answer any questions. I appreciated that the tour gave a full picture of the history--good, bad and ugly. Recommended!

As a lifelong area resident, I'm shocked I waited so long to visit Cheekwood! The incredible home…read moreand gardens are a great way to spend a day. From the beginning, the experience was wonderful. After leaving our car and scanning our tickets, there were multiple employees to direct us and answer any questions. We began by exploring the gardens. My personal favorite was the sculpture walk, with several different sculptures hidden around every corner. We then took a self-guided tour of the historic mansion. The mansion is decorated with items from the Cheek family collection, as well as donated items and rotating art exhibits. I particularly loved the wood paneled library and the small morning/dining room. Definitely the place to come if you want some design inspo! Be prepared to walk when you visit. We arrived around 10:30 on a weekend, and were directed to park in the overflow parking. The overflow lot requires a walk on gravel/rock with a slight incline. Although the site is huge, there are plenty of benches and three different restrooms. There are limited food options, but we were able to bring sandwiches and enjoy lunch in the water garden. When visiting, don't miss the iconic Wisteria Arbor or the stables!

Checkwood has stunning views and many photo-worthy spots. Went on a breezy Sunday where the sun was…read morebright and the winds a little high. I only attended the garden due to time since I had to be back on the road for home. I was able to walk 3/4 of the garden within 2 hours so I say there is much to see and admire. I was able to take photos with ease and I enjoyed that I wasn't the only one carrying a camera. 1 thing I didn't like is that the paid parking is on a steep hill and basically dirt. It was only $7 ($5 + $2 fee) but i would've hoped for something a bit better. So carry your good shoes in your hand.

Cute little museum next to Cooter's, the Dukes of Hazzard museum. There was some nice memorabilia…read more It's worth a quiet stroll around.

Not worth 12.95 not much to see Employees not friendly…read more Has some good keepsakes Not worth driving to see

Gayle and I recently spent a very pleasant hour+ here during our recent visit to Nashville…read more Besides growing up with his music, we also had the benefit of watching the Ken Burns Country Music series that did a deep dive into his career and personal life. I was struck by 4 things in particular: 1. The whole "Man in Black" prison theme. In particular there was the fact that future country music star Merle Haggard was an inmate at San Quentin State Prison when he watched Johnny Cash perform on New Year's Day, 1959. The concert inspired the 20-year-old Haggard to turn his life around, abandon his criminal path, and pursue a country music career upon his release in 1960. 2. The friendship and creative bond between Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan that bridged the worlds of country and folk music. Hence my purchase of Dylan's "Nashville Skyline" CD, including the "Girl from the North Country" Duet and Cash's linear notes on the Album. 3. "I Walk the Line" (the song) and the subsequent Vivian Liberto/June Carter-related dynamics. And of course, I would remain faithful despite the temptations of "fame" and life on the road (whenever that occurs). The movie was good too. 4. The "Hurt" Video. A "heartbeat-slow goodbye" touching on mortality, legacy, and regret. Wow!

This was more of a gift shop with an exhibit on Johnny Cash. There were large chunks of his life…read moreglossed over. The memorabilia was nice but there wasn't too much of it. The layout leaves a lot to be desired as there is no flow of traffic or indication which was one should go. While there are many listening stations this proved difficult to access with a crowd and not much to see in those spaces. M The overall space is small, again more like an exhibit than a stand alone museum. The entry fee was pretty high ($115 for a family of four with discounts) for what took us just under an hour. I didn't shop the gift shop as I've seen these things elsewhere. I was pretty disappointed despite driving specifically to come here.

If you are looking for something to do for an hour, this is totally worth it. This story behind the…read morewoman who owned this mansion was really neat to hear. They have a very unique staircase that is also worth checking out.

Belmont Mansion is one of the many historical sites located throughout Nashville. I would add this…read moretour after a visit to 12 South for lunch. They offer a guided tour but the introduction given by a guide is a good overview for half the cost. The docents we spoke with were all available to answer questions as we walked through the rooms. You need about 1 /2 hours to enjoy the mansion gift shop and the grounds. The college buildings and gardens surrounding the mansion are beautiful and a nice respite from downtown Nashville.