Things to do in Nashville besides drinking (or eating!)
We LOVE our bars and restaurants around here, but sometimes you want to do something that does not require consuming calories. Whether you’re local or visiting, if you’re taking a break from drinking, or just want something to do that isn’t food-related, these Nashville activities are perfect for families, solo outings, date nights, and girls’ nights out. There’s really something for everyone! Things to do in Nashville besides drinking (or eating!)
Creative & Hands-On Nashville Activities
✨ Learn a new skill at a workshop! Take advantage of all the creativity in this city by learning from some of the best. A few I’ve personally enjoyed have been ceramics with Cloudship Creative; mosaic art with 7 Fine Arts; sewing with Sew Nash; and custom perfumery with Secret Garden Botanica.
Some other great crafty options are Nashville Craft Club, Hoamsy, Smart Arts & Crafts, and Turnip Green Creative Reuse.
✨ Explore 100 Taylor Street! You’ll find a cute bookstore, a coffee shop, some gorgeous handcrafted jewelry, a ceramics store that offers classes, and so much more!
✨ Therapaint – if you’re needing a creative, therapeutic outlet, check out Therapaint where you can process your emotions by literally throwing paint.
✨ Make your own lipstick at Lip Lab – if may be intended for bachelorette parties but that doesn’t mean it can’t be a fun thing for locals, too!
Museums, History, & Cultural Experiences in Nashville
✨ Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum – Yes, this is touristy, and yes it involves going downtown. But, y’all, the CMHOF is truly a GREAT museum and a must-visit for any music, history, or pop-culture lover.
✨ National Museum of African American History – speaking of museums, Nashville also is home to the NMAAM. And if you want to save, you can pop-in when it’s free on the first Wednesday of every month!
✨ The Frist – with no permanent exhibit, there’s always something new to see at this beautiful art museum downtown. They also have special events, so give them a follow to keep up on the latest.
✨ The Hermitage: Home of Andrew Jackson, the Hermitage is a history lover’s dream, but they also host special events like runs, ghost tours, book discussions, and much more. And the grounds – and the horses – are beautiful.
✨ Check out the Nashville Public Library. Here me out on this one…besides the obvious, NPL offers museum passes, starter seeds, BCycle passes, and tons of events for all ages.
✨ Tour Lane Motor Museum, Nashville’s unique and antique car museum with the largest European automotive collection in the US.
Outdoor Activities & Nature in Nashville
✨ Go for a hike! Literally, not figuratively. Nashville has many great parks to choose from, but Percy Warner and Radnor are faves.
✨ Cheekwood – the grounds are lovely all times of the year, but don’t miss the mansion art gallery with rotating exhibits, or the special events throughout the seasons.
✨ The Zoo – take the kids (or don’t), go for a special event or just a regular day, there’s always something fun going on at the Zoo!
✨ Try a community workout like the Capitol Steps Workout on Mondays and Thursdays, yoga in Church Street Park (in season), or one of the brewery run clubs!
✨ Get Up & Go Kayaking on Old Hickory Lake – take a clear kayak tour under the relaxing Tennessee sunshine on this adventure less than 45 minutes from Nashville! Be on the lookout for deer, beavers, turtles, cows, many different birds, and so much more! Use code tipjarnash10 for 10% off your first visit!
Shows, Music, Movies & Live Entertainment
✨ Cut a rug at the American Legion Post 82 on Thursdays and support veterans and the community (or visit on another night for songwriters rounds, bluegrass pickin’, karaoke, and more). Drinks are not required, but purchases do support the venue, so maybe pick up a Liquid Death if you don’t want to imbibe. Or visit the Nashville Palace for line dancing on Fridays and Saturdays and lessons during the week.
✨ Belcourt Theater – Catching an indie or blockbuster film at Nashville’s oldest movie theater is always a great idea (of course, personally, I have to have popcorn and soda at the movies, but you may have more restraint than me)
✨ What’s Music City without some music? While many venues will have a food or drink purchase requirement (or implicit expectation), some venues lend themselves to just enjoying the tunes: Basement East, Brooklyn Bowl, Cannery Hall – and of course, the Ryman.
✨ Take in a comedy show at Third Coast Comedy Club! While I’m sure they’d appreciate your patronizing the bar, it is not required!
Fun Indoor Activities (Rainy-Day or Anytime)
✨ McKay’s – the giant used bookstore in west Nashville could be an all day activity. From books, to records, to instruments and toys, there’s something for every hobbyist to get lost in.
✨ Visit Up/Down, No Quarter, or Game Terminal for some old school arcade fun, along with other games and activities (Game Terminal has a huge outdoor space with several corn hole lanes).
✨ While they might not be as trendy anymore, escape rooms are still a fun rainy day activity. The original Escape Game is based in Berry Hill, and they have multiple locations in Nashville that are clean and well-organized – as well as a Great Big Game Show game, where you and your friends can compete in game-show style games (I had a blast doing it).
✨ Read a book after hours at one of these great spots! Okay, so you may need to buy a coffee or a cocktail for this one, but the focus is not on food or drink. All of these places lend themselves to cozying up with a good book.
✨ While we’re on the subject, lots of great book clubs and writers meetups in town. Here are a few:
- Silent Book Club – perfect for the introverts, and they host all kinds of events all over the city
- Sugar & Spice Book Club – for the romance girlies!
- Freehand Nashville – monthly creative writing meetup
- ShutUp Writing – 2x monthly to “write in the same room”
✨ Game nights are all the rage right now! Here are a few, but follow me on Instagram for even more ideas. Mahjong Soiree, Missy Mahjong, and Nashville Backgammon Club. Or, if you want to play your own game, grab some friends and head to Bongo East/Game Point – you should buy something, but it can be minimal like coffee or tea.
Shopping, Wellness & Self-Care in Nashville
✨ Treat yourself to some self-care! There are many spas and wellness centers around town but a few that I’ve enjoyed:
- Skin by Wax (get the buccal massage if you’re a teeth clencher and thank me later!);
- Urban Sweat for your red light therapy, sauna, and cold plunge needs;
- Hudson Day Spa for luxurious pampering.
- Face Foundrie for a quick facial (Save $10 on your first visit with code Sarah-933360)
- Janya at Lash Melody is my go-to lash girlie! (Mention the Tip Jar when booking for 15% off your first visit!)
✨ Get mani/pedis! I highly recommend Junny at Serenity Nail Spa in Cool Springs. She’s the best!
✨ Go shopping! Nashville has so many great boutiques, it would be impossible to fully cover them here. But, here are a few cause-based businesses to start you off, so you can feel good about the money you’re spending!
Nashville Festivals & Community Events
✨ Festivals/Art Crawls – there’s some sort of festival, art crawl, vendor mart, etc. happening nearly every weekend! Be sure to follow @thetipjarnash to keep updated on all the upcoming fun, and check out my weekly events roundup here!
For even more ideas, check out my guide to meeting people and making friends in Nashville. Lots of those options don’t require food/drink either, and there are so many!
No matter what you’re into, there’s are plenty of things to do in Nashville besides drinking (or eating!). But, if you do want a really good meal, these are the best restaurants in Nashville right now!
XO,
SB
P.S. Did you know I send out a weekly events guide newsletter? It includes all the Xennial-approved events for the upcoming week (typically 40-50 events!), as well as any future events that have been announced so you can plan ahead. You can sign up here and have it sent directly to your inbox every Monday morning!
