HOST: MTSU Astronomy Club
WHEN: Friday, October 17th 2025, 6:30pm-9:30pm
REGION: Middle Tennessee
WHERE: 422 Old Main Cir., Murfreesboro TN 37132
WHAT: Join us at the MTSU observatory to observe the sky with us! We will have multiple telescopes set up for viewing alongside activities.
AUDIENCE: Children, Youth/Teens, Adults, Families
COST: Free
HOST: Imagine Foundry
WHEN: Monday-Friday, October 6th-26th 2025, 10:00am-5:00pm
REGION: Middle Tennessee
WHERE: 1225 S. Willow Ave. STE. 103, Cookeville TN 38506
WHAT: Join Daisy, Finn, and Liam, the Eco-Explorers of Sugar Creek, on an exciting journey! Through 12 hands-on STEAM Challenge Quests, they'll explore careers from Nature Photographer to Wildland Firefighter. Each activity, like building a pollinator hotel or designing a green city, offers engaging, real-world career exploration, inspiring young minds to protect our planet.
AUDIENCE: Children, Youth/Teens, Families, Children/Youth with Special Needs
COST: $8 per ticket
Buy tickets at imaginefoundry.org/programs and click on Daily Admission. Select the STEAM Festival ticket option.
WEBSITE: imaginefoundry.org
HOST: Country Music Hall of Fame
WHEN: October 10th-26th 2025, 9:00am-5:00pm
REGION: Middle Tennessee
WHERE: 222 Rep. John Lewis Way S., Nashville TN 37203
WHAT: Imagine an instrument you would like to play. Does it have strings? Is it a percussion instrument? Join us in using commonly found objects to create new and amazing instruments of our own creation. Come dream big with us! Recommended for ages 5 and up, but all are welcome.
We will run this program every day of the STEAM Festival, except October 19th, 2025. The kits will be available in the Taylor Swift Education Center.
AUDIENCE: Children, Youth/Teens, Adults, Families, Senior Citizens, Children/Youth with Special Needs, Adults with Special Needs
COST: Free
HOST: Museum of Science and History-Pink Palace
WHEN: October 10th-26th 2025, 4:00pm-5:00pm
REGION: West Tennessee
WHERE: 3050 Central Avenue, Memphis TN 38111
WHAT: WHAT’S THAT IN OUR NIGHT SKY? Find out more about “what’s up tonight” in just a few minutes than some people do in a lifetime. Hop through constellations, learn cool star names, and groove to planetarium space music in this full dome audiovisual experience.
AUDIENCE: Children, Youth/Teens, Adults, Families, Senior Citizens, Children/Youth with Special Needs, Adults with Special Needs
COST: Adults $14.75
Seniors $12.75
Youth $12.75
WEBSITE: moshmemphis.org
HOST: Museum of Science and History-Pink Palace
WHEN: West Tennessee
REGION: October 10th-26th 2025, 2:00pm-3:00pm
WHERE: 3050 Central Avenue, Memphis TN 38111
WHAT: Black holes are the most extreme objects in the universe - objects so dense, that not even light can escape them. This show gives an overview of what black holes are, how they form, and what would happen if you fell inside one.
AUDIENCE: Children, Youth/Teens, Adults, Families, Senior Citizens, Children/Youth with Special Needs, Adults with Special Needs
COST: Adults $14.75
Seniors $12.75
Youth $12.75
WEBSITE: moshmemphis.org
HOST: Museum of Science and History-Pink Palace
WHEN: October 10th-26th 2025, 11:00am & 1:00pm
REGION: West Tennessee
WHERE: 3050 Central Avenue, Memphis TN 38111
WHAT: A look into the Artemis program, NASA's new project to return to the moon. From landing humans on the surface, to building a space station in lunar orbit, learn how NASA plans to establish a permanent human presence on the moon.
AUDIENCE: Children, Youth/Teens, Adults, Families, Senior Citizens, Children/Youth with Special Needs, Adults with Special Needs
COST: Adults $14.75
Seniors $12.75
Youth $12.75
WEBSITE: moshmemphis.org
HOST: Museum of Science and History-Pink Palace
WHEN: October 10th-26th 2025, 3:00pm
REGION: West Tennessee
WHERE: 3050 Central Avenue. Memphis TN 38111
WHAT: Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel Studios’ “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” introduces Marvel’s First Family—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) as they face their most daunting challenge yet.
AUDIENCE: Children, Youth/Teens, Adults, Families, Senior Citizens, Children/Youth with Special Needs, Adults with Special Needs
COST: Adults $14.75
Seniors $12.75
Youth $12.75
WEBSITE: moshmemphis.org
HOST: Museum of Science and History-Pink Palace
WHEN: October 10th-26th 2025, 2:00pm-3:00pm
REGION: West Tennessee
WHERE: 3050 Central Avenue, Memphis TN 38111
WHAT: Embark on a global odyssey to discover the largest and least explored habitat on earth. New ocean science and technology have allowed us to go further into the unknown than we ever thought possible.
AUDIENCE: Children, Youth/Teens, Adults, Families, Senior Citizens, Children/Youth with Special Needs, Adults with Special Needs
COST: Adults $14.75
Seniors $12.75
Youth $12.75
WEBSITE: moshmemphis.org
HOST: Museum of Science and History-Pink Palace
WHEN: October 10th-26th 2025, 11:00am and 1:00pm
REGION: West Tennessee
WHERE: 3050 Central Avenue, Memphis TN 38111
WHAT: This immersive film explores the life of the GOAT—the Greatest of All Tyrants—while highlighting famous specimens, landmark discoveries, and the evolving interplay between speculation and scientific evidence. Narrated by Sam Neill, the film tells the remarkable true story of three kids who discovered a teenage T. rex fossil, a find that made international headlines in over 2,000 media outlets.
AUDIENCE: Children, Youth/Teens, Adults, Families, Senior Citizens, Children/Youth with Special Needs, Adults with Special Needs
COST: Adults $14.75
Seniors $12.75
Youth $12.75
WEBSITE: moshmemphis.org
HOST: Museum of Science and History (MoSH) Pink Palace
WHEN: Friday, October 10th-19th 2025, 10:30am-5:00pm
REGION: West
WHERE: 3050 Central Avenue, Memphis TN 38135
WHAT: Explore the Jim Crow system, its impact on African Americans, and its ongoing legacies, focusing on the resistance and resilience of Black communities. On view May 31 - Oct 19.
AUDIENCE: Youth/Teens, Adults, Families, Senior Citizens, Adults with Special Needs
COST: Free with museum admission
Members: Free
WEBSITE: moshmemphis.com
HOST: Hands On! Discovery Center
WHEN: October 10th-26th 2025
Programs by announcement periodically throughout each day.
REGION: East
WHERE: 1212 Suncrest Drive, Gray TN 37615
WHAT: Join Hands On! Discovery Center to explore the chemical properties that contribute to the unique properties of kitchen spices in recognition of National Chemistry Week’s 2025 theme, "The Hidden Life of Spices". Discovery Lab programs announced periodically throughout each day. FREE with paid general admission. (*This program contains food allergens such as wheat, nuts, and a variety of spices including cinnamon, black pepper, mustard, onion, garlic, etc.)
Additional program dates available at visithandson.org
AUDIENCE: Children, Youth/Teens, Adults, Families, Senior Citizens, Children/Youth with Special Needs
COST: Free with paid general admission.
WEBSITE: visithandson.org
HOST: Hands On! Discovery Center
WHEN: October 10th-26th 2025,
Tuesdays - Saturdays - 9:00am-5:00pm
Sundays - 1:00pm-5:00pm
REGION: East
WHERE: 1212 Suncrest Drive, Gray TN 37615
WHAT: Join Hands On! Discovery Center for Pablo Picasso inspired cubism drawings, Frida Kahlo inspired Day of the Dead collages, bug and insect plate rubbings, and crayon resist watercolor eerie mansions. All activities are self-guided with instructions provided. FREE with paid general admission
Additional program dates available at visithandson.org
AUDIENCE: Children, Youth/Teens, Adults, Families, Senior Citizens, Children/Youth with Special Needs
COST: Free with paid general admission.
WEBSITE: visithandson.org
HOST: Metro Nashville Parks and Recreation
WHEN: Friday, October 17th 2025, 6:30pm-8:30pm
REGION: Middle Tennessee
WHERE: 5911 Old Hickory Boulevard, Ashland City TN 37015
WHAT: When a shy groom practices his wedding vows in the inadvertent presence of a deceased young woman, she rises from the grave assuming he has married her.
Snacks provided. Bring a chair or blanket to sit on. Inside if rain.
Sponsored by: Friends of Beaman Park and hosted by Zach Knight
Age level: 8 and up
AUDIENCE: Youth/Teens, Adults, Families, Senior Citizens
COST: Free
WEBSITE:
HOST: Chinese Arts Alliance of Nashville
WHEN: Saturday, October 11th 2025, 10:00am-11:00am
Friday. October 17th 2025, 1:00pm-2:00pm
REGION: Middle Tennessee
WHERE: Shelby Bottoms Nature Center
1900 Davidson St, Nashville TN 37206
WHAT: This workshop shows children how to add using a Chinese abacus as well as more advanced calculations from physics like speed, acceleration, motion, and balance. That abacus provides hands-on experience and a way to make calculations easier. We use Chinese yo-yo to help students see these concepts in action. The Chinese yo-yo is a Chinese children's game that has evolved into a performing arts form.
Pre-registration is required: https://www.chineseartsalliance.org/events-1/2025/10/11/accelerate-with-chinese-yoyo-sum-up-with-abacus
AUDIENCE: Children, Youth/Teens, Families
COST: Free; pre-registration is required
WEBSITE: www.ChineseArtsAlliance.org
HOST: Frist Art Museum
WHEN: Friday, October 10th 2025, 10:00am-5:30pm
Saturday, October 11th 2025, 10:00am-5:30pm
Sunday, October 12th 2025, 1:00pm-5:30pm
Monday, October 13th 2025, 10:00am-5:30pm
Thursday, October 16th 2025, 10:00am-8:00pm
Friday, October 17th 2025, 10:00am-5:30pm
Saturday, October 18th 2025, 10:00am-5:30pm
Sunday, October 19th 2025, 1:00pm-5:30pm
Monday, October 20th 2025, 10:00am-5:30pm
Thursday, October 23rd 2025, 10:00am-8:00pm
Friday, October 24th 2025, 10:00am-5:30pm
Saturday, October 25th 2025, 10:00am-5:30pm
Sunday, October 26th 2025, 1:00pm-5:30pm
REGION: Middle Tennessee
WHERE: 919 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37205
WHAT: Visit the Frist Art Museum and explore the award-winning Martin ArtQuest®. This inclusive and interactive art-making space is for guests of all ages where they can be creative with activities that delight and inspire. ArtQuest's accessible art-making stations offer you an opportunity to draw, animate, make prints, paint, and more—and discover your unique talents and celebrate your creative energy, and just have fun!
AUDIENCE: Children, Youth/Teens, Adults, Families
COST: Adults: $20; Children 18 years of age and younger: Free
WEBSITE: FristArtMuseum.org
HOST: Muse Knoxville
WHEN: Friday, October 10th - Friday, October 17th 2025, 10:00am-4:00pm
REGION: East
WHERE: 516 N. Beaman St. Knoxville TN 37914
WHAT: This Autumn, we're FALLing for STEAM at Muse Knoxville! Enjoy quintessential Fall-time table top STEAM activities and weekly programming takeover with us!
AUDIENCE: Children, Youth/Teens, Families, Children/Youth with Special Needs
COST: Included with admission
WEBSITE: www.themuseknoxville.org
HOST: Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies
WHEN: Friday, October 17th 2025, 9:00am-6:00pm Saturday, October 18th 2025, 9:00am-6:00pm Sunday, October 19th 2025, 9:00am-4:00pm
REGION: East
WHERE: 3179 Wears Valley Road Sevierville TN 37862
WHAT: Join the education staff from Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies at Wears Valley Fall Fest in the kids area for interactive STEAM activities and to learn more about programs offered at the aquarium!
AUDIENCE: Children, Youth/Teens, Families, Children/Youth with Special Needs
COST: FREE with festival admission
WEBSITE: https://www.ripleys.com/attractions/ripleys-aquarium-of-the-smokies
HOST: Smyrna Public Library
WHEN: Friday, October 17th 2025, 10:00am-11:00am
REGION: Middle
WHERE: 400 Enon Springs Rd W Smyrna TN 37167
WHAT: Join us for an hour of Halloween-themed activities focused on STEAM! Halloween Coding bracelets, Spooky Tower Building, DIY Bat Launcher (catapult building), and even more!
AUDIENCE: Children, Youth/Teens, Families, Children/Youth with Special Needs, Adults with Special Needs
COST: Free
WEBSITE: rclstn.org
HOST: Native American Indian Association of Tennessee
WHEN: Friday, October 17th 2025, 9:00am-10:00pm Saturday, October 18th 2025, 9:00am-10:00pm Sunday, October 19th 2025, 9:00am-10:00pm
REGION: Middle
WHERE: Long Hunter State Park, 2910 Hobson Pike Nashville TN 37076
WHAT: Our Pow Wow serves to advance social change and growth with the surrounding communities through the sharing of diverse traditional Native American Indian artisans' works and their stories, educating visitors and younger generations, as well as advocating for the cultural revitalization of Native American Indians in Tennessee. An event such as the Pow Wow establishes and develops connections between the Native American Indians and the surrounding communities; connections that will expand and develop understandings for mutual benefit. There are are engaging enrichment activities for everyone which include inter-tribal traditional dancers, a hoop dancer, two drum groups, teepee and encampment, storytelling with demonstrations, with arts and crafts and food vendors.
AUDIENCE: Children, Youth/Teens, Adults, Families, Senior Citizens, Children/Youth with Special Needs, Adults with Special Needs
COST: CASH ONLY at the gate; $8.00/adult; $4.00 senior citizen and children 6-12; free for children 5 and under and persons with disabilities.
WEBSITE: naiatn.org
HOST: Wonderworks Pigeon Forge
WHEN: Friday, October 10th 2025, 2:30pm-3:30pm
Monday, October 13th 2025, 2:30pm-3:30pm
Wednesday, October 15th 2025, 2:30pm-3:30pm
Friday, October 17th 2025, 2:30pm-3:30pm
Wednesday, October 22nd, 2:30pm-3:30pm
Friday, October 24th 2025, 2:30pm-3:30pm
REGION: East Tennessee
WHERE: 100 Music Road, Pigeon Forge TN 37862
WHAT: STEM science experiments, Lobby STEAM experiments that visitors can participate in.
AUDIENCE: Children, Youth/Teens, Adults, Families, Senior Citizens, Children/Youth with Special Needs, Adults with Special Needs
COST: Free
WEBSITE: www.wonderworksonline.com