One of my daughter’s favorite things to do in the summer is to cool down at local splash pads. I love it too, because it’s typically free, and an easy way to spend several hours. As a heads up, the splash pads at Wasioto Park and Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park are currently not working (and rarely are), so I didn’t include them in this list. Here are my favorite splash pads in the Nashville area that are open.
Where: North Nashville
When: Weekdays 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Weekends 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Details: This fenced splash pad beside a small playground is in Watkins Park, right by a library branch. With bathrooms and picnic shelters, it’s easy to spend an entire day here.
Where: East Nashville
When: Weekdays 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Weekends 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Details: Kirkpatrick Sprayground is a small but fun place to cool down. It’s also fenced, with a small playground beside it. A nearby community center has bathrooms, but parking can be a bit tricky.
Where: Kingston Springs
When: 6 a.m.-8 p.m. every day
Details: It only takes 15-20 minutes to get to this small town west of Nashville, and the park is typically not too crowded. The splash pad is near a playground, picnic shelters, bathrooms, and hiking trails. There’s very little shade, and sometimes the playground gets too hot to play on.
Where: Brentwood
When: Tuesday & Thursday 4-7 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday 1-5 p.m.
Details: It’s worth paying the small fee ($3 for kids, $5 for adults) to cool down at this large splash pad with multiple slides and play structures. There’s also a pool!
Where: Goodlettsville
When: 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m. every day
Details: This is a super fun fenced splash pad. A nearby playground and bathrooms make it nearly perfect, though it once again suffers from a lack of shade.
Where: White House
When: Monday-Saturday 9 a.m.-8 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.-6 p.m., closed Wednesday
Details: This large fenced splash pad has a pirate ship and a playground located on the other side of the bathrooms. It’s behind the White House library.
Where: Dickson
When: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. except on Wednesdays (4-8 p.m.) and Sundays (Noon-8 p.m.)
Details: While Dickson is a 45-minute drive from Nashville, this large splash pad beside an even larger playground is worth the trip. There are shaded benches, bathrooms, and plenty of parking. It can get crowded, and those shaded benches fill up fast.
