Nashville and Gatlinburg

Hello,

Looking for some fun things to do with kids (ages 15, 11 and 3) in Nashville and Gatlinburg. So far only planned Dollywood. Would love to find a place in Nashville for dinner that would have live music. Would love to here some suggestions?

Thank you

Nashville suggestions

The General Jackson Showboat offers a daytime cruise with buffet and an evening cruise with dinner. I did the evening cruise recently and the meal was terrible but I understand the daytime buffet is better. They have an outstanding show on the boat. Most of the tourism events in Nashville as far as live music, etc. take place downtown in "The District". Of course, there is the Grand Ole Opry for live music and entertainment. You will find lots more entertainment for children in Pigeon Forge (Gatlinburg area). There are rides, go carts, Dollywood, miniature golf, and in Gatlinburg a really nice aquarium. About 1 1/2 to 2 hours from Nashville in Lynchburg is the Jack Daniels Distillery. They offer free tours of the facility. And in that little town there are antique shops, and a great place to eat, Miss Bobo's Boarding House. Reservations are a must for this. Hope you have a great vacation in Tennessee.

Some ideas for Nashville

http://www.visitmusiccity.com/visitors/thingstodo/10things

Gatlinburg

Great Smoky Mountains National Park?

We like the Nashville Palace. They have live music daily and the food is quite good and inexpensive. It is across the street from the Opryland Hotel right next to the Willie Nelson Museum.

Nashville has one of the coolest Children's Museum. Ft Nashboro is also a fun yet educational place to take the kids.

hjtug said:

Great Smoky Mountains National Park?

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Check for a live music event at the Smoky Mtn Heritage Center. It is near the entrance to Cades Cove on the Townsend side. It is a great venue under cover but open to the great outdoors. Terrific sound system. Bringing a lawn chair is recommended as there are concrete tiers for them. Every band I've seen there has been enjoyable and the tickets are a bargain. There are also antique buildings that were moved there and a small museum to explore.

Check out this thread!

http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=207983&highlight=nashville

Thank you

Thank you for all the great suggestions.

You appear to be planning to travel between Gatlinburg and Nashville which means I-40. About halfway through your trip you will be going through Crossville. Take exit 320 and go left at the top of the ramp. Go about 1/4 mile and turn right at the light (BP Station) and you will find the Crossville Outlet Center. In the center is the Crossville Model Railroad Club http://www.crossvillemodelrrclub.org/ It is 4,500 feet of operating model trains. It is a guaranteed hit with your kids. The display is free and is open Tuesday-Sunday from noon to five and Saturday from 10-5. Easy off/easy on so it won't be a big interruption of the drive. The mall has a Subway and pizza place if it's time for lunch.

Crossville also has an amazing theatre, the Cumberland County Playhouse. My son and husband performed in shows there for about a year. If the timing works out for you, it would be well worth a stop for a show. They do a lot of musicals, which would probably amuse even your youngest.

One summer they did Midsummer Night's Dream hillbilly style outdoors. It was better than it sounds.

Sheila

And they just built a new road to the Playhouse. Exit 320 and head toward Crossville. Right at the light (same as for Mall) and stay on that road, It crosses Rt 127 at Arby's and Ryans. That road now goes all the way to the Playhouse.

Carton Plantation and Carter House in Franklin TN, significant Civil War sites. My boys loved them.