The Best of Nashville: Playgrounds!

The happyly list of favorites in the playground heaven of Nashville.

Nashville is home to amazing parks and playgrounds. Some have been around for years and are staples of the different neighborhoods, while some are new and add a fun twist of adventure and play. Below are a few of the best parks and playgrounds in Nashville and what makes them extra special.

Best Classic Playgrounds

Fannie Mae Dees (aka. Dragon Park)

Dragon Park is best known for its large mosaic dragon, which kids of all ages love to climb, run around, and enjoy. It’s the first thing you see when you enter the park and makes this a Nashville favorite. The multiple playground areas are expansive and include an all-abilities playground, which is wheelchair accessible. At the back of the park, there is a huge, rock fort-like climbing area with a wooden platform jutting out. There's plenty of shade and picnic areas, as well as some chess boards (though it seems to be BYO-chess pieces). This park has endless fun to explore and is one of the most well-known and visited parks in Nashville.

Sevier Park

Sevier Park is located in the ever popular 12 South neighborhood. It’s full of lush trees, greenspace, a small creek, and two playgrounds – one for bigger kids, the other for toddlers, and separated by a swinging area in the middle. There is also a one-mile loop that takes you around the park, past the community center, over the creek, and back around. It’s perfect for strollers, scooters, and an easy stroll. In the summer months, you’ll often see kids splashing in the creek, and in the winter, kids often roam through the dry creek bed, playing under the little bridges. The park is also home to the 12 South Farmers’ Market.

Centennial Park

Centennial Park is an iconic and beautiful park, close to downtown Nashville. It’s the home of Nashville’s version of the Parthenon, which is a complete replica of the more famous one in Greece. It's quite the backdrop for an afternoon of picnicking and strolling through the grounds. There are fantastic walking paths, making it accessible for strollers, scooters, and bikes, and they lead you past views of the gardens and the centrally located pond. There is a large playground area on the west side of the park with two playgrounds, one for bigger kids and one for toddlers. Both playgrounds are very shaded, and the park has plenty of swings, picnic tables, and room for imaginative play.

Best New Playgrounds

Mary’s Magical Place

Mary’s Magical Place is an inclusive playground in Hendersonville, Tennessee —about thirty minutes north of Nashville. It’s designed for kids of all abilities and has a variety of playground equipment to support kids with different needs, interests, ages, and accessibility. It has three play structures, ziplines, swings, seesaws, musical instruments, turf, slides, and more. Kids of all ages will love playing here. There is plenty of shade, ample picnic tables, and restrooms on site. Mary’s Magical Place is located within the larger Veterans Park, which is home to a skate park, baseball fields, bike, and walking trails, and an inline hockey rink. There is plenty of parking available next to the playground.

Frankie Pierce Park

Frankie Pierce Park is the new Capitol View District and is great for kids of all ages. There is a climbing rope tower, rope globe, slides, obstacle course, and nearby greenway. It’s very spread out and the entire park area is blocked off from cars so there is a ton of room for scootering, biking, running, and letting kids roam. There is also a sand volleyball court, dog park, and lots of greenspace. For any train loving kids, they will be pleasantly surprised as trains often pass over the bridges. This park is also in walking distance from restaurants and cafes which make for an extra fun outing.

Red Caboose Park

Red Caboose Park has it all — a tall, towering playground with huge slides, a smaller, toddler-friendly play structure, swings, a climbing structure, and more. It’s perfect for the older adventurous kids and little ones who are still toddling around. Another bonus, the playground is gated so there’s less chance of kids wandering out of sight. Right outside the gated area is an old red caboose, thus the name, “Red Caboose Park. You can climb onto the sides of the caboose but cannot go inside. There is also a .2 mile paved loop that goes around the playground and green space. The green space is also home to a small amphitheater and a restroom facility. This park is not especially large, but there is plenty to do and explore.

Other Nashville favorites include:

Best park for scooters:

Cornelia Fort Airpark

Best park for young toddlers:

Azafran Park

Best park for future American Ninja Warriors

Oakwood Park

Go enjoy these beautiful parks and be sure to tag your highlights on Instagram @gethappyly or @happyly_nash!! Please send us your favorite Nashville playgrounds at share@happyly.com, so we can get an ambassador out to cover it if we haven't already - we love to hear from you! 

For the best places to refuel after some playground fun try out one of our Top Five Favorite Kid-Friendly Nashville Restaurants or pursue one of the adventures ideas featured in Get Outside Nashville!! For more inspiration, check out other recently featured activities, Plan a Picnic, make time for Family Bike Rides or bring out your inner camper and Find a Campsite near you! For a fun activity at home, check out our list of fun Chalk Games.

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