Planning a vacation can be tricky, especially if you’re trying to balance kids’ activities, things to do with the extended family, and your own interests! Thankfully, Franklin, Tennessee, exists. There is something for everybody in this safe, beautiful city. Enjoy delicious food with the family as live music fills the atmosphere. Visit the nature center for some fun-filled education. See local art from across middle Tennessee. The options are endless!
Since endless options are often more stressful than they are helpful, we’ve whittled it down to the essentials.
Places to Visit With Indoor Fun for the Whole Family
Whether the day is a bit too warm or you just want some walls to keep the kids in, these are great ways to see Franklin and spend quality time bonding with your loved ones.
The Franklin Theatre
The Franklin Theater in historic downtown Franklin is not to be missed. It opened in 1937 when tickets were a dime for children and a quarter for adults. It showed movies for 70 years! After three years of hard work and more than $8 million dollars, the theater is now better than it ever has been. The antique feel was preserved with care so that many more generations could enjoy the history and life within the walls.
The theater graduated from just showing movies to becoming a cultural center for downtown Franklin. It always has something incredible going on, from classic movie showings (like the Princess Bride) to concerts (the Beatles cover band was a big hit), to live dog shows! Tickets are always reasonable, and the events are always entertaining. It’s a win for the whole family!
The Monkey’s Treehouse
This delightful indoor playground is an exciting (and affordable) way to get all the wiggles out. The setup includes a multi-roomed treehouse, car and train tables, a miniature town village, doll houses, a puppet theater, a baby nursery, and even an art studio!
There’s something for all your children regardless of their age. If you have babies, don’t think they’ll be left out because there is a closed-off section for everyone two and under. It has soft blocks and lots of other age-appropriate toys that are sure to delight.
Once all the energy is used up, there’s an eatery now open that has lots of kid-friendly options so that once you leave, the kids can nap soundly, knowing that there will be no interruptions.
Adventure Science Center
The Adventure Science Center is the perfect way to combine education with fun. It’s a not-for-profit science and technology center dedicated to providing children and adults with innovative and dynamic learning opportunities. The work they’ve put into their exhibits and staff pays off! If you want your kids to have minds that are open to the cast wonders of science, this is the place to visit.
The building is 44,000 square feet and is home to more than 175 hands-on exhibits, as well as the Sudekum Planetarium! These experiences dive into biology, physics, astronomy, sound, weather, earth science, space, and energy.
All of the exhibit galleries are stroller and wheelchair accessible, which means this incredible science center is a chance for the entire family to connect and build memories together during your time in Franklin, TN.
Outdoor Adventures and Fun Activities for Young Kids
After traveling and enjoying some sit-down meals, it’s likely time to get out and move! Here are some options for filling your time with action that will mean nights of deep, content sleep:
SOAR Adventure Tower
Get the whole family up and moving by visiting the SOAR Adventure Tower. It’s a four-level climbing tower with different levels of difficulty. The ground level has a section built for 4-7 year olds, for example.
The tower has 19 different climbing elements, and if you get done with that, there’s an 18-hole mini golf course that’s sure to keep everyone engaged.
If you need something to fill up your evening, this is the way to go. They offer “Twilight Climbs” with discounted tickets for the last two hours of climbing each day. It’s wonderful to see Franklin in the Golden Hour light before settling in for the night.
Paddle Dog
Introduce your kids to kayaking or canoeing on a serene, small lake with beautiful scenery. You can rent kayaks, canoes, or paddleboards by the hour and enjoy the fresh air and relative quiet that comes with getting away from the center-city bustle.
Westhaven Lake, Harpeth River, and West Harpeth River are all locations where Paddle Dog Adventures offers rentals and other helpful services.
Franklin Farmers Market
The Franklin Farmers Market is right up there on the list of Tennesee’s best. The produce, dairy, baked goods, and much more that you can find at this market are changing and growing every week. Everything comes from local farms, ripe and ready to be enjoyed. You can literally taste the freshness.
Even if you’re not grocery shopping, this market is worth a visit! The gathering is incredible to see and there are always some beautiful, local craft booths to see. Come by The Factory on your next lazy Saturday morning anytime from 8 am to 1 pm.
Shop and Walk Through Downtown Franklin
More than 16 blocks of flower shops, cafes, fine dining, and bookstores await you in downtown Franklin. Often referred to as “American’s Favorite Main Street,” this district is family and pet-friendly. You children might not do much shopping of their own, but there are so many cool things to see and enjoy that it’s virtually impossible to be bored. Everyone can join in the fun!
This walkthrough has received many awards and often has incredible events going on, so be sure to check the Franklin, TN, calendar to make sure you don’t miss out!
Take a Scenic Drive & Explore Leiper’s Fork
Leiper’s Fork is a village southwest of Franklin. It’s not a long drive, but it is a beautiful one. Take a scenic drive and find yourself in a little pocket of the past. Once you arrive at Leiper’s Fork, you will be immediately impressed by how adorable and charming the town is. It has boutique shopping, can’t-miss southern cuisine, art galleries in former gas stations, and so much more to offer!
The truth is that you can’t find anything quite like Leiper’s Fork anywhere else in the world. A stop by this town is a sure way to make your vacation unforgettable.
Family-Friendly Nature Trails and Parks
See the best of Franklin’s natural sights by hitting the trails and soaking up some sun at acclaimed parks!
Owl’s Hill Nature Sanctuary
Owl’s Hill Nature Sanctuary is always hosting fun events that are perfect for families of diverse tastes and different sizes. See live music or have dinner in the quiet atmosphere of Mother Nature.
Even if you’re not feeling a full-blown event, there is plenty to do on their 300 acres that is self-driven. They protect more than 2,000 species of local flora and fauna and have a few animals on site that they like to call their “wildlife ambassadors.” You can learn a lot from their staff or just from renting a Wild Explorer Pack and heading onto one of their several stunning trails!
Bowie Nature Park
This park boasts over 700 acres of forest and lakes. It has 17 miles of beautiful trails that cover the land and showcase the true beauty of Tennessee’s wild lands. Most of the trails are available for bicycling, horseback riding, running, fishing, walking, and quiet meditation, but some sections of the system are designated for foot traffic only.
No matter what time of year you’re visiting Franklin, Bowie Nature Park is a truly breathtaking experience for everyone.
Pinkerton Park
So, you’ve done all the trails, shopping, and sightseeing your kids can handle. They just need a playground as a way to unwind and go crazy. If that’s your situation, Pinkerton Park is the next stop. This park offers the best playground in Franklin, Tennessee, known as Tinkerbell playground. It has a sandpit and tire mazes and makes for an epic game of hide and seek.
There are plenty of restrooms, grills, and picnic tables as well, which means it will be no problem for the entire family to rest and connect over some cool drinks and a good meal.
Historic Natchez Trace Parkway
Step into history by walking the Natchez Trace Parkway. It has been in use by humans for thousands of years and holds countless memories. It is known as an avenue of trade and travel but also of change and conflict. In 1938, congress dubbed the parkway a piece of the National Park System because of the history attached to it.
American Indians traveled and traded along the corridor for centuries. It crosses the homelands of several nations, such as the Natchez, Choctaw, and Chickasaw. Today, the parkway connects more than 350 archeological sites and 22 burial mounds. Along this pathway also rests the Emerald Mound, which is the second-largest burial mound in the US!
Conclusion
This place offers vacations packed with as much adventure or quiet as you could want. Spend all your time indoors, outdoors, or a mix! Whether you’re looking for something fast-paced or more meditative, you won’t want to pass over this quaint taste of Southern charm. From a visit to a local farm with alpaca friends to food you won’t soon forget, Franklin, Tennessee, will deliver lifelong memories and help your family grow closer than ever before.
