9 Fun Things to Do at Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville

Are you planning a vacation to Nashville, TN and looking to visit the Gaylord Opryland Hotel? Downtown Nashville and the surrounding area are full of fun family activities for music lovers, including the Grand Ole Opry, Country Music Hall of Fame, Ryman Auditorium, and numerous Honky Tonks. But one of the best things to experience on your family vacation to the Music City is the massive Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center.

The Gaylord Opryland Resort is a super fun place to spend time with your family because it offers many kid-friendly activities, entertainment, and dining options. Even if you aren’t planning an overnight stay at the resort, I highly recommend taking the time to visit and see some of the fun things Opryland has to offer.

From the vast indoor gardens to the indoor river, Opryland is full of fun activities the whole family can enjoy. In this post, we will discuss the best activities at the Opryland Hotel for kids, including the seasonal events that are offered throughout the year. So, continue reading below for our top picks of the best things to do at Opryland Hotel, including some that are free!

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Things to Do at Opryland

Opryland offers so many fun things to do with kids, and many of the activities are completely free to enjoy during your visit. The following entertainment options are just some of the family friendly attractions you will find at Opryland that you can enjoy during your visit.

1. Enjoy Ice Cream

You will find lots of dessert options throughout the Gaylord Opryland Hotel, but my kids love to visit the ice cream shops. Our favorite spots to grab sweet treats include Bravo Gelato and Carvel, which is an ice cream shoppe.

2. Explore the Gardens

Kids of all ages love exploring the many tropical plants and spacious atriums at the Opryland Hotel. Each area provides paths that lead you through the plants, flowers, and decorations. My kids particularly enjoy the pathways that provide views of flowing water, waterfalls, and caves.

As you stroll through the resort gardens, you will find various shops and dining venues. You could really spend an hour just exploring these beautiful areas. The gardens are completely free to experience, so you don’t need a reservation at the Gaylord Hotel in order to enjoy them.

3. Dance at the Fountain Show

If you’re looking for free things to do at Opryland, the fountain shows are a great option. The Delta Atrium provides multiple water shows that kids and adults can enjoy nightly. The large fountains in the Delta Atrium perform each evening by changing colors and dancing to popular music.

4. Splash at SoundWaves Water Park

SoundWaves is a recent addition to the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center. This indoor/outdoor water park is full of fun kid activities and entertainment options. Some of the fun attractions you will find at SoundWaves are:

• FlowRider
• Lazy River
• Rapid Rivers
• Obstacle Course
• Water Slides
• Splash Pad
• Wave Pool

SoundWaves is a really fun place to spend time at Opryland, and it’s enjoyable year round! (Note that you do have to pay for the Soundwaves Experience as it’s not included in your room price unless it specifically states that it is.) You can read more in this review of the Gaylord Opryland Water Park!

5. Swim in the Indoor Pool

In addition to the SoundWaves water park mentioned above, Opryland is home to two outdoor pools and one indoor pool. The indoor pool is located in the Relache Spa area of the hotel. This pool is really spacious and provides plenty of room for families to spread out and swim.

6. Take a Boat Ride

When you are touring the gardens of the Delta area of the hotel, you will see the Delta Riverboat Tour. My kids love boarding these small boats to sail through the Delta gardens. The captains of the boats always provide interesting information about the hotel along your journey.

7. Attend an Event

The Gaylord Opryland Hotel hosts multiple kid-friendly events throughout the year. Whether you’re planning to visit the resort over the winter holidays, spring break, or summer, you’ll find plenty of exciting activities to experience. These are some of our favorite special events at Gaylord Opryland:

• Halloween – The Goblins and Giggles Halloween Event is full of non-scary activities for kids. Your family can enjoy a jack-o-lantern walk, trick-or-treating, scavenger hunt, and animal encounters.

• Summer – If you are visiting over the 4th of July or another date during the summer months, you will be pleased to find lots of extra kid’s activities at Opryland. Some of the special event attractions you will see in the summer include animal encounters, crafts, and kid’s games.

• Winter – Gaylord Opryland Resort goes all-out for their Christmas and winter attractions. Guests will find a new theme each holiday season, including The Grinch, Charlie Brown Christmas, and Rudolph. This is a great way to get into the holiday spirit as Gaylord offers fun activities for young children and older kids. Some of the fun experiences you’ll find on your family getaway during the winter months include ice bumper cars, ice skating, cookie decorating, carriage rides, and more. You can find additional information in my post on Christmas at Gaylord Opryland.

8. Listen to Live Music

You can often find live music in various spots at the Opryland Hotel, which you can usually enjoy for free. The Falls Lounge sits near the lobby of the hotel and often hosts really great musicians.

9. Dine at a Restaurant

If you are wondering where to eat with kids at Gaylord Opryland, you will be pleased to know that almost all of the dining options are kid friendly. You can find all types of restaurants at Gaylord Opryland, including quick service counters, venues with “outdoor” seating, and fine dining opportunities.

Your family will also find lots of options for desserts and treats like ice cream and gelato shops. These are some great restaurant options for families wondering where to eat at Opryland:

• Delta Marketplace (quick service with kid favorites)
• Conservatory Cafe (grand and go items)
• Stax (burger bar)
• Cascades American Cafe
• Solario Cantina (Mexican food with “outdoor” patio)

One of our favorite places to eat with kids is Cascades American Cafe. This restaurant sits in the Cascade gardens so you have views of the water and plants as you dine. Cascades also provides a really well-rounded menu with great options for kids’ meals. For more detailed information on the dining options at Gaylord Opryland, check out our post on Opryland Hotel Restaurants where we provide a full guide to the best places to eat!

Staying at Opryland

Once you arrive at the Gaylord Opryland Resort, you will need to walk to the Cascades section of the hotel to check in. You will see a large lobby with multiple check in counters. If you arrive prior to the official check in time, the representative behind the check in counter will take down your phone number and text you when your room is ready.

You can also make specific room requests at check in depending on the room category you booked. Unless you pay for an upgrade, you cannot request an atrium balcony room if you reserved a standard view room.

However, you can ask for specific sections of the resort, and the representative will work to fulfill your request. On my family’s most recent trip to Gaylord Opryland, I asked for a room that my four-year-old would like. The representative at the counter chose a room in the Cascades section of the resort for us, and we were very pleased with her choice.

Best Rooms

If you are staying at the resort overnight, I highly recommend booking a room with a balcony overlooking the atrium. All of the hotel rooms at Opryland are clean and lovely. However, a room with a balcony really is worth the extra money. I like to check out prices for Gaylord Opryland hotel packages on Expedia.

If you have flexible dates for your trip, you can often score really great prices on room reservations at Opryland. When we visited over the Christmas holidays, our atrium view balcony overlooked the extravagant Christmas lights in the Cascades section of the resort.

My kids loved sitting on the balcony and looking at all the holiday decorations. In addition, we had a view of The Falls Bar and Lounge, which provided live entertainment multiple times a day. We really enjoyed opening our balcony doors and hearing guitarists sing poplar songs.

Getting to Opryland

If you haven’t visited the Nashville area with kids, you’ll be presently surprised to know that it’s one of the most fun family vacation destinations in Tennessee. The Opryland Hotel is located in the northeastern side of the city of Nashville. It is really easy to access the resort off of Briley Parkway. Just follow the signs guiding you toward McGavock Pike and Opryland USA.

Guests visiting Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center may pay for parking in one of the many lots on site. You have the option to self-park or to utilize the valet services. Depending on when you visit, the lots can get quite full. If you have luggage and small kids with you, you may prefer to use the valet option or to get dropped off at one of the entrances.

You will see multiple entry points to the resort. So, no matter where you ultimately decide to park, you will be in the vicinity of at least one entrance. If you are planning to visit the Opry Mills Mall, you can park in the mall lot for free.

The resort is accessible from the mall, but it can be quite a hike depending on where you park. If you are walking over to the Opryland Hotel from the mall, you will more than likely enter through the Delta section of the resort. Guests who are checking in will need to walk all the way to the Cascades Atrium to find the check-in desk.

Final Review of Gaylord Opryland Hotel

Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center is a magical place to visit any time of year. With all of the activities, entertainment, and dining experiences the hotel provides, your kids will love the excitement and fun that comes with an Opryland vacation.

If you’re looking for additional things to do in Nashville, I highly recommend checking out the Nashville Zoo. It’s on our list of best zoos in the southeast!

What are your favorite activities at the Opryland Hotel with kids? Comment below to share them with us!

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