If you are planning a visit to Middle Tennessee, Clarksville is not to be missed. Just a short 30-45 minute drive north of Nashville, Clarksville is a beautiful place to live, explore and visit. If you enjoy hiking, reading, the arts, live music, animals, local farmer’s markets or antiques, there is something for everyone. Our once small town has evolved into a city that’s rich with activity, and so much to do outdoors. What’s great is that many of the best things to do here are absolutely free.
Parks and Green Spaces
There are beautiful parks and green spaces to be found in Clarksville. Some of the best include Dunbar Cave Park, Liberty Park, Rotary Park, and local favorite, Clarksville Greenway. Each of these have paved or dirt trails and gorgeous foliage (especially in the fall). They are all kid and pet friendly, and easy hikes for folks of all ages to enjoy. They each allow you to escape into nature and forget about all of your cares when you’re there. They also each offer a canopy of shade to escape the hot sun in summer months. The color show that our fall foliage offers at each of these parks is unmatched.
Dunbar Cave State Park is your best chance of spotting wildlife and flora. It is the most visually stimulating, offering the most variety of different settings within one continuous hike. You can hike through a butterfly garden, find yourself in wooded seclusion, stroll across a bridge that passes over a pond, or hike directly to the cave itself. You will also find a very nice visitor’s center with clean restrooms and a gift shop.
Liberty Park is a large green space with so much to offer! It has one of the best (if not the best) playgrounds for kids. There is a lovely protected area where locals love to stroll, fish, and watch the geese. Or you can just sit on a bench and take in the beautiful surroundings. You will find indigenous plants, birds, fish and insects. While you’re at Liberty, you can walk to the Wilma Rudolph Event Center, or to the Marina. There is a big field where you will often find kids having sports practice. It’s also a perfect spot for flying kites in the spring. There is a dog park, and you will find no shortage of Clarksville natives walking their pets. There are several pavilions, including a large pavilion that offers clean restrooms and seasonal concessions. These pavilions can be reserved for birthday parties. You can learn more here.
Rotary Park is a beautiful outdoor escape and local favorite. It’s by the water, perfect for a creek stomp. You can cool off in the refreshing streams that flow by, or simply admire its beauty. Rotary Park is also home to the Wade Bourne Nature Center. The center hosts art classes, events for children to interact with reptiles and other critters, and many other free activities. It is a beautiful facility inside and out. Be sure to take a stroll through the butterfly and pollinator garden, and out back is a birdwatcher’s dream. There are several birdhouses, hummingbird feeders and mounted binoculars. Take a walk along one of the many hiking trails, or have a picnic lunch at one of the pavilions. The playground is one of the newest and most modern we have have in Clarksville. It has a seesaw, swings for two and much more. There are several restrooms on-site, with the Bourne Center being the nicest and cleanest.
The trails at the park are extensive and have so much to offer. Rotary Park also has mountain bike paths, stretching over five miles. There is a remote control car path including its own track, ramp and climbing features. There is disc golf as well. Rotary Park is not to be missed and a Clarksville treasure. You can find out more here.
Clarksville Greenway, formerly an abandoned railway, offers 9 miles of paved walkways. This makes it the perfect place for walkers, joggers, bikers, pets and moms with strollers. Some of the trails offer the most breathtaking views. The trees and wildflowers that grow along the trails are truly beautiful. This is such a special place! There was a long-time issue with parking, but that has been completely resolved with more parking lots and trailheads. There is a bathroom located at the Pollard Road trailhead. If you are interested in more specifics and locations of the different trailheads you can find them here.
Farmer’s Markets and Night Markets
There was a time where Clarksville had only one Farmer’s Market. There are several offered now, on different days of the week and at different times. So no matter what your schedule, you should be able to find one that is available to you! Each of them offer such great atmosphere and energy. Even if you buy nothing, you will be so glad you came! There is often live music, always great people, and all are pet friendly!
Clarksville Downtown Market. This market is located in the heart of Clarksville, in Public Square. This is no doubt a favorite because our downtown has so much to offer. It is the market that has been the longest running and has the most vendors. There are also food trucks and a petting zoo for kids. There are quite a few charming shops, breakfast spots and cafes nearby. You can make a day of your visit.
Sango Night Market. This is a lively night market. You’ll find many of the same vendors who do the Downtown Market here as well. It is located at Real Life Sango church. The church building is also home to Beck’s Coffee. They have the garage doors open during the night market. So you can walk through, grab a drink or treat, then enjoy it in the open air. Consider parking at Sango Elementary School. While it may be more of a walk, it will be less stressful entering and exiting. The Sango Night Market takes place during warm weather months from 4-8 on Mondays.
Silo Night Market. This is located at Old Glory Distillery. Having dinner at Old Glory on their patio, then strolling through the market is a perfect night! This market has few vendors, but they are all amazing quality and worth your time. This market is great if you enjoy live music, drinks and a nice backdrop. Their outdoor area is so cute and charming – very Insta-worthy.) The Silo Night Market takes place from 5-7 on Thursdays.
Locations and hours for all of the farmers markets in Clarksville can be found here.
Other Free Things to Do in Clarksville
Customs House Museum. If you have children, this is a favorite! Children under 2 are free. Library members can get a family pass from the public library, but is must be used within 7 days. This IS how to get in the museum for FREE. Check out this link for more info. Located in beautiful Downtown Clarksville, our museum has so much to offer. Be sure to check out the train room that has the largest collection of toy trains, all fully functioning. Not to be missed is the children’s museum located downstairs. There is a little grocery store with little cash registers and shopping carts. The bubble cave is a crowd favorite where children can create giant bubbles, and completely enclose themselves in a bubble. Be sure to stop at the gift shop on your way out. It’s full of items that are sure to delight even the pickiest member of your group.
Clarksville Montgomery County Public Library – Main Branch. This is a local GEM. We visit libraries wherever we travel, and have found few that come close to ours. The children’s library is expansive and the children’s library program has so much to offer our local children. There is something for everyone: storytime on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the summer, book fairs, Lego days, movie days, crafts and so much more. The young adult section is so hip, cool and impressive. There are many computers and study rooms available. The building itself is gorgeous with beautiful skylights and balcony upstairs. So many comfy nooks and spaces to sit and read or study. Check out their website and follow them on Facebook to stay informed.
North Branch Library. The North Clarksville branch of the public library is a beautiful newer facility. Besides being a new building, this location offers so many inviting seating areas, indoors and out. While there aren’t nearly as many titles as the main branch, the copies are newer and better condition. I thought fewer titles would be a downside, but actually find it less overwhelming and easier to make a selection. Be sure to check out the library website for activities and programs offered here, especially for children.
Free Events at Downtown Commons. Downtown Commons is located downtown Clarksville and is an open venue that hosts numerous free events throughout the year. This includes live music such as Dueling Pianos, cover bands and other local bands. There are also outdoor movie screenings for families in the warmer months; they recently showed the Harry Potter movies. There are also free sunset and sunrise yoga classes. Children will love just running freely on the turf, playing lawn games, or splashing around in the water feature. Be sure to follow Downtown Commons on Facebook and Instagram as well as checking their Events tab on Facebook. You can also check out their website.
Miss Lucille’s Marketplace. A day spent strolling and browsing at Miss Lucille’s is a good day. There are hundreds of booths of vendors. Unlike other antique shops or vendor marketplaces, these are all of the highest quality and all so intriguing and captivating. Whether you love shopping the latest fashions, gadgets, antique shopping or looking for that perfect piece of furniture for your home, Miss Lucille’s appeals to all tastes and interests. They have events for moms at Mother’s Day, trunk or treat for kids at Halloween, and so much more. A description of Miss Lucille’s would not be complete without mentioning Miss Lucille’s coffee shop and cafe. They are local favorites. The strawberry basil lemonade is not to be missed, and the Picky Eunice salad is amazing. A perfect spot for brunch or lunch. You can learn more about Miss Lucille’s here.
Montgomery County Animal Shelter. This is a free and wonderful thing to do in Clarksville. You can walk, love on and play with animals, and even help out by doing something as simple as folding laundry (pet bedding). These are all ways to serve at the animal shelter. There is an orientation you must go through to be a volunteer, but it is very short. These take place Fridays and 4. Once you have gone through the training, you can show up anytime, sign in and interact with the animals. Learn more about how to adopt, support and volunteer here.
Jazz on the Lawn at Beachaven Winery. Jazz on the Lawn takes place at Beachaven Winery Fridays and Saturdays from 4:00-7:00, and on Sundays from 3:00-5:00. Be sure to check their website for specific artists and times. You can purchase any of the Beachaven wines on the premises, listen to live music, and enjoy local food trucks. Many love bringing a picnic dinner or charcuterie, picnic blanket and lawn chairs, then relaxing and enjoying the surroundings. Children will enjoy this venue, but must be accompanied by an adult at all times. There are wine flights, tastings and tours available, but again see their website for specific details and hours.
Visit Clarksville!
Clarksville has transformed from a simple small town to an amazing city with so much to offer. If you are a Clarksville resident or native, please share any other free things to do in the comments. Do you love any of the places shared in this post? If you can add any insights, I would love to hear from you in the comments as well. If you are new to the area or visiting, welcome! You are sure to leave here wanting to come back soon.
If you enjoyed this post, check out my post Things to do in Fall in Middle Tennessee.
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