Blevins Japanese Garden

Blevins Japanese Garden is a hidden gem within Cheekwood Estate & Gardens in Belle Meade — a serene, designed landscape that offers something increasingly rare in family travel: a genuinely quiet, beautiful place to slow down.

The garden features the essential elements of classical Japanese garden design: a central koi pond with fat, colorful carp that rise to the surface when visitors approach, stone lanterns along the path edges, a gracefully arched bridge, and carefully pruned maples and pines that shift with the seasons. In spring the cherry trees bloom; in fall the maples ignite in red and orange.

For families, the koi pond is the main event. Toddlers flatten themselves at the pond edge, pointing at fish and squealing when a particularly large koi surfaces. Kids old enough to appreciate design find the garden's sense of intentional calm genuinely affecting — the contrast with the rest of a loud, stimulating day in Nashville is palpable.

The garden sits within the larger Cheekwood complex, which includes a 55-acre botanical garden, a fine arts museum, a tree canopy walk, and a dedicated children's garden. Plan a full morning at Cheekwood to justify the admission price; the Japanese garden is one of several highlights rather than the entire destination.

Cheekwood's seasonal programming is worth noting for families. Their holiday light installation (Cheekwood in Lights, November-January) and spring blooms festival are among Nashville's most photographed events. Members visit free year-round; the membership price is worth considering if you have young children and enjoy outdoor spaces.