Celebrate the Great Indoors
Three great thrills without chills in Tennessee this winter.
Bowling and much more at Kings in Franklin (Credit: state of Tennessee)
Kings Dining and Entertainment
Franklin
If you can’t find fun at Kings, there may be no fun to be had.
The massive restaurant and entertainment spot offers 24 lanes of bowling and six lane of mini bowling for small kids. It all has an automatic scoring system. Turn up the lighting and sound system, and the alleys plunge into a fun “Cosmic Bowling” mode. For more family fun, Kings has a video arcade, too.
Kings puts its food on the front row. Its scratch kitchen is chef-driven with starters like Buffalo chicken wontons, a whole slate of pizzas and tacos, a Bourbon BBQ Burger, and more. Diners can enjoy all of these in one of three premium bars, on a 60-seat patio with fire pit and beer garden, or right at their bowling lane.
Sports fans will love J’s Sports Grill with a full bar, 3 pool tables, darts. One giant-screen television ensures you won’t miss a moment of the big game. The restaurant’s 13 other televisions ensures you can catch the game of your choice.
For date nights and late nights, head to The Whiskey Room for live music and karaoke.
Credit: Brian McCord for state of Tennessee
Discovery Park of America
Union City
From dinosaurs and David Crockett to NASCAR and NASA, the Discovery Park of America has a bit of everything for everyone.
The world-class, 100,000-square-foot museum and 50-acre heritage park is located in Union City in Northwest Tennessee. (It’s about 64 miles from Jackson, 179 miles from Nashville, and 358 from Knoxville.) It all opened in 2013, spurred by a $100 million donation from Robert and Jenny Kirkland, founders of the Kirkland’s chain of decor stores, as a way to give back to their Union City hometown.
Inside the massive museum are 10 exhibit halls focused on space, art, technology, transportation, Native American history, the military, natural history, regional history, science, and more. Or bundle up and head outside for 50 acres of fun, featuring a man-made river, waterfalls, bridges, and more. Want to see it all but still stay warm inside? Buy a ticket to park’s signature Cooper Tower, ride up 13 stories in 22 seconds, and peep Kentucky (on a clear day) from the tallest structure in Northwest Tennessee.
If all that discovering has you hungry, grab a seat at Sabin’s Cafe located at the park’s main entrance. There, kids can get corndogs, nuggets, a PBJ, and more. For adults, Sabin’s has a barbecue sandwich, a BLT, pizza, and more.
Xperia
Sevierville
Since you can’t really get in the water, why not go under the sea?
XPERIA: Ocean Journey opened last winter in Sevierville and offers guests an all-digital deep dive into the enchanting world of marine life. This sensory-engaging voyage through the ocean is the first-of-its-kind in the area. It is also completely indoors and suitable for all ages, perfect for a shared experience for family outings.
Audio and video designers from around the globe united to create an underwater voyage by using the same visual effects created by those behind “Game of Thrones,” ”Wonder Woman,” and ”Westworld,” among many others. With this technology, you can travel below the sea’s surface to learn what goes on with some of the most amazing animals in the world like a life-sized humpback whale, giant battling squids, a fast thresher shark, life-like dancing sea lions, and more.
Step into Experia’s 3D Dome Theater to feel like you are walking among the creatures of the ocean. The theater’s 40-foot curved 3D screen will bring you face to fin with exotic fish, sharks, and more.
