Top 10 Family Friendly spring break vacations you can take with your family in Memphis Tennessee!
As the Tennessee snow melts away Spring Break is on the way! If you are looking for a quick getaway or a change to explore around home here are some of our favorite spots for the perfect Tennessee staycation.
Sometimes it’s easy to forget how looong our Tennessee home is. From my home in East Tennessee to Memphis is a seven-hour (plus!) car ride! So, for many Tennesseans, Memphis is less of a staycation and more of a destination location. Regardless of if Memphis is home or a travel day away, it should be on your family’s list of Spring Break options.
Memphis transforms during March through May, offering comfortable weather with temperatures ranging from the pleasant mid-50s to low 80s. Spring brings the Memphis landscape to life, with azaleas bursting into bloom and the iconic river flowing. Memphis offers a unique blend of natural beauty, rich cultural heritage, and southern charm.
1. The Memphis Zoo
Why You Should Go: Home to over 3,500 animals the Memphis Zoo is a great choice for family fun. The Memphis Zoo offers an exciting spring break destination for families seeking adventure and education.
What to Expect: From March through October, the zoo is open seven days a week from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., providing ample opportunity for families to explore its diverse animal exhibits. The gorillas, polar bears, and tigers are the clear exhibit winners for my family. We could watch the polar bears all day!
Parent Tip: The Memphis Zoo offers Tennessee Tuesdays all year (March is the only excluded month). On Tennessee Tuesdays Tennessee residents can visit for FREE with a valid Tennessee license.
2. Memphis Museum of Science and History
Why You Should Go: The Memphis Museum of Science and History (MoSH) offers an incredible spring break adventure for families seeking education and entertainment. Located at the historic Pink Palace Mansion, the museum welcomes over 240,000 visitors annually with diverse exhibits that explore Memphis’ rich cultural and natural history.
What to Expect: Your family will love seeing the fascinating attractions like a replica of the first self-service grocery store, prehistoric fossils, dinosaur exhibits, and an impressive planetarium with a 165-seat theater-in-the-round. The museum provides interactive experiences for all ages, including the Giant Screen Theater, the AutoZone Dome at the Sharpe Planetarium, and exhibits spanning from Native American artifacts to Civil War history.
Parent Tip: Lichterman Nature Center has daily native wildlife experiences at noon!
3. Children’s Museum of Memphis
Why You Should Go: The Children’s Museum of Memphis features over 30 engaging exhibits that spark your child’s imagination.
What to Expect: Kids can explore unique attractions like the historic 1909 Memphis Grand Carousel, play life-size chess, climb a “skyscraper”, and a dino dig area. With general admission priced at $18 for ages 1-100, the museum provides an affordable full day of entertainment, offering 2-3 hours of learning experiences. My kiddos are all about a creative craft space and The Children’s Museum of Memphis provides them with ample supplies to create and craft until their hearts are content.
Parent Tip: Note that The Children’s Museum of Memphis is closed on Mondays.
4. Shelby Farms Park
Why You Should Go: Ready for some fresh air? Shelby Farms Park offers an extraordinary spring break adventure for families seeking outdoor excitement in Memphis.
What to Expect: Spanning an impressive 4,500 acres, this urban park is one of the largest in the United States, providing endless opportunities for exploration and fun. Your family will enjoy over 40 miles of trails for hiking and biking, paddle across Hyde Lake in canoes or kayaks, and even spot a herd of buffalo roaming their 50-acre range. You’ll have to drag your kids out of the award-winning Woodland Discovery Playground. This is the perfect spot for a family with kiddos of multiple ages and stages!
Parent Tip: There are many activities available at Shelby Farms Park including laser tag, boat and board rentals, bike rentals, and horseback riding. Be sure to check out the website as some of the activities have additional costs and do require reservations.
5. Tom Lee Park
Why You Should Go: Spring Break isn’t just for kids it for parents to relax too! Tom Lee Park in Memphis is a hidden gem that offers something for every family member.
What to Expect: This stunning 31-acre riverfront park features one of the most unique playgrounds in the United States – a 23,000-square-foot “Life on the River” playground with incredible interactive wooden structures. Your kids can climb giant wooden river otters, sturgeon, and salamanders while learning about local wildlife. YOU can relax in the hammock grove overlooking the Mississippi River as you watch your littles play!
Parent Tip: There’s a Ben and Jerry’s ice cream stand at the park, so if you are a low sugar family be sure to bring your own treats!
6. My Big Backyard at Memphis Botanic Garden
Why You Should Go: Parents, you don’t want to miss the “Let’s Go to the Garden” Spring Break week at Memphis Botanic Gardens. You will explore the incredible 2.5-acre My Big Backyard, a wonderland featuring sixteen themed areas designed for jumping, splashing, discovering, and pure outdoor fun.
What to Expect: Your kids will be thrilled by unique attractions like a giant yellow treehouse with a slide, a fairy house, interactive musical instruments, and even a life-size Candyland garden with towering peppermint sticks. Whether your children are toddlers or older kids, there’s something for everyone – from water play areas to balance beams, rope spider webs, and fascinating water systems that teach environmental lessons.
Parent Tip: There are seasonal water play areas so be sure to pack towels for your kiddos!
Why You Should Go: Looking for a quirky and unforgettable family experience this Spring Break? The Peabody Hotel’s famous Duck March in Memphis is a must-see attraction that will delight both you and your children!
What to Expect: Every day at 11 am and 5 pm, five adorable ducks march down a red carpet to the hotel’s magnificent lobby fountain in a ceremonial parade that has been a Memphis tradition since 1940. Your kiddos will be captivated watching the ducks waddle through the elegant hotel, accompanied by music, led by the official Duckmaster in a fancy red suit.
Parent Tip: You can visit the hotel and view the Duck March without a reservation. If you choose to stay at the magnificent Peabody Hotel the hotel offers a “Ducky Day Package” where children ages 5 and up can even become an Honorary Duckmaster, complete with an official brass-head cane and commemorative t-shirt.
8. Blues Hall of Fame
Why You Should Go: What is Memphis without the blues? The Blues Hall of Fame museum offers an interactive and engaging experience that brings music history to life.
What to Expect: The experience is just $10 for adult and free for children 12 and under (Parent WIN!). You will love exploring robust exhibits featuring iconic blues memorabilia from legendary artists like B.B. King, Muddy Waters, and Mavis Staples. Your kids will be fascinated by the interactive touchscreens that allow them to listen to music, watch performance videos, and learn about the rich cultural heritage of blues music. With plenty of fascinating artifacts like Stevie Ray Vaughan’s performance kimono and guitars from famous musicians, the museum provides a perfect educational adventure. Plan to spend about 1-2 hours exploring the museum
Parent Tip: Plan ahead for this one! Begin letting your kiddos listen to blues music and discussing blues instruments before you arrive. My kids are much more engaged with culture when they recognize what they are seeing and can be excited to be a part of stories they have heard about.
9. Bass Pro Shop
Why You Should Go: As a parent you likely aren’t excited about taking your child to a store for Spring Break. I avoid taking my kids shopping as often as possible! The Bass Pro Shops Pyramid in Memphis is an extraordinary destination that’s far more than just a store.
What to Expect: This massive 535,000-square-foot complex offers an incredible array of family-friendly activities, including daily fish feedings at 10 AM and 5 PM, an impressive 600,000-gallon aquarium system with nearly 1,800 fish, and even four live alligators in an 84,000-gallon pit. Your kids will be thrilled to explore the giant cypress swamp, climb aboard boats, and enjoy attractions like the 13-lane underwater-themed bowling alley at Uncle Buck’s Fish Bowl & Grill.
Parent Tip: Don’t miss out on The Lookout, a breathtaking observation deck 300 feet above the Mississippi River, offering panoramic views. Photo Op!
10. AMUSE- The Adventure Museum
Why You Should Go: Struggling to engage big kids on vacations? Check out AMUSE- The Adventure Museum. AMUSE is a state-of-the-art social gaming facility offers over 35 games with more than 100 levels of excitement that will challenge your family to work together and play in entirely new ways.
What to Expect: Perfect for later elementary ages and up, AMUSE features three main game categories: physical challenges, mental challenges, and skill-based challenges that will have everyone moving, thinking, and laughing together. With games designed for groups of 2-6 players, your family will compete and collaborate in immersive rooms where each challenge takes just 1-5 minutes, keeping energy high and boredom impossible.
Parent Tip: Dress everyone, YOU INCLUDED, in athletic clothing. You will be climbing and moving to solve puzzles, and you don’t want your wardrobe to hold you back from the win!
