Nashville is world-famous for its music, but for families, the real stars are in the neighboring town of Franklin. We just spent some time exploring the area, and I was blown away by how much you can do without spending a fortune—especially if you utilize reciprocal membership networks!
If you have a membership to your local science center (ASTC) or botanical garden (AHS), pack your card! Here is how we did Nashville and Franklin on a "budget" while still hitting the high notes.
The "Reciprocal" Heavy Hitters (Totally FREE with your card!)
Adventure Science Center (Nashville)
Address: 800 Fort Negley Blvd, Nashville, TN 37203
Cheekwood Estate & Gardens
The Trains: This was the highlight for us! The Turner Seasons Garden features a massive outdoor model train exhibit with bridges and tunnels that toddlers can watch for hours.
The Children’s Garden: The Bracken Foundation Children’s Garden has a fairy-tale vibe with hidden tunnels, a splash area (in summer), and lots of "yes" spaces for kids to run.
Address: 1200 Forrest Park Dr, Nashville, TN 37205
Franklin’s Best Playgrounds & Parks
Rolling Hills Community Church Playground
Address: 1810 Columbia Ave, Franklin, TN 37064
Tinkerbell Playground at Pinkerton Park
This is a classic! If your kids love a "castle" vibe, this is the spot. It’s an old-school wooden playground that feels like a maze. There is also a great sand pit, so bring a few sand toys in your trunk if you have them.Address: 405 Murfreesboro Rd, Franklin, TN 37064
Carter Hill Battlefield Park
If you want to combine a walk with a history lesson, this park is beautiful. It's next door to the historic house and played a role in the Civil War. It’s "passive play" at its best—lots of open grass to run and beautiful scenery.Address: 1259 Columbia Franklin, TN 37064
Eat & Play: The Factory at Franklin
The Factory is a massive refurbished manufacturing plant that is now a hub for food and shopping. It is the ultimate one-stop shop for families. They have Ballistic Bingo on Wednesday nights (check their calendar!). It’s high-energy and super family-friendly.Our "Factory Food Crawl" Picks:
- Mojo's Tacos: Really fun tacos! We had a poblano pepper one that was amazing!
- Daddy’s Dogs: The kids loved the corn dogs!
- Hattie B’s: You can't visit TN without Hot Chicken (they have "shut the cluck up" heat or "Southern" with no heat for kids).
- Five Daughters Bakery: The 100-layer donuts are a local legend. I have dreams about the lemon blueberry donut!
- Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams: A perfect treat to end the day.
- Honest Coffee: Get the Strawberry Jam Matcha was so good!
Coffee with a View (of the Playground)
The Well Coffeehouse (Cool Springs)
This was another huge find for us! There is a playground right outside the coffee shop and a large lawn. You can grab your John the Gardener latte (blueberry, basil, and lavender!) and sit outside while the kids burn energy in plain sight.Address: 711 Cool Springs Blvd, Franklin, TN 37067
| Category | Our Top Recommendation |
| Best Playground | Rolling Hills Community Church |
| Best Free "Reciprocal" Stop | Cheekwood Gardens |
| Best Treats | Five Daughters Bakery (The Factory) |
| Best Outdoor Play | Tinkerbell Playground at Pinkerton |
| Best Coffee/Play Combo | The Well Coffeehouse (Cool Springs) |
*While it was great that this science center was free using our reciprocal membership, I would not pay to go back. They had a few well done exhibits, but overall, we felt it was very dated and only spent about an hour here.