8 Best Sights in Day Trips from Nashville, Tennessee

Beautiful views of the rolling hills of Middle Tennessee surround this 75-acre property co-owned by Kix Brooks of Brooks & Dunn. In addition to free tastings, Arrington Vineyards hosts live music on weekends (April to November), bonfires in chilly weather, and other seasonal events. Though there isn't a restaurant on the grounds, the gift shop stocks gourmet cheeses and truffles, and visitors are welcome to bring picnics and make use of the tables throughout the grounds.

The tall limestone pillars of Belle Meade are markers of a bygone era. Today, this historic mansion is a museum at the center of 30 acres of smooth green pastures west of Nashville. In addition to the Greek Revival–style mansion, the property includes a winery and more than 10 outbuildings. General tours are available, or you can take a themed tour like The Journey to Jubilee, which tells the stories of the people who were enslaved at Belle Meade Plantation. A complimentary wine tasting is offered at the end of your tour, or you can book a private tasting separately.

At the center of this sprawling 55-acre botanical garden is a Georgian-style limestone mansion-turned-art gallery, enclosed by clipped lawns, terraced gardens, and an ancient-looking reflection pool. In addition to the collection of paintings and photographs inside the mansion, the Carell Woodland Sculpture Trail takes you down a 0.9-mile path of outdoor art pieces. There are seasonal garden displays, as well—including 150,000 blooming tulip bulbs in the spring and 5,000 chrysanthemums in the fall—so there’s always something new to enjoy no matter what time of year you visit.

One man's passion for automobiles (and motorcycles) led to this collection of mostly European vehicles of all shapes and sizes, from mini cars (including a Smartcar) to an amphibious car—one vehicle for almost every letter of the alphabet. The museum also includes a children's area, art gallery, and gift shop.

Loretta Lynn's Ranch encompasses the entire village of Hurricane Mills 65 miles west of Nashville. The singer's personal museum is here, and you can take tours of the first floor of the coal miner's daughter's stately antebellum home, of a simulated coal mine, and of a re-creation of her simple childhood home. Camping, canoeing, paddleboats, trout fishing, and swimming are among the many recreational activities available here. See website for camping (RV, tent or cabin) rates.

Nashville Shores is a fun water park and marina on Percy Priest Lake with a 25,000-square-foot wave pool, a 1,000-foot-long lazy river float experience, and other splashy activities. You can air-dry in the Shores' Treetop Adventure Park where there are ziplines, cargo nets, suspended bridges, and other challenges. Private guide service is also available.

The life and times of Andrew Jackson, known as Old Hickory, are reflected with great care at this house and museum. Jackson built the mansion on 600 acres for his wife, Rachel, for whose honor he fought and won a duel; both are buried here in the family graveyard. By the 1840s, more than 140 enslaved people lived and worked on the Hermitage Plantation, and archaeological digs uncovered the remains of many slave dwellings. The Andrew Jackson Center, a 28,000-square-foot museum, visitor center, and education center, contains many Jackson artifacts never before exhibited. Mansion tours are led by costumed guides, while audio tours of the grounds are self-guided. Optional activities include wagon tours (April through October) and tours of Tulip Grove, home of the niece who served as Jackson's White House hostess and her husband, Jackson's presidential secretary.

If you want to get down and dirty and learn about birds, insects, and trees, head to the more than 3,100 acres that make up the Warner Parks. Here you'll find picnic spots, a dog park, hiking and biking trails, an equestrian center, golf courses, and the Nature Center, which hosts numerous activities—many of which are free—like guided bird walks, group meditation classes, and holiday-themed events.