10 top Tennessee family attractions now Kid Reviewed

Tennessee is home to Dollywood, the number one theme park in the US 2022. The state has family attractions in every corner and they’re all amazing. How do we know? TDTD asked the real experts, kids themselves! Now you need to know more!

For every parent the sound of kids’ laughter and excitement is the sound of a great vacation. That’s why Tennessee Vacation created Kid Reviewed to rate family attractions across the state on real kids’ levels of laughter and excitement. Which means when you’re planning a family vacation in Tennessee, you now know the most fun places to go because kids like yours say so!

How did Tennessee record all those giggles and thrilling moments for Kid Reviewed? Kids of all ages were given Laugh Trackers to record their reactions during their visits to everywhere from Memphis Zoo to Discovery Park of America. As well as the wearable smart devices, they were also asked what they thought about each attraction. You don’t have to imagine how awesome and hilarious some of the answers were! See them for yourself – along with laughter and excitement ratings – at Kid Reviewed attractions all over Tennessee.

Ready to take the guesswork out of your next family vacation? Take a look at our top 10 Kid Reviewed Tennessee family attractions. Then get on with planning the other fun parts like picking the perfect place to stay and the best time of year to go. Tennessee Vacation has all you need to help with that too.

Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, #1 theme park in US 2022

Dollywood, Tennessee – 924,741 laughs recorded every single day

Dollywood covers 150 acres in Pigeon Forge, a gateway to Great Smoky Mountains National Park in eastern Tennessee. Now you know it’s big and where it is, here’s another great reason to add it to your bucket list: TripAdvisor named Dollywood number one theme park in the US 2022. But if that doesn’t excite you enough, have a look at how Kid Reviewed rated Dollywood on laughter and excitement. With an incredible 71 laughs per kid, per hour – a total of 924,741 laughs every single day – it’s clearly a hit with the visitors who really matter.

Good for families to know

• Dollywood accommodations range from top US theme park hotels to Smoky Mountain Cabins.
• It’s a year-round Tennessee destination so come for a winter wonderland at Christmas, waterparks in summer, astonishing fall colors and sweet spring breaks.
• Made for all ages, parents with younger kids will appreciate areas and rides designed just for little ones.
• No fewer than nine thrill-a-second coasters are just a few of the reasons kids said ‘I wanna do that again’ here more than 1.6 million times last year!
• If you want to shop, Dollywood offers you 20 plus locations for that, as well as more than 25 places to eat whether you want to sit down, chill and take your time over lunch or just grab something on the go.
• Any time of year, you can look forward to award-winning shows from the spectacular Dolly Parton’s Stampede to Pirates Voyage featuring full sized galleons and an indoor lagoon.

How to plan Dollywood into a Tennessee family vacation

Discovery Park of America, Union City, Tennessee © Discovery Park of America

Discovery Park of America – 162 moments of excitement every hour

“I never want to leave this playground,” is what Randy aged 4 had to say about Discovery Park of America. But older kids were just as impressed by the awesome Dinosaur Hall, Science and Space Gallery and the phenomenal Davy Crockett Experience. Like many great Tennessee family museums, Discovery also lets kids get hands-on and although it’s sometimes described as a Heritage Park, you won’t ever hear kids saying: ‘The earthquake experience felt like a real-life earthquake’, at any heritage park, anywhere else, guaranteed.

Good for families to know

• You’ll find Discovery Park of America in Union City, north western Tennessee, it covers more than 50 acres and has thrilled millions and millions of families since it first opened in 2013.
• Outdoor adventure and play areas combine with 10 exhibitions exploring everything from prehistory to technology, transportation, southern art and natural history.
• If you want the best view in North West Tennessee, ride the super-fast elevator to the top of the Cooper Tower and you can see for 15 miles on a clear day – Kids Reviewed gave this experience a top score.
• Discovery Park of America is big and there’s a lot to see and do, so parents of hungry kids will be relieved to know they can snack on the hoof at Eat and Treats or sit down and relax over a meal at Sabin’s Cabin.
• Union City offers a good choice of family-friendly (and pet-friendly) hotels. Holiday Inns & Suites even feature KidSuites with bunk beds and decor based on exhibits at Discovery Park of America.

Find out why Tennessee Vacation recommends Discovery Park of America

Up close encounters, Nashville Zoo, Tennessee © Nashville Zoo

Nashville Zoo, Tennessee  – Lorikeets alone deliver 3,857 laughs per day

Nashville Zoo first opened in 1991 as a small, private zoo. Today it’s the ninth biggest in the US, attracts millions of visitors every year and covers more than 188 acres. You’ll find it just south of downtown Nashville and we know your kids will love it, because it’s Kid Reviewed and scored an amazing 213 moments of excitement per hour. Of course, your kids will find their own biggest laughs and thrills here, but just in case they’re interested to know before they go, Hank aged 13 says, “they have a spider that eats birds!”.

Good for families to know

• One of the best family days out in the city, Nashville Zoo is home to more than 3000 animals from 350 different species.
• Committed to conservation, the zoo is AZA accredited and actively involved in international conservation and research to save threatened species worldwide.
• Backstage Pass tours let kids go behind the scenes and get up close to animals like rhino, clouded leopards and ever loveable sloths. There’s even a Veterinary Center Tour that’s made for older children and teens.
• If you want more than just animals, what about prehistoric monsters? DinoTrek journeys deep into a forest populated by enormous animatronic dinosaurs and it’s wildly exciting.
• The zoo also features an out of this world 4D cinema experience. Or when you want to fly high, hop on to the Soaring Eagle Zip Line which sails over Nashville Zoo at 28mph for several hundred yards at a height of 110ft.

How to plan a day out at Nashville Zoo with kids

SoundWaves at Gaylord Opryland Resort, Nashville

SoundWaves, Nashville – the waterpark that splashes out 150 laughs per hour

When is a waterpark not just a waterpark? When it’s SoundWaves the new, upscale, indoor/outdoor water attraction for guests at Gaylord Opryland Resort. If that sounds interesting wait until you hear the sound of laughing kids. Currently notching up 150 laughs and almost 43 moments of excitement per hour, SoundWaves is definitely making a splash in Nashville right now.

Good for families to know

• Set out over three levels and across 50 acres, SoundWaves keeps an ambient indoor temperature of 84° year-round.
• Entry is only guaranteed for overnight guests at Gaylord Opryland Resort so this is one waterpark that always feels relaxed and uncrowded.
• A mix of pools, indoor and outdoor chutes and slides as well as play structures for younger kids mean everyone in the family has fun.
• The sleek, modern design incorporates living walls and plant beds. You can even sunbathe indoors on the roof. The entire experience feels clean, green and healthy even at the height of splash around excitement.

Dive in and find out more about SoundWaves at Gaylord Opryland

Fall Creek Falls Canopy Challenge Course

Fall Creek Falls – 62 laughs per hour on the Canopy Challenge Course

Tennessee is home to 56 state parks worth visiting, but Fall Creek Falls is the only one with the sensational Canopy Challenge Course. Put to the Kid Reviewed test it scored a wild 161.6 moments of sheer excitement an hour. Which is no surprise as the experience is breathtaking from start to finish and if kids do it once they’ll never stop talking about it, promise! Plus, it’s one of the few full-size aerial adventure courses built for children as young as four, so no one feels left out.

Good for families to know

• This giant aerial adventure course designed into mature woodland takes more than two hours to complete. When they say ‘challenge’ they mean it.
• Self-guided but completely safe, negotiating the incredibly imaginative course is a real confidence builder for kids of all ages.
• Two courses are available for different age groups. Kids from 4 to 8 years can take the Junior Canopy Challenge. Over-8s can test their skills and nerve on the full Canopy Challenge Course.
• Set in stunning scenery, you get a real feel for beautiful Fall Creek Falls State Park journeying through its lush, green treetops.

Take the Falls Creek Falls Canopy Challenge

Tennessee Aquarium, Chattanooga

Tennessee Aquarium – it’s 31 laughs per hour for penguins and friends

Hillary aged 4 thinks ‘penguins look like rich people’. Do they? Visit Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga and let your kids decide for themselves. They can also encounter otters, turtles and even sharks – one of the reasons why this attraction scores an average of 136.5 moments of excitement per hour! But it’s not all about aquatic creatures at this outstanding aquarium! It’s also the place to get up close to delicate butterflies, meet lemurs and even discover Tennessee’s own rare and rarely seen wildlife.

Good for families to know

• Don’t miss the incredible Tennessee Aquarium IMAX® with Laser cinema. It offers two screenings a day and takes kids even deeper into the world of marine wildlife.
• Enter the Discovery Hall and meet the wildlife that lives where the Tennessee and Ohio Rivers converge. Look out for the state’s largest salamander: the hellbender.
• Delta Country lets kids see the snakes, snapping turtles and alligators which inhabit the mysterious Cypress Swamp ecosystem.
• Think it’s only the sea which hosts monsters? River Giants will stun kids with its collection of vast and fearsome freshwater fish!

Discover how much more there is to Tennessee Aquarium

Meet the hippos at Memphis Zoo, Tennessee

Memphis Zoo – prepare for at least 148.4 moments of excitement every hour

From touching a giraffe’s tongue, ‘slimy’ to stroking camels ‘really soft’, kids have a lot to say about Memphis Zoo and lots of it good. More than 4,500 animals make their home here ranging between lions, tigers and giant panda to tiny bright blue azure poison dart frogs. So no surprise to find that kids aged 11 and over experienced an average of 198 moments of excitement every hour and much younger visitors were big on laughs – 98 per hour.

Good for families to know

• Check the fresh-daily program of experiences, there’s always something going on from animal feeding to keeper chats.
• Throughout the year the zoo features special events. Try Twilight Tours or early morning Zoo Strolls as well as the popular Zoo Snooze Overnight Adventure.
• Whether you want to feast or graze, it’s impossible to go hungry with six different eateries to choose from.
• The zoo is only 10 minutes’ drive from Downtown Memphis. It’s also walking distance to The Children’s Museum of Memphis.

Take a closer look at Memphis Zoo

The Children’s Museum of Memphis, Tennessee

The Children’s Museum of Memphis – 228 moments of excitement per hour

A combination of play, interactive learning and magical experiences makes The Children’s Museum of Memphis a Tennessee must-do for under-eights. There’s even a fully restored and working 1909 carousel inside the museum building. Kids can get up to anything from rock climbing to milking artificial cows. Cozy quiet time in the Book Nook balances out Splash Park fun, dinosaur digs and kid-size flight simulators, so it’s no wonder Kid Reviewed recorded over 220 moments of excitement per hour here.

Good for families to know

• A short drive from Downtown Memphis the museum is designed for kids aged between two and eight years.
• The spectacular restored vintage carousel is a must-ride for kids of all ages.
• The museum has over 30 different zones ranging from H2Oh! Splash Park to the Art and Innovation Lab, Play Space and Role Play.
• A year-round calendar of kid-friendly events includes theatre, performance and storytelling.

Explore The Children’s Museum of Memphis before you go

Swing-A-Long Bridge, Lookout Mountain, Chattanooga

Lookout Mountain, Ruby Falls, Rock City and the Incline Railway – 85 laughs per hour from kids of all ages

Lookout Mountain is only a few minutes away from downtown Chattanooga and a million miles out of the ordinary when it comes to filling your kids with wonder. There are three different attractions to try, all amazing and all with one thing in common: sensational views of the beautiful Tennessee Valley. Incline Railway is one of the world’s steepest passenger railways so you won’t be shocked to find out Lookout Mountain notches up an average of 105 moments of Kid Reviewed excitement per hour!

Good for families to know

• Lookout Mountain is three separately ticketed experiences: Ruby Falls, Rock City and the Incline Railway. You can try just one, but kids recommend them all!
• Ruby Falls is the tallest and deepest underground waterfall open to the public in the United States.
• Take a self-guided tour of Rock City, 1700 feet above sea level. Cross over the phenomenal 200 feet Swing-A-Long Bridge. Stand at Lover’s Leap and gaze across seven states. Then explore Fairyland Caverns and see the 100 feet waterfall which cascades down Lookout Mountain.
• Called ‘America’s most amazing mile’ a ride on the steep and scenic Incline Railway is thrilling for kids of all ages.

Take a look around Lookout Mountain in Chatanooga

Navitat Treetop Adventure Course, Knoxville, Tennessee

Navitat Knoxville, Tennessee – a sky-high 270 moments of excitement per hour

Named #1 Outdoor Activity in Knoxville by TripAdvisor, Navitat scores an impressive 270 moments of Kid Reviewed excitement every hour. Combine the two recommendation and you get the feeling this is one not to miss in Tennessee.

The park features six aerial trails ranging from easy to extreme. Each trail includes ziplines, nets, rope bridges, swings and climbs. Kids can start their sky-high fun here as young as seven and when you’re done exploring the tree canopy nearby Ijams Nature Center offers paddling, hiking and biking too.

Good for families to know

• Navitat Knoxville is easy driving distance from downtown Knoxville and suitable for kids from age seven years.
• There are six aerial adventure trails clearly graded in order of difficulty. Try easy with younger kids and extreme is ideal for teens and adults.
• Each trail incorporates up to 12 different elements from ziplines and rope bridges to thrilling swings.
• Navitat is designed on a wooded bluff overlooking the Tennessee River so you get amazing views to go with your adventure.

Find out more about Navitat Knoxville Adventure Park

To find out more about Kid Reviewed and everything else you need to plan your next family adventure visit Tennessee Vacation for advice on where to go, where to stay with kids and what to see and do year-round.