5 Free Things To Do On Your Next Adventure: Nashville
Planning your next adventure with a strict budget and a love for nature? This series of articles will help you discover free things to see and do in cities worth traveling to. We begin with Nashville, also known as Music City.
1. Take a Hike
Hike the high trail at Radnor Lake. In recent years Radnor Lake State Natural Area’s 1,300+ acres of trails and forests provide a peaceful and scenic retreat. This Class II Natural Area boasts 1,200 acres and hosts canoe floats, wildflower walks, and aviary tours. All free and open to the public, so get those cameras ready.
Photo by: Daniel Chaney
2. Experience a Premier Park
We say premier because Nashville’s Centennial Park has several free entertainment offerings, from plays to outdoor film screenings located on West End and 25th Avenue North. The 132-acre features: the iconic Parthenon, a one-mile walking trail, Lake Watauga, the Centennial Art Center, historical monuments, an arts activity center, a beautiful sunken garden, a band shell, an events shelter, sand volleyball courts, dog park, and an exercise trail.
Photo by: Ben Alisan
3. Ready to Learn about the South?
The Tennessee State Museum is a must-see for Southern history buffs. It’s open six days a week, and admission is always free. The museum currently has three floors, covering approximately 120,000 square feet with more than 60,000 square feet devoted to exhibits.
Photo by: Fonnks
4. Music at the Frist
The Frist Center for the Visual Arts sponsors free music from university faculty and students from 6 to 8 p.m. every Thursday and Friday. The Frist Center opened in April 2001, and since that time has hosted a spectacular array of art from the region, the country, and around the world. It’s a colorful space alive with the sounds of learning through making art. ArtQuest activities abound for people of all ages and teach through activity. They have over 30 interactive stations. That’s a lot. Make a print, paint your own original watercolor, or create your own colorful sculpture. It’s all there in ArtQuest, for free.
Photo by: Firmbeecom
5. Music City Circuit
What’s Music City Circuit? It’s a bus route that allows you to see Nashville’s downtown destinations including Bridgestone Arena, Schermerhorn Symphony Center, Ryman Auditorium, Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC), Farmers’ Market, Country Music Hall of Fame, First Tennessee Park, Historic Second Avenue, Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Bicentennial Mall, Gulch bars and restaurants, downtown hotels and other downtown landmarks.
How much does it cost?
The service is free.
Where does it go?
Buses travel two routes. The Green Circuit serves key destinations between the Gulch and the Bicentennial Mall area. The Blue Circuit serves key destinations between the Riverfront Station and the Bicentennial Mall area. (now we know how not to pay for parking to see downtown Nashville)
Photo by: Scott Webb
Free is something we all love to hear. No matter if you live near Nashville, in Nashville, or across the country, adventure is waiting in Music City.
Enjoyed this article? Prepare for a series of free things to do on your next adventure.
