Things to Do with Kids! 📍 in Tullahoma, Tennessee
Every place worth loading the van for — the free stuff first, the worth-the-money stuff after, and a live look at what's happening this week at the library and the state park. No dates to go stale. This page just stays true.
Y'all kept asking for one big list of everything, so here it is — the whole town, one page. It's built to be good year-round: these are the places that are always here for you, not a calendar that's out of date by Tuesday. (For dated events, that's what This Month and the summer guide are for.)
Spot something that's changed — new hours, a closed slide, a price jump? Tell me and I'll fix it the same day. That's how this page stays trustworthy.
This Week in Tullahoma, Live
This board reads the library's and the park's own calendars and refreshes itself a few times a day — when it's lit up LIVE, what you see is what's actually on.
Lannom Library
All-ages Story Time Fridays at 10am, Under 3 Club Thursdays at 10:30 — plus Lego days, a free kids' scavenger hunt every Friday, and summer reading. 312 N Collins St.
Open calendar ↗ SMTWTFS Story Time & Under 3 Club days — tap for the full scheduleTims Ford Rangers
Free ranger programs most weekends — hikes, critters, campfires — and the Nature Center's live raptors are worth the drive alone. Usually open Thu–Mon.
Open calendar ↗ SMTWTFS Most ranger programs land on weekends — tap for dates & sign-upsHeaded out for something specific? Tap through and double-check first — schedules are schedules, mama. The buttons above go straight to the source either way.
Free Things to Do with Kids in Tullahoma
Zero dollars, zero tickets, zero reasons to wait. Sunrise to sunset unless a sign says otherwise.
Rotary Rocket Playground
The aerospace-themed playground with the soft rubberized surface, plus covered pavilions, restrooms, and the creek right there. If we've only got an hour, this is where we spend it.
Rock Creek Greenway
A flat, paved, shaded mile along the creek and over the little bridges — made for strollers, scooters, and brand-new bike riders. Duck-spotting basically guaranteed.
Rutledge Falls
A 40-foot waterfall just a short, easy walk from the road, with a shallow pool made for cooling little feet. It's private land the owners kindly share with all of us — treat it sweetly and pack out what you bring.
Machine Falls
The big dramatic one — 60 feet of waterfall. The overlook is an easy 15 minutes in; getting to the base means steep steps and creek rocks, so save that part for sure-footed big kids.
Tims Ford Nature Center
Live raptor ambassadors — a red-tailed hawk, a great horned owl, and one very small screech owl — plus hands-on exhibits and blessed air conditioning. Free to walk through; usually open Thursday–Monday, and worth a call ahead.
Storytime at Lannom Library
All-ages Story Time is Fridays at 10am and the Under 3 Club meets Thursdays at 10:30 — plus a free kids' scavenger hunt every Friday, Lego days, and summer reading with real prizes. The live board up top always has what's next.
East Park Arboretum
A certified arboretum with 60+ kinds of trees, a paved walking loop, outdoor fitness stations, and an 18-hole disc golf course for the big kids (bring your own discs).
Waggoner Park
Playground and ball fields, plus a fenced Bark Park — the one stop where the kids and the dog all come home tired.
Jefferson Street Park
The handy east-side neighborhood stop — playground and restrooms, in and out, no production required.
Kid-Friendly Attractions Worth the Money
$ = pocket-money treat · $$ = plan-for-it outing. Prices change, so I don't print them — tap through or call for today's, and always ask about kid, military & member discounts.
Splash Island
Tullahoma's own waterpark: three 25-foot slides, a 300-foot lazy river, and a splash pad for the littles. Summer only, and worth every single penny of it.
Hands-On Science Center
A hundred-plus actually-touch-everything exhibits — race a cheetah, wander the Space Hall, push every button in the building. Our reigning rainy-day champion.
Beechcraft Heritage Museum
Thirty-eight real airplanes under one very big roof. Plane-obsessed kids absolutely lose their minds here, and under-3s get in free.
Regal Tullahoma
First-run movies without leaving town. Matinees are the budget move, and you already know somebody's getting popcorn.
Montana Drive-In
Three screens, pajamas welcome, and a double feature the kids will fall asleep halfway through — which is honestly part of the magic.
Tullahoma Lanes
Bumper lanes for the littles, cosmic bowling for the big kids, and an arcade for the quarters you were going to lose anyway. Ask about kids-bowl-free summer deals.
Open Play at TGC
Daytime Playtime for the 7-and-under crowd — Mondays & Fridays, 10 to noon: trampolines, bounce houses, and every mat in the building, with staff on deck and no sign-up needed. Wiggles, handled.
A Show at South Jackson
Family shows and kids' theater — PACT puts local kids right up on stage — inside Tullahoma's 1886 schoolhouse. A big-deal outing that isn't a big-deal drive.
D.W. Wilson Indoor Pool
The six-lane indoor pool swims all year long — open swim times and lessons run through Parks & Rec. January cannonballs are a real mood-lifter.
Tims Ford, On the Water
In season the park runs ranger-led pontoon tours and the marina rents boats and kayaks. The lake is the whole point of living here, mama.
Every Season, Sorted
The list above never expires — but here's how we rotate it through the year.
🌷 Spring
- Waterfall season — go a day or two after rain for the big show
- Greenway + playground weather at its absolute best
- Ranger programs wake back up at Tims Ford
☀️ Summer
- Splash Island season — the slides, the lazy river, all of it
- Summer reading at the library (prizes are serious business)
- Friday nights at Frazier McEwen
🍂 Fall
- County fair season — rides, ribbons, funnel cake
- Machine Falls when the leaves turn
- Pumpkin patches & hayrides a short drive out
❄️ Winter
- The rotation: science center → library → indoor pool
- Cosmic bowling on the gray days
- Christmas lights in pajamas (the drive-in does holiday showings too)
Tullahoma with Kids — Quick Answers
The questions y'all actually ask me, answered short. Tap one.
What is there to do with kids in Tullahoma, TN?
More than folks think. For free: the Rotary Rocket Playground, two real waterfalls (Rutledge Falls and Machine Falls), the Tims Ford Nature Center with live owls and hawks, and weekly library storytimes. Worth paying for: Splash Island waterpark, the Hands-On Science Center, the Beechcraft airplane museum, and the Montana Drive-In. This page lists all twenty places with maps.
What can families do in Tullahoma for free?
Ten things on this page cost zero dollars: the Rotary Rocket Playground, Rock Creek Greenway, Rutledge Falls, Machine Falls, the Nature Center at Tims Ford, storytime at Lannom Library, East Park Arboretum, Waggoner Park, Jefferson Street Park, and the Farmers' Market (free to wander, snacks negotiable).
What can kids do in Tullahoma on a rainy day?
The indoor rotation: the Hands-On Science Center (our reigning rainy-day champion), Lannom Library, Tullahoma Lanes bowling, a matinee at Regal Tullahoma, open play at TGC for the 7-and-under crowd, and the D.W. Wilson indoor pool, which swims all year.
What is there to do with toddlers in Tullahoma?
Lannom Library's Under 3 Club (Thursdays at 10:30) and all-ages storytime (Fridays at 10), the soft-surface Rotary Rocket Playground, a stroller ride on the Rock Creek Greenway, the shallow pool at Rutledge Falls, and Daytime Playtime at TGC (Mondays & Fridays 10–12, trampolines and bounce houses, no sign-up needed).
Are there waterfalls near Tullahoma that kids can visit?
Two, both free. Rutledge Falls is a 40-foot waterfall a short, easy walk from the road with a shallow pool — great for littles. Machine Falls in the Short Springs Natural Area is the big 60-foot one; the overlook is an easy 15 minutes in, but the base means steep steps and creek rocks, so save that part for sure-footed big kids.
How do I find out what's happening in Tullahoma this week?
The live board at the top of this page reads Lannom Library's and Tims Ford State Park's own calendars and refreshes itself a few times a day. For the full dated calendar of everything else, that's the This Month page.