Free things to do in Nashville this fall

Nashville can get expensive fast, between concert tickets, rooftop drinks and parking. The good news: some of the city’s best experiences are free. Here are the ones we recommend, all checked for this fall.

Museums and history

• Tennessee State Museum. Free admission to a big, modern museum covering the state from prehistory to today. Open Tuesday to Sunday, closed Mondays.
• Tennessee State Capitol. Free guided tours run on weekdays through the day, and you can also look around on your own. Large groups should book ahead.
• Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park. Nineteen acres of state history in stone, with a 95-bell carillon, one bell for each county. Free ranger tours run through November.
• National Museum of African American Music. Tickets are normally paid, but the galleries are free on the first Wednesday of every month.

Music

The honky-tonks on Lower Broadway have live bands from late morning until late at night, and most don’t charge a cover. The musicians play for tips, so it’s free to walk in, but tip if you stay a while. On select evenings the Ryman also hosts free Sidewalk Sessions, short outdoor sets on the plaza in front of the building. Check our events calendar for upcoming dates.

Outdoors

• Radnor Lake State Natural Area. Wooded trails around a lake, about 20 minutes south of downtown, and one of the best places in the city to see fall color. It’s strictly for walking: no dogs, bikes or jogging on the trails, and the parking lots fill up on weekend mornings.
• Shelby Bottoms Greenway. Hundreds of acres along the Cumberland in East Nashville, with paved and natural trails and a free nature center.
• The John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge. A 3,150-foot walk over the river with the best free skyline view in town. Go at sunset.
• Centennial Park. Walking paths, a lake and the full-scale Parthenon replica. The park is free; the museum inside the Parthenon is paid.

Almost free

The Frist Art Museum is free for anyone 18 and under, and college students get in free on Thursday evenings. Adults pay, but the museum often runs reduced-price periods, so check before you go. The Nashville Farmers’ Market costs nothing to browse, and the food hall inside is one of the cheapest good lunches in town.