Things to do in Nashville: Ms. Cheap’s guide to free fun (almost) any time of year – Tennessean

There’s so much going in the Nashville area, it’s hard to think of a bucket list that won’t break the bank. But there are actually a lot of wonderful anytime events and activities to enjoy with friends and family — for free! 

Whether it’s the dog days of summer or the holiday season, I’ve rounded up a list of things you can do almost any time of year without spending a dime.

I bring you Ms. Cheap’s guide to free things you can do (almost) any time of year.

Tour the state Capitol

Tennessee state Capitol tours, which last 45 to 50 minutes, start at 9, 10 and 11 a.m., and 1, 2 and 3 p.m. Monday-Friday. Walk-ins should go to the information desk on the first floor of the Capitol through the west entrance of the building.

To take a guided tour, check tnmuseum.org/state-capitol for a schedule and details. Adults will need a photo ID to get through security, and everyone will have to pass through a metal detector. 

There also is a self-guide brochure in English and Spanish available at the Capitol. The Capitol is a prime example of Greek Revival architecture, and it has one of the best views of Nashville from its hilltop perch.

Details: tnmuseum.org/state-capitol or 615-741-0830

Tour the governor’s mansion

There are free historical tours of the Tennessee Executive Residence, which has been occupied by nine governors of Tennessee, including Gov. Bill Lee and first lady Maria Lee. Tours are offered at 10 a.m. most Tuesdays and Thursdays by appointment. Requests for tours and field trips should be submitted at least two weeks in advance.

Details: tn.gov/residence/schedule-a-historical-tour.html or 615-532-0494

Civil Rights Room at library

The Civil Rights Room at the Nashville Public Library, 615 Church St., is filled with materials that capture the drama of the 1960s when thousands of African Americans in Nashville sparked a nonviolent challenge to racial segregation in the city and across the South. The collection includes a video presentation, as well as other resources. 

Details: library.nashville.org/research/collection/civil-rights-room 

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Visit Hatch Show Print

In business since 1879, Hatch Show Print was the printer of choice for Grand Ole Opry stars for decades. The shop moved from Broadway to the Country Music Hall of Fame in fall 2014. There are paid tours, but it is fun (and free) to walk through and look at the printing process on your own.

There is a free family program, which is typically the first Sunday of the month, where you can get an overview and make your own print. Program passes to participate are distributed 30 minutes before each session on a first-come, first-served basis. Ages 5 and up and accompanying adults are welcome.

Details: hatchshowprint.com or 615-256-2887

Movies at the library

Nashville Public Library has more than 170,000 DVDs you can check out, plus music, movies, magazines and e-books you can stream or download. 

Details: library.nashville.org

Visit Fort Negley 

Visit Fort Negley at 1100 Fort Negley Blvd. The 156-year-old fort’s visitors center offers interpretative exhibits, interactive touch screens, artifact displays and videos about the Civil War and the fort. The center, open Tuesday-Saturday, offers group tours by appointment or self-guided tours anytime. The park has a second Saturday “Fossil Finders” program with a geologist on hand, and there is an outdoor hands-on fossil collection site where visitors can dig for fossils to keep.

Details: 615-862-8470  

Volunteer

Hands On Nashville offers an easy way for anyone to get involved. It pairs volunteers of all ages with projects in all segments of the community. The website describes dozens of opportunities each week.

Details: www.hon.org or 615-298-1108

Country Music Hall of Fame

Youth from Davidson and bordering counties get in free to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum as part of the museum’s Community Counts initiative. Up to two accompanying adults receive 25% off. Proof of local residency is required for free admission. The Community Counts program also allows Davidson County residents of any age to visit for free by checking out a Community Counts Passport from any Nashville Public Library branch.

Details: countrymusichalloffame.org or 615-416-2001

Attend a Metro Council meeting

Learn how your city government works. Meetings take place at 6:30 p.m. the first and third Tuesdays of the month on the second floor of the Metro Courthouse.

Details: www.nashville.gov or 615-862-6780

Enjoy local art galleries

Local art galleries are fun to explore, and many have free exhibit-opening receptions. They include:

• Vanderbilt’s Fine Arts Gallery: www.library.vanderbilt.edu/gallery
• Centennial Art Center Gallery in Centennial Park: www.nashville.gov/Parks-and-Recreation/Cultural-Arts/Visual-Arts.aspx
• The LeQuire Gallery: www.lequiregallery.com
• The Arts Company: www.theartscompany.com
• York & Friends: yorkandfriends.com

Check out a greenway

Nashville has almost 100 miles of greenways you can walk, bike or skate on.

Details: www.nashville.gov/Parks-and-Recreation

Murfreesboro’s greenway system along the Stones River, which goes by Cannonsburgh Village and the Stones River National Battlefield, includes almost 13 miles of paved trails with several trailheads. There is even a greenway scavenger hunt to make exploring more fun. 

Details: murfreesborotn.gov/185/Greenways-Wetlands or 615-893-2141

Bluebird Cafe early show

The famed Bluebird Cafe has several free admission opportunities. There is never a cover charge for the Sunday Spotlight, Sunday writers nights or Monday open mics. Most early shows (6 p.m. or 6:30 p.m.) do not have a cover. However, there is a $3.28 reservation charge when you reserve a spot online, and there is a $10 food/drink purchase minimum per person for all shows except open mic.

If you go for one of the first-come, first-served walk-up seats, you don’t have to pay the website fee.

Details: bluebirdcafe.com

Get active with a meetup

Whether you want to hike or paddle, there are meetups you can join for free with programs and get-togethers. For hikes, check out www.meetup.com/nashville-hiking or www.walkbikenashville.org for hiking and biking. For paddling, see paddleadventuresunlimited.com. 

Go honky-tonking

Head for the honky-tonks on Lower Broadway. Many, including Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge and Robert’s Western World, never have a cover charge and have live music night and day.

Details: www.nashvilledowntown.com

Mountain biking

There are 6 miles of mostly beginner mountain bike trails at Bells Bend Park, 8 miles of intermediate and advanced trails at Percy Warner Park, 11 miles at Hamilton Creek, 8.5 miles of beginner and intermediate trails at Cane Ridge, and 3.5 miles of intermediate trails at Cedar Hill Park.

Details: www.nashville.gov/Parks-and-Recreation/Outdoor-Recreation/Mountain-Biking 

You could also enjoy a serious bike ride at the Lock 4 Bike Trail in Gallatin, where there’s a 9-mile USA Cycling-sanctioned base course and a 3-mile kids course (615-822-2512). Long Hunter State Park (615-885-2422) has 5 miles of trails in two loops. Montgomery Bell State Park (615-797-9052) has more than 20 miles of mountain bike trails.

Tennessee State Museum

The Tennessee State Museum, which reopened in fall 2018 next to the Nashville Farmers’ Market, always has free admission. The interactive museum is known for its wonderful permanent collection of artifacts related to the state’s history, along with displays of art, furniture, textiles and photographs produced by Tennesseans, and it has rotating contemporary exhibits. The museum has weekly storytimes and monthly lunch-and-learn programs on history and art. It is closed on Monday. 

The free Military Branch of the Tennessee State Museum is in the War Memorial Building, with exhibits dealing with overseas conflicts starting with the Spanish American War. It is closed on Sunday and Monday.

Details: tnmuseum.org or 615-741-2692

Tour the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park

This 19-acre downtown state park, which is next to the Tennessee State Museum and close to the state Capitol buildings, offers a self-guided walking history lesson with its Tennessee History timeline. There is also a 200-foot granite map of the state, a World War II memorial, a 95-bell carillon, a Pathway of History and the Rivers of Tennessee Fountains. 

Details: tnstateparks.com/parks/bicentennial-mall

Stones River National Battlefield 

Stones River National Battlefield, 3501 Old Nashville Highway, Murfreesboro, has a visitors center that is open daily. Visitors can enjoy self-guided tours every day, as well as ranger-led bike tours of the battlefield at 9 a.m. in the warmer months. It has caravan tours at 2 p.m. on most Saturdays and Sundays that take you to four or more battlefield stops and with 10 to 15 minutes of commentary from a ranger.

Details: www.nps.gov/stri/index.htm or 615-893-9501

Library archives

Explore the Metro Library archives, which has more than 5 million historic items from Davidson County. It is on the third floor of the main library, 615 Church St.

Details: nashvillearchives.org

Play tennis

There are more than 100 free Metro courts in Nashville, and many of them are lighted. The Centennial Sportsplex courts and Hadley Park Tennis Center are the only Metro outdoor courts that charge a fee. 

Details: 615-862-8490

Dog parks

Metro Parks now has six dog parks where you can take your dogs for some leashless fun. The parks are at Warner, Centennial, Shelby, Two Rivers, the William A. Pitts Dog Park in Tusculum and the downtown park next to Ascend Amphitheater.

Details: https://www.nashville.gov/Parks-and-Recreation.aspx

Skate time

Roll out to the skate park at Two Rivers Park, where you can have fun in the skaters’ bowls. Skateboards, inline skates and BMX bikes are welcome. Helmets are required. 

Details: https://www.nashville.gov/Parks-and-Recreation.aspx

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Kidsville at the Parthenon

Kidsville at the Parthenon storytimes continue at 11 a.m. Saturdays inside the Parthenon at the foot of Athena, which is an experience in itself. Designed for children 2-12 years old and their families, the 45-minute sessions not only feature stories, crafts and exploration stations, but they also incorporate the Parthenon’s architecture and other exhibits. Plus, you get free admission to the Parthenon, the centerpiece of Centennial Park.

Details: kidsvilleonline.org or 615-862-8431

Free yoga and Zumba at library

Enjoy free yoga with a variety of styles and levels at the Nashville Public Library at the main branch and many other branches. Check out the library’s online events calendar for sessions. The library also offers free Zumba sessions at many of the branches. 

Details: library.nashville.org

Frisbee, anyone?

Try out Frisbee golf at Metro Parks’ disc golf courses at Cedar Hill Park, Two Rivers Park, Cane Ridge, Shelby Park or Seven Oaks Park. There are also good disc golf courses at Sanders Ferry Park in Hendersonville, Barfield Crescent Park in Murfreesboro and Henry Horton State Park in Chapel Hill.

Nature centers

Attend a nature center program, or explore on your own, at one of the four Metro Parks nature centers: Warner Park, Shelby Bottoms, Bells Bend and Beaman Park. The centers offer free programs for adults, families and school-aged children. Plus, there are hiking trails, creeks to explore, naturalists on staff and nice seating areas for nature lovers who just want to relax. There are even free golf cart tours at Warner Park for people with mobility issues.   

Details: www.nashville.gov/Parks-and-Recreation/Nature-Centers-and-Natural-Areas/Warner-Park-Nature-Center.aspx 

Murfreesboro’s Wilderness Station in Barfield Crescent Park also has a broad offering of free educational environmental and animal programs for adults and families.

Details:  www.murfreesborotn.gov/176/Wilderness-Station 

Get fit

Metro’s regional community centers at Hadley, Coleman, Hartman, McCabe, Smith Springs, Sevier, Southeast and East parks have free indoor walking tracks and gymnasiums, as well as affordable fitness classes and workout centers. Hadley, Coleman, Hartman, Smith Springs and East also have free year-round indoor swimming pools. 

Details: www.nashville.gov/Parks-and-Recreation/Water-Activities/Swimming-Pools.aspx or call 615-862-8400    

Storytimes 

The Nashville Public Library offers dozens of storytimes for children at the branches each month. Plus there is a regular “Story Time with Wishing Chair” most Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 9:30, 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. at the main library.

Details: library.nashville.org 

Kids can make a craft

Enjoy a hands-on kids clinic one Saturday a month at The Home Depot, where the children get a kit and apron and help with their craft.

Details: www.homedepot.com/workshops

Reach Ms. Cheap at 615-259-8282 or mscheap@tennessean.com. Follow her on Facebook at facebook.com/mscheap, and at Tennessean.com/mscheap, and on Twitter @Ms_Cheap, and catch her every Thursday at 11 a.m. on WTVF-Channel 5’s “Talk of the Town.”

Published 6:00 AM EST Nov 7, 2019