A screen-free, hands-on exhibition designed for children aged five and under, featuring interactive areas for wildlife, engineering, space exploration and health.
Early Explorations is the newest addition to the Adventure Science Center, a 1,800-square-foot, screen-free exhibition built as a miniature version of the science center itself. It's designed specifically for children five and under and their families, and it marks the center's first play-first space. Instead of screens, the focus is on hands-on learning, dress-up, and role play, so it's a spot where the kids can actually touch and do things rather than just watch.
There are four areas to explore. Wildlife is set up for the crawlers, and the others cover engineering, space exploration, and health. In practice, that looks like building trains across Tennessee, exploring the surface of the Moon, or driving an ambulance. It's a lot of open-ended play, so it works as well for a toddler who just wants to push buttons as it does for a preschooler who can spend an hour pretending to be a doctor or an astronaut.
The exhibition was made with support from The Frist Foundation, The Marlene and Spencer Hays Foundation, and the Dugas Family Foundation. The Adventure Science Center itself sits in Wedgewood-Houston, just minutes from downtown Nashville, and is known for its shimmering, multicolored pyramid, its 63-foot dome Sudekum Planetarium, and its Full Motion Simulator.
Every week we pick 🏆 the 5 best 🏆 things to do in Nashville and send them to your inbox. Just one weekly email, no spam.
By submitting your email, you accept our Privacy Policy
Early Explorations is open Monday, Thursday, and Friday from 9 AM to 3 PM, and Saturday and Sunday from 9 AM to 5 PM. It's free with general admission, so you don't pay extra to get in. Just keep in mind that timed-entry tickets must be bought online, so you'll want to book your slot before you head over to 800 Fort Negley Blvd.
