A Visit to the TN State Museum Children's Gallery

It's been chilly in Nashville so I've been on the hunt for indoor activities to keep our [super energetic] 14 month old occupied.  This afternoon we hopped in the car and headed just a couple miles to the TN State Museum in Downtown Nashville to check out their Children's Gallery!

The Children's Gallery is a huge room decorated with amazing murals of Nashville, Tennessee wildlife, song lyrics, factoids or things to look for (like the one our racoon friend is sharing below.)  The floor is an incredible mural as well; a giant map of the state of Tennessee with cities and landmarks.  At one end of the room is a set of bookshelves with favorite children's stories plus some blocks and a few toys for smaller kiddos.  At the other end is a table with crayons and colored pencils with coloring pages featuring current museum exhibits so you can " #ColorOurCollections " (see photo below).

Curator Matt was on hand the entire time if we had questions and very graciously let Clare carry around a clipboard featuring a scavenger hunt of objects and locations to find hidden among the murals and activities to do when you found them. The website recommends the children's gallery for ages 3-8 and I definitely think that we were a little young to get the full experience of reading the facts, doing the scavenger hunt and coloring the printouts.  However, Clare absolutely LOVED running around the map and stopping to point out various rivers and places and brightly colored animals.  We also colored and read several books that were new to her (and Mama!). The bluegrass music they had playing was also a hit, and she frequently stopped what she was doing for a dance break. 

All in all it was definitely a fun way to blow off some steam indoors on a chilly afternoon!  We didn't venture into the rest of the museum today, but it's absolutely worth visiting as well.  
Be sure to check out the "Know Before You Go" box below for info - we hope you enjoy your visit!

TN State Museum - Children's Gallery 

Address: 1000 Rosa L. Parks Blvd., Nashville, TN 37208

​Cost: Admission to the museum & parking are both free!!!

Hours: Mon- Closed
              Tues, Wed, Fri & Sat - 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
              Thurs - 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
              Sun - 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
The museum is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day & Easter

Our Opinion: Kids age 3-8 will love the scavenger hunt & coloring activities.  Kids under 3 will love the bookshelf, blocks, and running around the map/pointing to murals on the walls.  Free admission and parking are always a win, and the fact that it's indoors makes it a primo rainy/hot/cold activity.  
If you're hoping for lots of exhibits or interactive activities, know that this is mostly a make-your-own-fun type space.  Depending on the age of your kids, we'd recommend allotting 15 minutes - 1 hour to enjoy the space, although if you coupled it with exploring the entire museum, you could easily spend several hours.