Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business Nashville earned the name Music City long before it became one of the busiest weekend destinations in the United States.
This guide walks you through the places worth your time, from Lower Broadway and the Ryman Auditorium to Centennial Park, the Opry and the historic estates on the edge of the city, along with advice on neighborhoods, food, seasons and getting around.
Live music is the obvious draw, and the sheer amount of it is hard to match anywhere. On a single evening you can hear a cover band on Broadway, a legend on the Opry stage and a songwriter performing a song that may be on the radio next year.
Nashville is also the capital of Tennessee and has deep history, from the Greek Revival State Capitol to presidential and plantation estates whose tours now address the lives of the enslaved people who worked there.
The few blocks of Broadway between the Cumberland River and the Bridgestone Arena area are the heart of Nashville's honky-tonk scene. Bars here have live music on several floors from late morning until well after midnight, usually with no cover charge, and musicians play for tips.
Lower Broadway is lined with honky-tonks that host live music from late morning until late at night. Photo: RL0919, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Just off Broadway on Fifth Avenue, the Ryman opened in 1892 as a gospel tabernacle and later became the home of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943 to 1974, earning the nickname the Mother Church of Country Music. Its curved wooden pews and famous acoustics still draw artists from every genre.
The Ryman Auditorium opened in 1892 as the Union Gospel Tabernacle. Photo: Daniel Schwen, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
This large museum tells the story of country music through costumes, instruments, handwritten lyrics and vehicles, including Elvis Presley's gold-leafed Cadillac. The Hall of Fame rotunda displays plaques for every inductee. Allow at least two to three hours.
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum stands in the SoBro district near Lower Broadway. Photo: Jumpy542, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
The Johnny Cash Museum on Third Avenue holds a large collection of Cash's instruments, stage clothes and personal items, and takes about an hour. On Broadway, the National Museum of African American Music, which opened in 2021, explores the gospel, blues, jazz, R&B and hip-hop traditions that shaped American music, with interactive exhibits where you can try producing a track. Give it two hours.
This long steel truss bridge, once a road bridge, carries walkers and cyclists across the Cumberland River from downtown to the east bank. From the middle you get one of the best views of the skyline, especially at sunset and after dark.
The John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge links downtown Nashville with the east bank of the Cumberland. Photo: Lmnk622, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
The Greek Revival State Capitol, completed in 1859, crowns a hill north of downtown and is the burial place of President James K. Polk and his wife.
The Tennessee State Capitol was completed in 1859 on a hill above downtown Nashville. Photo: Kaldari, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Housed in a grand Art Deco former post office near Union Station, the Frist has no permanent collection and instead hosts rotating exhibitions that range from old masters to contemporary design. A visit usually takes an hour or two.
Nashville built a temporary replica of the Athens Parthenon for the 1897 Tennessee Centennial Exposition, and the version you see today is a permanent full-scale reconstruction.
Nashville's Parthenon is a full-scale replica of the Athens original and houses an art museum. Photo: Euthman, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
The Grand Ole Opry is the longest running radio broadcast in American history, on the air since 1925. Shows feature a rotating lineup of members and guests, from Hall of Famers to rising stars, each playing a few songs.
The Grand Ole Opry House has been the main home of the Opry radio show since 1974. Photo: Adam mcmaster at English Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
In a strip mall in the Green Hills neighborhood, the Bluebird is a tiny listening room famous for songwriter nights, where writers often sit in a circle and take turns playing the songs they wrote for big stars. Reservations open online and go fast, and the room expects silence during performances.
About twenty to thirty minutes east of downtown, The Hermitage was the home of Andrew Jackson, the seventh president. Tours cover the mansion, gardens, Jackson's tomb and the cabins and archaeology that tell the story of the enslaved people who lived and worked on the plantation.
The Hermitage was the home of President Andrew Jackson east of Nashville. Photo: Jim Bowen from Zhenhai, China, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
On the west side, Belle Meade Historic Site was once a large plantation famous for breeding thoroughbred horses. Tours of the mansion and outbuildings take about an hour and a half, and the site now includes a winery.
Belle Meade was once a large plantation and thoroughbred horse farm on the west side of Nashville. Photo: Douglas Allan Dunn, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Nashville hot chicken is the dish everyone talks about: fried chicken coated in a cayenne-heavy paste, served on white bread with pickles, and offered in heat levels from mild to painful.
For dining neighborhoods, East Nashville has a strong independent restaurant scene, The Gulch and Germantown are good for more polished dinners, and the Nashville Farmers' Market food hall is a convenient lunch stop near the Capitol.
Popular dishes to try in Nashville
Downtown and SoBro. Best for first time visitors who want to walk to Broadway, the Ryman and the museums.
Midtown and Music Row. Close to Vanderbilt University, Centennial Park and lively bars on Demonbreun Street, suited to travelers who want a mix of nightlife and green space.
East Nashville and Germantown. Quieter neighborhoods with independent restaurants, coffee shops and vacation rentals, ideal for return visitors and couples.
Music Valley near Opryland. Convenient for Opry shows and families, but you will need a car or rideshare to reach downtown.
Where to stay in Nashville
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Spring, from April to early June, brings pleasant temperatures, blooming dogwoods and a packed music calendar.
Summers are hot and humid, with frequent afternoon thunderstorms, though music venues are air-conditioned and evenings on rooftop bars can be pleasant. Winters are generally mild with occasional cold snaps and ice, and hotel availability is better.
Nashville International Airport is about fifteen to twenty minutes from downtown by car in normal traffic, with taxis, rideshare and WeGo public buses available.
Downtown, The Gulch and SoBro are walkable, and pedicabs and rideshare cover short hops at night.
Start at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, then take the Studio B tour. After lunch, visit the Johnny Cash Museum or the National Museum of African American Music.
Tour the Ryman in the morning, then walk up to the State Capitol, Bicentennial Mall and the Farmers' Market for lunch.
Head to The Hermitage or Belle Meade in the morning, followed by biscuits at the Loveless Cafe or hot chicken back in town.
From hot chicken counters to boot shops, guitar stores and live music venues, browse local businesses across Nashville to plan where to eat, shop and stay.
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