Family Fun at the Adventure Science Center of Nashville

When traveling to Nashville, it can be difficult to find places that aren’t filled with bachelorettes, booze and loud music. This sounds like a great time-unless you have your kids with you! For some family-friendly fun look no further than the Adventure Science Center.

Some links are affiliate links. By clicking on them and making a purchase, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you!

Adventure Science Center

The Adventure Science Center is an excellent children’s museum located in Nashville, Tennessee. Away from the main drag of Broadway Street and downtown, its the perfect place to get out of the heat when visiting the area. Covering three floors, there’s something for all ages in this place! Parking is easy and free with admission. Do be sure to double check the hours of operation on the website before going, at the time of posting they are closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Explore the Solar System and more

On the first floor of the museum you will find a walk-through exhibit of the solar system. My youngest was going through a big space phase and was enthralled!

Since our visit, it looks like the museum has added even more amazing experiences. The website boasts a Kinetic Climber adventure as well as a fight simulator. When we were there they offered the opportunity to experience walking on the moon!

The first floor also has access to a huge climber. Since little ones will probably need an adventurous parent or responsible older sibling to keep an eye on them in the climber, the museum offers an alternative in the Destination Exploration area for ages 0-5 years. There are a few other exhibits on the first floor before you move upstairs.

Body Quest

Ever want to walk through a human body? At Adventure Science Center you can!

The second floor boasts giant sculptures of the heart, the chance to walk through a mouth and check out those dangly things in your throat up close and more. One of the favorite areas for my kids was of course the exhibit on the stomach and the giant whoopy cushion. You can also practice putting the organs together and finding out what would happen without a skeleton. With simulators and educational video games all around, even older kids enjoy this area of the museum.

Things with Wheels

Have a vehicle-crazy kid? The Adventure Science Center has an entire area for them to create and test out their own cars. They can crash and race to their hearts content in The Test Zone. The museum also has an ambulance for the kids to play in as well as a place to make bottle rocket cars.

Sensory Warning

The museum is big and very loud. With high ceilings and kids climbing in tubes and running to different exhibits, it can become overwhelming. There is a sensory room on the second floor. We also were able to find some quieter areas on the outskirts of the main exhibits. If you need to step outside for some fresh air, picnic tables are available. We also found the third floor to be less overwhelming since there are only two exhibits. The Adventure Tower spans six levels of the museum and ends at the third floor with a lookout area. This is also where the Keeper’s Corner can be found. This is a small exhibit where you can see bees hard at work.

Science Toys for kids from Amazon

We spent about half a day at the museum. In the summer expect to be there with day camp groups. I like to start on the second floor to avoid the large groups of people coming into the museum and staying on the first floor. I also recommend trying to come right at opening if you prefer to experience the science center with less lines and people. We purchased our tickets at the door without any problems but the website does offer advance ticketing. Children two and under are free (!) with kids 2-12 tickets costing $18 and adults (13+) $22. The planetarium and motion simulator experiences are not included with general admission tickets.

Are you looking for more great stops in Nashville to entertain your kids? I’ve written up how we spent an entire week in the city. Check out The Chaos Manager in Nashville!