04-06-2025
Looking for way to keep the kids entertained this summer? Try these Tennessee children's museums
Summer break has just begun, but that doesn't mean the learning has to stop altogether.
Rather than letting kids lose all the knowledge they've gained in the school year by playing video games and watching television, it could be beneficial to take them on a day or weekend trip to one of the many children's museums across Tennessee. There are nine children's museums scattered across the state, with several located in each region.
Most museums focus on science and the arts to provide kids with a more hands-on approach to learning, rather than a lecture-like experience they would receive in school.
Here are some museums in Tennessee where kids can have fun while learning this summer.
Discovery Park of America, located in Northwestern Tennessee, is a 100,000-square-foot facility home to exhibits focused on science, space, technology, natural history, regional history, art, transportation and more. Some of the museum's features include a 4-D simulation of the early 1800s earthquakes that shaped the region, as well as a 20,000-gallon aquarium showcasing the underwater life of the region's lakes.
The museum's property also features a 50-acre outdoor park, complete with a man-made river, waterfalls, bridges, other water features, and a replica of an early 20th-century town.
Discovery Park of America is open for summer hours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. These summer hours run from March through July.
Address: 830 Everett Blvd, Union City, TN 38261
The Children's Museum of Memphis features over 30 interactive exhibits for children to engage with during their visit. The exhibits range from an air traffic control tower to rock climbing walls to a model supermarket.
The museum is a hands-on educational play arena for kids that has been a part of the Memphis area since the late 1980s.
The Children's Museum of Memphis is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday.
Address: 2525 Central Ave, Memphis, TN 38104
The Discovery Center in Murfreesboro has offered hands-on education in various subjects to Tennessee children since the 1980s. Over 130,000 children and families visit and explore the facility each year.
There are 12 exhibits where children can learn about cars in the Nissan exhibit, explore water properties by building boats, understand gravity through a two-and-a-half-story slide, and engage with nature in an outdoor interactive environment.
The Discovery Center is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays.
Address: 502 SE Broad St, Murfreesboro, TN 37130
The Adventure Science Center is situated outside of Downtown Nashville, in a perfect location for exploring after spending time at the museum. The museum has been expanded several times over the last 50 years; the most recent expansion was the Sudekum Planetarium and Space Chase exhibit gallery, which were built in 2008.
The center has ten exhibits and two activity areas. Exhibits include a beating heart that kids can explore, a beekeeping area, a journey through the human body, and an exploration of the principles of flight.
The Adventure Science Center is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday and Thursday. It is open from Friday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Address: 800 Fort Negley Blvd, Nashville, TN 37203
The aMuse'um Children's Museum sits in the heart of Columbia, Tennessee, about an hour south of Nashville. The museum features 15 interactive exhibits, sponsored by local businesses and larger chains, including Chick-fil-A and Baskin-Robbins.
Exhibits include a bank and ATM, a baby hospital, a restaurant, an ice cream shop, a dentist's office, a paint wall, and more. All the exhibits are designed to promote growth in cognitive development, language skills, fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, physical development, and social skills.
The aMuse'um Children's Museum is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays and closed on Sundays.
Address: 123 W 7th St., Columbia, TN 38401
The Creative Discovery Museum is located in the heart of Downtown Chattanooga. The museum has won six national awards from the Institute of Museum and Library Science since it first opened in the 1990s.
This summer, the museum features 12 exhibits, including a temporary one that will remain in place until early September. There is a treehouse that allows children to climb and enjoy the view of downtown from the top, as well as an exhibit where kids can pilot a riverboat.
The Creative Discovery Museum is open Sunday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Address: 321 Chestnut St, Chattanooga, TN 37402
The Children's Museum of Oak Ridge is situated just outside Knoxville. The Children's Museum is a dynamic cultural center with innovative exhibitions, programs and workshops for all ages.
There are over 15 exhibits and interactive areas for children to enjoy. Exhibits include a model train area, a simulated Amazon Rainforest, a bird area, a nature walk and more.
The Children's Museum of Oak Ridge is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. It is open 1 to 4 p.m. on Sundays and closed on Mondays.
Address: 461 W Outer Dr, Oak Ridge, TN 37830
Muse Knoxville is a children's science museum that offers hands-on learning and a planetarium. The museum, located in East Knoxville, has been educating children in the area since 1960.
The museum features 15 exhibits. Categories for the exhibits include health, outdoor, science, sensory, space and technology. Several displays feature an outdoor play area, a sound garden, a model ship, and a weather simulator.
The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week.
Address: 516 N Beaman St, Knoxville, TN 37914
The Hands On! Discovery Center is located outside of Johnson City in Gray, Tennessee, and offers interactive programs and exhibits.
The center features nearly 40 exhibits and interactive areas to explore. Exhibits include a paleontology hall, a bionic skeleton, a topography box, air rockets and cars, and a dig site viewing deck.
The Discovery Center is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the summer months. It is open from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sundays.
Address: 1212 Suncrest Dr, Gray, TN 37615
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Looking for things to do with the kids? Try these Tennessee museums
