When You're New to Nashville and Your Family's Coming to Visit

Home
Stories
Family Fun, Food + Drink, Performing Arts, Tennessee History, Theatre, Things to Do, Visual Arts

When You’re New to Nashville and Your Family’s Coming to Visit

Family Fun , Food + Drink , Performing Arts , Tennessee History , Theatre , Things to Do , Visual Arts |

Dec 15, 2015

When You’re New to Nashville and Your Family’s Coming to Visit

(Ed. Note: Kathryn Bennett joined the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee this past summer, as the GivingMatters.com Associate. Fresh out

BY Kathryn Bennett

Turtle Anarchy Brewery

The Carter House

(Ed. Note: Kathryn Bennett joined the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee this past summer, as the GivingMatters.com Associate. Fresh out of college in New England, and new to Nashville, she’s been experiencing the city with fresh eyes, like many of the estimated 82 people who move here every day. When we found out her family was coming to visit for the first time, we were curious what someone with fresh eyes might gravitate toward. She came back with this dispatch.)

Like many of you reading this, I am a Nashville transplant. The music scene, nightlife, and the buzz that surrounds a growing city were irresistible to me as a recent college graduate. Since I moved here from Boston in May, I’ve loved exploring Nashville’s bars, restaurants, and music venues, but was recently stumped when faced with the challenge of entertaining my parents and grandparents for a week. I wanted to show off all of my favorite Music City spots, but couldn’t exactly take my grandma to the honky tonks. So, here’s what I learned:

Art

My family doesn’t share my love for country music. But since Nashville is a community of artists, there is a wide variety of music, theater, and fine art being created here. You can take in an exhibit at The Frist Center, see a touring Broadway show at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, or learn about the local artists that inhabit 5^th Avenue during a First Saturday Art Crawl.

black_label2_spotlights_480x270-400x225

Jack Daniel’s Black Label was introduced in 1911.

History

Tennessee is filled with American History, and museum tours are something the whole family can enjoy. Some of my family’s favorites were The Hermitage , the home of President Andrew Jackson, The Carter House, where the Battle of Franklin famously took place, and the Belmont Mansion.

If you don’t mind traveling a little ways outside the city, the Jack Daniel’s Distillery is about an hour and a half south of Nashville in the quaint town of Lynchburg, Tennessee. The free walking tour takes you through the distilling process and teaches you about the history of Jack Daniel himself. You can even opt in for tasting at the end of the tour.

turtleanarchy-400x266

Turtle Anarchy Brewery

Beer

Nashville is known for its wide variety of craft beer, and since it is brewed here, you don’t have to fight your way through a crowded bar in order to try it! Taprooms and brewery tours were perfect for my family, because we love sampling different types of beer and learning about the brewing process. Here’s a full list of all the craft beer brewing in Nashville: http://nashvillebreweries.com/

Parks, Recreation, and Festivals

Centennial Park, located in Nashville’s West End neighborhood, is a must see. Get some exercise along the walking paths, visit the Parthenon, and enjoy the beauty of the gardens. There are also dozens of festivals held at Centennial Park throughout the year. It’s the perfect hangout for family members of all ages.

Bicentennial Park, located Downtown near the Capitol Building, serves as a monument to Nashville’s history. Take in some history and nature, and then head next door to the Nashville Farmers’ Market- open seven days a week!

A complete list of parks and festivals can be found on NowPlayingNashville.com

Tags: Belmont Mansion, Bicentennial Park, Centennial Park, First Saturday Art Crawl, Jack Daniel's Distillery, Nashville Breweries, New Nashville, The Carter House, The Frist Center, The Hermitage, TPAC

1 comment Add yours

evelyndewars December 15, 2015

I suppose the age of the visitors does make a difference in some interests, but this summer I had friends come for several days. Recently retired and in their 50's, they loved the Jack Daniels Distillery and that is my #1 place to send anyone who comes to the Nashville area.

Their second favorite was the tour of the Ryman Auditorium and a show at the Grand Ole Opry, which even non country fans
View more

I suppose the age of the visitors does make a difference in some interests, but this summer I had friends come for several days. Recently retired and in their 50's, they loved the Jack Daniels Distillery and that is my #1 place to send anyone who comes to the Nashville area.

Their second favorite was the tour of the Ryman Auditorium and a show at the Grand Ole Opry, which even non country fans can appreciate for the hour and half performance by some of the best entertainers in the world.

And even though older and conservative, this couple really enjoyed a few of the honky tonks and riding the mechanical bull. It was all in fun and made for a great vacation for them. Grandma's can have fun in a bar, even if all they drink is a coke or a sweet tea.

If they could have stayed longer we would have done the Bluebird Cafe and the Factory down in Franklin. But they had a great time and have something else to look forward to if they come back again another time.
View less