What Are the Best Free Things to Do in Nashville?

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The best free things to do in Nashville are the Tennessee State Museum, a walk across the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge, Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, Centennial Park and the outside of the Parthenon, Radnor Lake State Natural Area, live music drifting out of the honky-tonks on Lower Broadway, and, on the first Wednesday of each month, the galleries of the National Museum of African American Music. With these, you can fill two full days without buying a ticket.

Free Museums

  • Tennessee State Museum. Admission is free. The museum is at 1000 Rosa L. Parks Blvd, next to Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, and is open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m. (Tennessee State Museum). It covers Tennessee history from its earliest inhabitants onward.
  • National Museum of African American Music, first Wednesdays. On the first Wednesday of every month, NMAAM’s Nissan Free Wednesdays give complimentary access to the galleries (the Jubilation! experience is excluded, and the interactive wristband costs $5 that day) (NMAAM).
  • The first-floor gallery at the Country Music Hall of Fame. The museum notes that its first-floor gallery, used for rotating exhibits, is free and open to the public (CMHoF).

Free Outdoors Downtown

  • John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge. The bridge over the Cumberland River is about 3,150 feet long and connects downtown with the East Bank, with views of the skyline (bridge summary).
  • Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park. A 19-acre state park near the State Capitol, opened in 1996; the Nashville Farmers’ Market is next door (park summary).
  • Fort Negley. A Union fortification built largely by African American labor in 1862 and garrisoned in part by African American soldiers during the Battle of Nashville, according to the Tennessee Encyclopedia. The site is part of Metro’s park system; check Metro Parks for current visiting hours before you go.

Free Outdoors Beyond Downtown

  • Centennial Park. The 132-acre park at 2500 West End Avenue is free, and walking around the full-scale Parthenon costs nothing; going inside costs $15 for adults (Centennial Park Conservancy; Parthenon admission).
  • Musicians Corner. A free outdoor concert series in Centennial Park held each spring and fall; the 2026 series has ended, and the 2027 schedule will be posted on its site (Musicians Corner).
  • Radnor Lake State Natural Area. Trails around a lake inside the city, described by its friends group as “Tennessee’s First Natural Area” (Friends of Radnor Lake). Check the park’s rules before you go; it is a protected natural area with its own restrictions.

Free Music

Walking Lower Broadway costs nothing, and the bands in the honky-tonks can be heard from the sidewalk. Stepping inside is where spending can start: each bar sets its own policy on any cover charge, a drink is your choice, and so is a tip for the band, so bring cash or a payment app if you want to tip. More places to hear music without a ticket are in where you can hear free live music in Nashville.

A Free Day, Planned

Start at the Tennessee State Museum when it opens, walk Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park and the Farmers’ Market, then cross the Seigenthaler bridge in the late afternoon. Spend the evening walking Lower Broadway. For the rest of a low-cost trip, see the cheapest way to visit Nashville.

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