Tennessee is a popular vacation destination for its rich music history.
In this article, we are going to skip the obvious, such as the Grand Ole Opry, Dollywood, and Graceland.
We are also not focusing on the many state parks to visit for outdoor fun.
We are going to focus on the many other activities you can experience with your kids when you travel to visit these bigger attractions.
13 Things to Do in Tennessee With Kids
Adventure Science Center
This children’s museum in Nashville offers such displays as an earthquake room and one for beekeeping.
There is a jet aircraft simulator that will have your kids feeling like they are piloting a real jet.
The 15,000-square-foot museum also offers many other interactive displays.
Kids can experience the interactive climbing structure and a show in the planetarium
There are special programs daily and there is a special area just for toddlers.
Chattanooga Zoo
Kids love zoos and the one in Chattanooga offers a look at not only traditional zoo inhabitants but also some species that aren’t easily found elsewhere.
They have a Nature Play area for the younger kids and offer the opportunity to feed giraffes.
In all, there are over 500 animals, representing 200 species.
Special programs include daily Beastly Feast, Chimpanzee Keeper Chat, Cape Porcupine Walk, and Reptile Meet and Greet.
For additional fees, you can go on a guided tour of various areas of the zoo and learn additional details about all the animals you see.
Cumberland Cavern
If you are in the McMinnville area, this one-and-a-half-hour tour starts with a ride down 333 feet into the cavern in a glass-front elevator.
You then go on a walk where you see crystalline formations, underground waterfalls, and a volcano room.
Younger visitors can try the Rocky Topper tour where they experience beginner-level spelunking.
For those over 16, there is an advanced spelunking tour with higher climbs.
All visitors will see a secret passage, 20,000-year-old lynx bones, and so much more.
If you are adventurous, they even offer overnight stays in the cavern.
Lost Sea Adventure
Sweetwater, TN, offers another underground experience in the Craighead Caverns.
The cavern tour starts with a walk through the cavern at a level 140 feet below the ground.
You end up at the biggest underground lake in the country.
At this point, it is 4.5 acres of accessible water surface, but they still haven’t finished surveying the area.
At the end of your cave tour, hop onto a boat for a ride on this lake.
The tour takes about 75 minutes and the total walking distance i 3/4 a mile, so it isn’t difficult.
Once you reach the surface, you can spend time taking a self-guided walk on the nature trail surrounding the cavern.
Memphis Zoo
In addition to the 3,500 animals at this zoo, the Memphis Zoo offers an aquarium with 156 freshwater and ocean sea animals.
They offer daily live entertainment programs like a sea lion show and animal feedings.
This is a zoo that can easily take the whole day to fully explore so don’t forget to stop by the snack bar or take a ride on the train or carousel.
Ruby Falls
Chattanooga is home to the deepest and tallest underground waterfall in the country, Ruby Falls.
You ride down in a glass-front elevator that drops you off 260 feet beneath the surface.
The 75-minute tours deep within Lookout Mountain will have the whole family entranced.
They do offer extended tours and even a lantern tour.
Surrounding the area are many historic buildings for exploring.
There is also a 40-foot climbing tower and a zipline adventure.
Titanic-Pigeon Forge
In the midst of Pigeon Forge is a replica of the Titanic.
Visitors enter with a walk up the Grand Staircase and receive a boarding pass with the name of either a passenger or crew member.
At the end of the tour, they get to hear that person’s story and their fate.
Kids can work the ship’s wheel on the captain’s platform, type out a message on the wireless, touch an iceberg, and view artifacts as they stroll around the ship.
There are people throughout the tour who tell the stories of real survivors.
Before you leave, take a look at the eleven-month project of a ten-year-old autistic boy, a 26’x5′ Lego model of the Titanic containing 56,000 bricks.
It is sure to inspire any child.
Parrot Mountain
Imagine being surrounded by over 86 varieties of parrots and other exotic birds as you wander through beautiful gardens.
That is what happens when you visit Parrot Mountain in Pigeon Forge.
The gardens even have a small waterfall.
You can wander the gardens or get a guided visit to the nursery to see baby parrots.
There is an aviary where you can feed lorikeets.
Don’t forget to grab some photos of everyone in the family holding parrots before you leave this mini-paradise.
Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies
This aquarium in Gatlinburg has to be one of the biggest in this country.
It boasts over 8,500 animals that cover two levels.
The upper level is home to ocean fish, the Shark Lagoon, which is navigated by riding a 340-foot glide path, and a ray bay.
On the lower level, there is a coral reef, and you get a chance to touch moon jellyfish.
There is an art gallery featuring underwater animals, a stingray bay, and a penguin playhouse where you can watch these little animals as they play both above ground and below the water.
Finally, take a ride through the Shark Lagoon in a glass-bottomed boat where you can get a glimpse of a 12-foot shark and 74 other species of sea life with just three inches of glass between you and them.
Smokey Mountain Deer Farm
Sevierville is home to this combination deer park, petting zoo, and riding stable.
Interact with camels, zebra, goats reindeer, and other deer species, elk, emu Watusi highland cattle donkeys, zonkies, and more.
Little ones can take a ride on the living carousel of miniature donkeys and horses and the family can take a ride on full-sized horses on the trails that take you through the woods.
Museum of Appalachia
Clinton, TN, is home to this portal back in time to a pioneer mountain farm and village full of artifacts of rural Appalachian life.
On the 65 acres, there are 35 cabins, barns, farm animals, a church, a school, and gardens.
They claim to have thousands of artifacts from the time period.
There is also a restaurant on the premises and a two-story gift house where you can find souvenirs of your visit.
Lucky Ladd Farms
Eagleville offers you the chance to visit the largest petting zoo of its kind.
This location is also an amusement park and riding area.
After spending time with the hundreds of friendly animals, enjoy amusement rides such as a tree tire swing, mega slides, a barrel train, and a tire climbing wall.
There are also tree tire swings a splash pad, and swings.
Kids can milk cows or mine for gems.
You can let the kids ride a pony or take a ride on a big horse.
Take a walk through the trails and enjoy rare plants, fossils, a sinkhole, and interactive activities throughout the trail.
Visit the corn maze or pick your own tulips, sunflowers, or strawberries to take home with you.
Alcatraz East Crime Museum
In Pigeon Forge, you will notice what appears to be a castle.
Designed as a combination of the Tennessee State Prison and Alcatraz, this is the Alcatraz East Crime Museum.
Five unique galleries inside dive deeply into criminals, the penal system, victims’ stories, crime prevention, forensic science, and law enforcement.
In 25,000 square feet covering two floors, there are over 100 interactive for the kids to enjoy and learn from.
Permanent exhibits allow kids to meet McGruff, the crime dog, go on a crime-solving scavenger hunt, crack a safe, and become a jewel thief avoiding the lasers.
They become part of a lineup and can see what a real cell feels like.
There are also stops to teach safety and discuss things like cyber-bullying.
They can also learn about ballistics, old-time pirates and outlaws, facial reconstruction, and experience a lie detector test.
And there is much more to explore.
Tennessee Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Tennessee Safety Review
Safety Index:
- OVERALL RISK: MEDIUM
- TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
- PICKPOCKETS RISK: MEDIUM
- NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: MEDIUM
- MUGGING RISK: MEDIUM
- TERRORISM RISK: LOW
- SCAMS RISK: LOW
- WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW
Frequently Asked Questions
What foods are popular in Tennessee?
Anything barbeque is a must, complete with macaroni and cheese and Cole slaw.
The signature sandwich is hot chicken, and you can’t beat Tennessee whiskey, which is considered the best.
How many caves are there in Tennessee?
Tennessee is home to over 10,000 caves.
Most of these are open for public touring.
What is the average temperature in Tennessee?
In the summer, the days reach an average of anywhere between 80 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
In the winter, the average daily temperature is 49, with nights dropping as low as 30 degrees.
What is the number one attraction in Tennessee?
The Great Smoky Mountain National Park has millions of visitors each year.
Not only is this the most visited attraction in Tennessee, it is the most visited national park in the United States.
What is the Devil's Triangle in TN?
Just north of the Oak Ridge area, three highways make a 44-mile loop of unusual twists and turns on two-lane roads.
The most unusual ones are on Route 116.
This area is in the mountains of the Cumberland Plateau.
Tennessee is a great vacation destination for families, offering a variety of activities beyond the popular attractions like Dollywood and Graceland.