The "Water Stairs"

We have been doing this for years. Between the Tennessee Aquarium and Market Street (the east side of the aquarium) lies the Trail of Tears Memorial. This is a long cement staircase and during the summer months river water is pumped down the stairs making a fun place for kids to play and cool off.

At the bottom of the stairs the water gathers in a shallow pool under Riverfront Parkway.
You can also play in the water features in between the two aquarium buildings.

By around noon, the water features get crowded. We usually show up around 10am and bring a picnic lunch. The kids are then ready to leave when the crowds show up.

We like to park on Riverfront Parkway since it is only $1.50 for 2 hours.

I also suggest bringing water toys like pool noodles, balls, water guns, buckets, etc.

As a warning: this is river water. It is not chlorinated. Don't let your kids drink it! It also sometimes stinks.

 

If you are not up for bringing a picnic, there are tons of places to eat within a block:

TGIFridays

Cheeburger Cheeburger

Mellow Mushroom

Buffalo Wild Wings

Chilis

Ben & Jerry's