Traveling with Kids in Nashville: Museums Sure to Please Your Children

You're hitting all the major tourist spots with the family on your trip to Nashville, but somehow the kids aren't quite as thrilled as you are as you explore the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum to discover what was happening in country music during the World War II years.

What to do?

Sounds like you need to set aside a little time to show your kids how much you care about their feelings and hit a museum or two they are sure to love.

If you have time for only one place, make it the Adventure Science Center, 800 Fort Negley Blvd. It's not more than five minutes from the downtown hot spots and well worth the trip.

The center just opened a new wing where visitors get to go through simulated astronaut training. Experience a moonwalk or discover what your weight would be on Jupiter. (Hint: you think you need to lose a few pounds now!)

The fun doesn't stop at outer space. How about a trip through inner space, or at least the space inside your body? BodyQuest will guide you through a day in the life of your body. The interactive exhibit takes up some 9,000 square feet and by the end, kids will even know how to make healthy choices for themselves.

The BlueMax exhibit will treat your kids to a full-motion flight simulator ride. They will go through everything from taking off to landing. Another highlight is the center's Adventure Tower, which has seven levels and is more than 75 feet tall. At the top is an observation area that overlooks all of Nashville. Your kids will figure out how to hoist a car off the ground with the least of effort. They will climb, slide, and explore until they are ready to drop.

General admission is $11 for adults and teens, and $9 for children ages 3-12. Toddlers get in free. There are additional charges for some shows and exhibits. The center is open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Check their website for hours.

You'll find the Tennessee State Museum at 505 Deaderick Street, near the capitol building. The best thing here is the price: free. The exhibits are excellent, if a little old fashioned. Perhaps a little more exciting for the children is the state museum's Military Branch Museum, which is located in the War Memorial Building, just across the street from the main museum.

There you'll find the deck gun from the USS Nashville, which fired the first shot in the Spanish-American War. Kids will enjoy all the weapons on display and might even be inspired by the story of Tennessee's most famous soldier, Alvin C. York, who received the Medal of Honor for his bravery in World War I.

Both the main state museum and military branch are closed on major holidays. Also, the state museum is closed on Mondays while the military branch is closed Mondays and Sundays. Hours vary throughout the week. Check their website for exact times and tour information.

If you have a young car fanatic in the family, you might consider a trip to the Lane Motor Museum, which has 150 rare European vehicles on display. The collection ranges from the tiny to the huge, from microcars to military vehicles.

Lane Motor Museum is located at 702 Murfreesboro Pike. Admission runs $2 for youth ages 6-17, and $7 for adults. Seniors 65 and up get in for $5 and kids under five are free. Closed on New Year's Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

Sources:
http://www.adventuresci.com/
http://www.tnmuseum.org/
http://www.lanemotormuseum.org/