what to do in nashville memorial day weekend? (Memphis, Murfreesboro: how much, hotels)

[tomoveornot]

my brother-in-law is going to do some sort of auto racing at nashville speedway that weekend so we are all meeting up there. first, don't know if we should stay by the racetrack or in nashville? i think i'd rather be by the touristy stuff personally.
second, what are the big things we should see? we have kids, ages 5, 11 and 13. trip advisor likes the adventure science center, centennial park and bicentennial park. i don't think the kids would be interested in the grand ole opry. we just want to walk around and see music row i guess. any advice?
thanks!

[DonCorleone]

From what I understand the raceway is pretty nice, but there is very little to do around it. I would suggest either going all-in and staying downtown or finding someplace in-between maybe near the airport/Hermitage/Mt. Juliet. You'll save money in the in-between area most likely. Another option, if you don't mind the pricetag, is Opryland Hotel. It is an attraction to itself and is the largest hotel outside of Las Vegas in America (if memory serves). But it is a little pricey although it is convenient to downtown and fairly convenient to the track.

There's not a great deal of things for kids in Nashville tourist-wise. It really depends on your interests. The Adventure Science Center is nice, as is Centennial Park (really a must-see). Definitely take the time to check out Opryland Hotel. I've got to run, but will post more ideas in a little while...in the meantime it might be helpful to let us know what the kids are into and if they're boys/girls, etc.

[tomoveornot]

thanks for replying! i guess we won't focus on the kids too much and we'll just drag them along to the must sees in nashville! we just want to make sure we hit the highlights. we won't stay at opryland but it's worth walking around? what about music row? don't really know much about it. is it just a street of bars? is it appropriate for kids? thanks for any advice!

[DonCorleone]

No problem.

Opryland Hotel is worth checking out I think. It depends on how much time you have, of course, but I'd probably put it in the top 10 things to do in the city. Maybe not the top 5. Lots of beautiful atriums, nice shops and restaurants. Indoor rivers, boat rides, waterfalls, etc.

Music Row often disappoints tourists, I'm afraid. To be honest, the only spot I would definitely see on Music Row is RCA Studio B where hundreds of classic songs were cut. The rest of Music Row is kind of neat to drive through, but they are all working studios, law offices, management offices, etc.

Now, what tourists sometimes mistake as "Music Row" is the honkytonks downtown on Broadway. It's a little touristy, but definitely you will find great music there and legit acts trying to break through. They are bars...so keep that in mind...but usually they are kid-safe especially during the daylight hours. I wouldn't want to be in Tootsies at 11:00 PM with kids, though.

I'd be sure and stop by the Hatch Show Print on Broadway as well. It is a working printing house that makes some really unique concert posters. I would think the kids might be interested in that. Likewise, there's Fort Nashborough on 1st Avenue downtown that is a recreation of the original fort that founded the city. There's the Country Music Hall of Fame near Broadway as well. It is a little pricey to get in, but pretty much is a must-do for tourists.

If you want a taste of TN (and US) history, carve out some time to visit the Hermitage, which is Andrew Jackson's home. It is located between Nashville and the racetrack in the appropriately named suburb of Hermitage. They do a great job of interpretation and do great work with kids especially.

[GWoodle]

With school age children in mind the Adventure Science Center does include a Planetarium with sky shows. The ASC does have some kid powered exhibits. After that they may like the Nashville zoo.

You never know the Grand Ole Opry attracts children of all ages. Bring a camera to take pictures. The shows generally run from 7 to 9 pm

Centennial Park with the Parthenon is fine & you can enjoy the park.

Bicentennial park can be fun on a hot day to play with the water.

Another option may be to do a train ride on the Music City Star from Lebanon into downtown Nashville then return. not sure if the kids would enjoy the Country Hall of Fame museum.

The Raceway is somewhat isolated. There may not be much developed along 840 close to the track. You may check rates for hotels in the Franklin or murfreesboro area compared to downtown Nashville.

[tomoveornot]

okay, this is what made my list so far: centennial park, opryland hotel, the hermitage, broadway, rca studio b, and hatch show print. that should be enough for 2 days, right?

now, do you have any must eat at restaurants??! monells dining sounds good. is there a place in that broadway area that we should eat at? thanks again!

[CountryGirl2b=]

I'd suggest going to Cheekwood . . it's a botanical gardens type place but it has a model train exhibit going on at the moment that might appeal to kids. Plus it's outside and you can bring a picnic.

TRAINS! Tennessee in G :: Cheekwood Botanical Garden & Museum of Art, Nashville, TN

I love Hatch ShowPrint but it's small so you should explain the printing process to them first.

When we moved to Nashville last year, we stayed at the Mainstay Suites in Brentwood. You can get a room for 5 for $109 with a kitchen. It's a decent location, near grocery stores and fast food and not far from 65. We also really like Embassy Suites but suspect it's pretty expensive that weekend.

The Nashville Sounds are home that weekend if you like baseball. They are the Triple A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers . .

The Official Site of Minor League Baseball | Nashville Sounds Homepage

[buddyjo143]

tomoveornot,

If you are coming up from Cumming, GA you could stay in Murfreesboro. Tons of hotels for a lot less money than Nashville and only a 30 to 40 minute drive into the city depending on time of day.

With kids that age, I would also recommend the Farmer's Market: lots of fresh produce and different restaurant/food stands to choose from.

Monell's is not far from the Market. That's the first restaurant we ever ate at when we first started visiting (and now live in TN). Served family style at large communal tables, I think the food is great.

Oh, and the Arcade is nice. Off Broadway, it is an alley filled with shops and small take out restaurants. The Peanut Shop is a fun little candy/nut shop.

[DonCorleone]

Originally Posted by tomoveornot

now, do you have any must eat at restaurants??! monells dining sounds good. is there a place in that broadway area that we should eat at? thanks again!

There are 2 BBQ places on Broadway that you might check out, Rippy's and Jack's. They're pretty much across the street from one another. I prefer Jack's personally, but either are fine. To be honest, neither are "must eat" places while in Nashville unless you just really want BBQ and are already in the area. Both serve good BBQ, but neither are really world-reknown like Rendevous in Memphis.

Monell's is nice and definitely different for most people. I've never had a bad meal there.

A couple of kid friendly places are Rotier's and Elliston Place Soda Shop. Both are just a few blocks from one another on Elliston Place and very convenient to the Parthenon/Centennial Park. Rotier's is known for its burgers and is consistently named best burger in Nashville. It's been around for decades, and for good reason. Elliston Place Soda Shop is truly a step back in time...it is an authentic soda shop from the 40s-50s. Might be fun for the kids...but I have never been especially blown away by the food or even milkshakes there. But maybe that's just me.

If you go to Monell's, try to time it so you can visit The Cupcake Collection which is nearby in Germantown. They have different hours (closed on Saturday, limited hours on Sunday) so make sure they're open when you're at Monell's. The 2 businesses are only about a block away from one another. But they have awesome cupcakes there and are very cheap.

I'll try to think of more kid-friendly places that are unique to Nashville.

[Coney]

Nashville has one of those DUCK tours that leaves from Broadway and goes into the river.

The pfunky griddle is not downtown, but it may be a restaurant that the kids would enjoy (make your own pancakes).