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Capital of Tennessee, United States
Photo: via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Nashville is the capital of the American state of Tennessee. With 716,000 residents in 2022, it is the state's largest city. Nashville is sometimes called the "Country Music Capital of the World" or more often "Music City, USA"; however, Nashville has done much to escape its country music image and become a regional center of culture and commerce. In fact, Dell, Nissan, and Amazon have all moved some operations to or near the city. The music is various; major rap artists and rock bands (Jelly Roll, Young Buck, Haystak, Kings of Leon, Paramore, and Ben Folds) claim Nashville as their hometown, and the city is also the epicenter of the contemporary Christian music industry. Nashville has been the home of the world-famous Grand Ole Opry since 1925. Nashville also has a great bar scene. If you like to drink, you can go "Honky-tonking," also known as bar-hopping. This is the act of visiting and drinking at multiple bars in one evening or day.
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An instantly recognizable downtown Nashville landmark, the AT&T Building, built in 1994 at 333 Commerce Street, is the tallest building in the state of Tennessee and can be seen from quite some distance if the hills aren't in your way. Its two tall spires on the building have earned it the nickname, "The Batman Building."
Built between 1907 and 1909, the bridge was used for automobile traffic between East Nashville and Downtown. The bridge has been converted to a pedestrian bridge, and offers a spectacular view of the riverfront and downtown skyline. It is a very popular and convenient route to the Titans' football stadium.
Provides entertainment for many different styles of people. The street includes bars such as Hooters and the famous Wildhorse Saloon, dining destinations including the Old Spaghetti Factory, the Melting Pot and B.B. King's Restaurant and Blues Club, and locations for family-friendly fun such as Laser Quest.
Regularly changing exhibits and live performances make this Nashville landmark someplace to visit often. The Hall of Fame moved here in 2000. Ticket packages for guided or audio tours also available, and can be combined with a tour with the RCA Studio B and the Ryman Auditorium.
A museum featuring pictures and memorabilia of icon Johnny Cash.
A fascinating state park stretched out in front of the state capital building. Features a giant map of the state, monuments recounting the history of the state since prehistoric times, a carillon, and more. In the summer, the fountains are often filled with splashing kids. The park is next to the farmers market, which includes a food court, fish market, nursery, as well as the expected vendors hawking fruits and vegetables. The Nashville Business Journal's Book of Lists ranks Bicentennial Capital Mall State Park as Nashville's #1 Tourist Attraction.
Union Fort Johnson
Guided tours of the Capitol are provided free of charge by staff of the Tennessee State Museum. Enter the Capitol using the West entrance. Visitors are required to pass through metal detectors and show photo identification.
With over 70,000 square feet (6500 m²) of exhibit space, this is one of the nation's largest state museums. Its permanent exhibits are split into several categories, including: Prehistoric, Frontier, Age of Jackson, Antebellum, Civil War, and Reconstruction.
A Civil War-era fort partially reconstructed by the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s. Taken by Union forces early in the war, Nashville quickly became the second most fortified city in the U.S. during the Civil War because it was seen as crucial to supplying troops engaged on the war's western front. The 1864 Battle of Nashville — a failed attempt by the Confederate army to retake the city — raged throughout what are now the residential and commercial districts on the fringes of the city. Much of the work on the fort was done by slaves and freed blacks who were rounded up and forced to work on the structure. The fort was closed for years (allegedly because it reminded many Nashvillians of the Union occupation), but reopened in 2004 with new boardwalks and interpretive signs.
Revealed in 2003, Musica is a tall sculpture featuring 9 nude dancing figures created by Alan Lequire and is in a roundabout in the heart of Music Row.
An approximately one-hour guided tour of 16 rooms in the mansion. Also walk the grounds to examine the marble statues and cast iron ornaments in the gardens.
Commonly referred to as the "Harvard of the South", Vanderbilt is one of the country's most prestigious universities. It is widely regarded as one of the most selective universities in the world, which means it is next to impossible to get admitted into Vanderbilt.
This hotel is worth seeing even if you are not staying there. It is the largest non-casino hotel in the world, and is built around three enormous atria, the largest of which has an artificial river with boat rides around an island.
The former home of U.S. President Andrew Jackson is full of his family's personal possessions, and is adorned with much of the furniture that they personally purchased. It was one of the first historic preservation projects in the state of Tennessee. This was accomplished by the Ladies' Hermitage Association which was modeled after the Mount Vernon Ladies Association that had restored George Washington's home. Plan for a two-hour tour with a moderate amount of walking. No cameras, video cameras, food, or drink are allowed within the Hermitage or the exhibit gallery. Security precautions are taken and the Hermitage asks that all backpacks or large bags be left in your vehicle.
150 cars and motorcycles from the 1920s up to modern day.
Featuring the mansion built in 1853 and restored, as well as the carriage house from 1890 and one of the oldest log cabins in Tennessee, built in 1790. There is a great deal of history associated with the plantation starting from before the American Civil War. Excellent, highly interesting guided tours of the plantation mansion are offered by the local heritage society.
Created for Tennessee's Centennial Exposition, this monument was such a well-received attraction that a permanent form was constructed. It maintains the dimensions of the original Athens Parthenon to within a quarter of an inch (at 2/3 the scale), though constructed mainly of concrete as opposed to marble. Inside stands a replica of the statue of the goddess Athena thought to have existed in the original Parthenon.
Formerly the Cumberland Science Museum
It has been remodeled. Interesting exhibits which change every few weeks.
Yazoo Brewing Company is brewed and bottled in downtown Nashville. The Brewery offers tours only on Saturdays, when they're not brewing. You'll get to walk through all parts of the brewery and learn how the beers are made. With your admission you'll also receive a Yazoo pint glass and samples of beers during the tour.
The Escape Game offers nine rooms in three locations with the same main objective - to escape within an hour! - but each game has a unique, immersive theme with different surprise elements and game components. Note that games are not private unless the maximum number of players are purchased by your group.
Completed in 1892 as the Union Gospel Tabernacle as commissioned by riverboat Captain Thomas Green Ryman, a newly converted southern evangelist. The Ryman has earned its mark in history by hosting the Grand Ole Opry from 1943 to 1974 and is now a fantastically intimate setting for concerts of all genres. It was named Pollstar's "America's Theatre of the Year" for two years in a row, and one of CitySearch's top ten "Best Places to Hear Live Music.".
The Nashville Symphony is in the Schermerhorn Symphony Center and offers a variety of concerts throughout the year. For those on a budget be sure to visit the Free Day of Music offered by the center in early October.
The local Minor League Baseball team plays at First Horizon Park as the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers.
The local NHL hockey team plays their home games at Bridgestone Arena (previously Gaylord Entertainment Center and Sommet Center), which is on Broadway in the heart of downtown.
The local NFL football team plays their home games at Nissan Stadium (formerly Adelphia Coliseum and LP Field), which is across the river from downtown. Once the Houston Oilers, the team was relocated as the Tennessee Titans in 1999. A new Nissan Stadium is being built across the street and is scheduled to open in 2027.
formerly Frist Center for the Visual Arts
Featuring 24,000 sq. feet (6500 m²) of gallery space with exhibits from local through to regional and all the way to international artists. The Frist strives to be a family friendly museum and as such has created ArtQuest, a colorful space with 30 interactive stations.
TPAC
TPAC is home to HCA/TriStar Broadway at TPAC, Nashville Ballet, Nashville Opera, Tennessee Repertory Theatre, and other special engagements.
Visit this traditional printing shop that uses letterpresses to create posters for entertainment events to see them prepare some posters. As the Hatch brothers allegedly put it, "Advertising without posters is like fishing without worms.".
Features a nice duck pond, where you can get up close with the ducks and feed them, as well as a real steam engine train, dating to the 1800s and a fighter jet on a large, metal stand, to give the appearance of flight.
Located in Centennial Park. Featuring two indoor ice skating rinks, two pools, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, and a fitness room. Call or check online for the schedules, as they vary from month to month. The Sportsplex is also a practice location for the Nashville Predators professional hockey team.
The Vanderbilt Commodores represent Vanderbilt University, one of Nashville's larger sports attractions. As members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), they compete against many colleges and universities throughout the southeastern United States. Vanderbilt is the SEC's only private school and the conference's smallest school by enrollment. The best-known Vanderbilt sports venues are FirstBank Stadium, home to the football team, and Memorial Gymnasium, home to the men's and women's basketball teams and one of the most unique settings in the sport. The baseball team won the Men's College World Series in 2014 and 2019.
The Bruins, representing Belmont University, are one of several less expensive alternatives to Vanderbilt for those wanting a college sports experience. The Bruins, which do not have a football team, compete mostly in the Missouri Valley Conference. The most popular sport by far is men's basketball, which has become a frequent NCAA tournament participant. Their rivalry with Lipscomb, a couple of miles down the road and outside the scope of this section, is one of the most intense (and under-the-radar) rivalries in the ranks of the so-called "mid-majors".
Get a meal and a show on this classically styled 300 ft long paddlewheel boat. Midday cruises, including buffet and show.
The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music radio program and concert broadcast live on WSM radio in Nashville every Friday and Saturday night, and Tuesdays from March through December. It is the oldest continuous radio program in the United States, having been broadcast on WSM since 5 October 1925. The Opry has been located in the Grand Ole Opry House in eastern Nashville since 1974. From 1974 to 1997 the Opry House was part of a theme park called Opryland USA, which closed due to low attendance and was torn down and replaced by a mega-shopping mall called Opry Mills. Rumors that the Opry is haunted persist as more than 35 people closely associated with the Opry have been met with untimely deaths. These country stars have been burned to death, beaten, robbed, and shot, have been victims of car and plane crashes and have perished from alcohol and drugs.
Metro Parks offers seven golf courses. All courses are open seven days a week through Labor Day: 7AM-dark on week ends, and 8AM-dark on week days. After Labor Day, autumn hours go into effect. Check courses for details. Three of the seven golf courses are in eastern Nashville:
Displaying many animals and hosting activities for the family, including a large playground with two-story netting that you can swing onto (off a rope), or just jump and roll around on. The zoo is getting bigger and better every day. There is an aviary where you can feed lorikeets nectar by hand, and an amazing hand-carved wooden carousel.
The 2020 season began a new era for soccer in Nashville with the arrival of Nashville SC in Major League Soccer. The MLS team took over the name of a side that played the 2018 and 2019 seasons in the second-level USL Championship. The MLS team, which played its first two seasons at Nissan Stadium, opened the new Geodis Park in May 2022 at the former state fairgrounds just south of downtown. (It started that season on a long road trip to accommodate construction.)
Providing helicopter tours, charter services, and flight instruction in Nashville and the surrounding area.
With its unlikely location in a strip mall in Green Hills, has long been the destination of choice for local and national songwriters, fans of songwriters, and label scouts. Expect schmoozing, sets in-the-round, and lines around the block. Keep in mind, though, that quiet is requested at all times during a performance. This is where Taylor Swift first performed and got discovered by Scott Borchetta and Big Machine Records.
Metro Parks offers seven golf courses. All courses are open seven days a week through Labor Day: 7AM-dark on week ends, and 8AM-dark on week days. After Labor Day, autumn hours go into effect. Check courses for details. The golf courses within western Nashville are:
Often called "Nashville's Walden," Radnor Lake was formed when the railroad companies dammed up a small stream to provide a reliable water source for their railroad yards. Although it is in the heart of a residential suburb south of town, hikers on the miles of trails around the pond feel like they are in the heart of the wilderness.
Lipscomb University is a private school that competes in the ASUN Conference. Best known for its longstanding rivalry with nearby Belmont; despite being in different conferences, the men's and women's basketball teams play twice each season (most nonconference basketball rivalries are played only once a year).
Those interested in African-American culture may also be drawn to the Tigers (and Lady Tigers), representing Tennessee State University, the city's largest historically black school. Unlike most historically black schools, which compete in conferences that consist mostly or entirely of such schools, TSU is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (and has been since 1986). Most venues are on campus; the football team has an on-campus stadium, but plays at Nissan Stadium for almost all of its home games.
A 55-acre (22 ha) estate built by the founders of Maxwell House coffee on the fringes of the city featuring an art museum and a beautiful botanical garden. The art museum features American and Europeans exhibits.
An open-air 2-level arcade that runs between 4th Avenue North and 5th Avenue North. The Arcade primarily caters to the local downtown workers during the work week, but many great lunch restaurants can be found here. There are also several hairstylists, jewelers, florists, and other businesses. Be sure to visit the historic Peanut Shop.
Located in historic Germantown, Monell's is a Nashville tradition. They serve different meals every day and the good ol' home cookin' is sure not to disappoint! Seating and serving are done family style, 13-14 per table. More than likely you will sit with people you don't know. First come, first serve. No reservations and no cell phones allowed.
They have a basic menu that would satisfy almost any Indian food craving and at $7.50 for a plate full of food, you won't go wrong.
A pretty good local chain of Mexican restaurants. You can get a nice filling meal here for under ten bucks. There are five Nashville locations, listed below, and several more in the suburbs:
Fabulous pizza. Nashville isn't much of a town for pizza, but this place more than makes up for it. The plain slices are great, but even the fancier ones (like the Fantasy) don't gild the lily. Free live jazz Thursday nights at the 21st Ave. location (between Vandy and Hillsboro Village).
Home of the original "hot chicken", a Nashville classic that adds cayenne pepper to fried chicken.
An endearingly dingy 1950s ice cream stand on Charlotte Ave., that has been revived into a popular summer mainstay that's popular with every demographic. Their hamburgers, hot dogs, and fries are some of Nashville's favorites, and the strawberry shortcake's great.
Known for its Southern cooking: biscuits, fruit preserves, country ham, and red-eye gravy.
The western Nashville locations are:
Another well-liked Italian restaurant, this intimate neighborhood place keeps its menu small and its dishes impeccably prepared. With the fresh ingredients and simple preparation, you might as easily be in some Tuscan hill town. Located in Sylvan Park.
A neighborhood favorite for several years now, this popular and upbeat nouveau Mexican place is in East Nashville, a bit off the tourist's beaten path.
Don't miss this authentic Tennessee barbecue joint right beside the Ryman Auditorium. Located on Lower Broadway -- just look for the neon sign featuring flying pigs! +1 615-228-9888.
Acme Farm Supply Building
food and live music
A busy national chain restaurant, serving Southern Italian meals "family style", portions that are more than large enough to share. Reservations recommended for parties of any size. Open for lunch and dinner, seven days.
A Nashville landmark and a great place for breakfast, anytime before 3PM. The frosted haired waitresses will call you "honey," and the pancakes will be better than you'd ever realized pancakes could be. Don't be daunted by the line snaking around the block on weekends; it moves quickly, and you get free coffee while you wait.
SATCO
This place is always a favorite with Vandy kids, offering reliably so-so Tex-Mex food (very little meat on the tacos, and the guacamole has tons of pepper) and cheap buckets of beer. Right off the Vanderbilt campus. Stop by Ben & Jerry's next door for dessert. Caveat: towing in this area can be ruthless. Check the signs wherever you park. If you go, get the queso and chips for around $3. It's the best thing on the menu and is enough for 2.
Southern-style breakfast with a shorter line on weekends than most of the places in the city center. Okay coffee, good brunch options, great biscuits.
32 seats surround a U-shaped kitchen, where chefs Josh Habiger and Erik Anderson prepare a multi-course tasting menu ($100 per person) with drink pairings ($20, $40, or $75 per person). Discussions with the chefs are encouraged as part of the experience. Reservations required, available one month in advance on the restaurant's website.
This quirky local restaurant at Five Points in East Nashville is considered by many to be Nashville best local chef-owned restaurant. It features a seasonal menu that is changed daily. Don't miss the seasonal hot chocolate topped with a homemade marshmallow for an after-dinner treat.
A locally-owned coffee house residing in historic East Nashville, Ugly Mugs brews the local roast Drew's Brews and displays artwork by local artists as well as live music on Saturday nights. Known for serving coffee in a vast collection of quirky and non-cosmetic coffee mugs. Toys available for children. Wifi friendly.
The first in a chain of serious-minded coffee shops, the original is based in East Nashville, Barista Parlor is already a staple for local coffee lovers and has attained a reputation of style and quality.
Popular coffee shop about a mile south of downtown. Known for its hand-crafted coffee creations and their selection of baked goods. Wifi friendly.
The first and most relaxed in a very successful local mini-chain of quirky coffeehouses, Bongo Java is a meeting place for the young, the arty, and the students at Belmont University just across the street. Linger for hours on the huge porch over several cups of their incredibly strong, flavorful coffee, and take advantage of the free computer, Wi-Fi, and chess set use.
A sister-cafe to Bongo Java, Fido offers the same brew as the other Bongo Java locations while also offering an array of breakfast/brunch options. You may even be able to snag discounted day-old bagels to pair with your espresso.
8th and Roast
Service is very courteous, coffee is delicious, and baristas are very knowledgeable.
Opened as a lesbian bar, the lipstick lounge now considers itself "a bar for humans."
It isn't a bar, per se, but it does serve beer and remains open 24 hours every day. Expect to find studious Vandy kids, scene-making hipsters, and drunk everybody at night. Located just off Elliston behind the Exit/In.
A standby for mid-level touring bands of all varieties for decades. Check out the names of past performers over the bar.
Located next to Centennial Park, this is one of Nashville's most reliable dive bars and often hosts underground and noisy local and touring bands. Once a speakeasy, later a hangout for Jimmy Hoffa, now host to a strange mix of local drunks, slumming Vandy kids, and musicians. Pool table, arcade games, good jukebox, good booker, a cheap beer-only bar, and a large screened-in cement block porch. Don't miss its regular Working Stiffs Jamboree.
Intimate (read: cramped); owner and man-around-town Mike Grimes books everything from country singer-songwriters to young noise bands. Above the venue is Grimey's, his record store that consistently is voted best independent record store in Nashville. A non-smoking, 21+ club.
Located just across from Exit/In, it regularly books reliable indie rock bands, both local and nationally known.
Decent piano bar, but can be very rowdy at times.
3rd and Lindsley offers loud country- and blues-rock from local and touring performers.
Dining and cocktails.
Its many red pool tables, large deck, friendly vibe, and live band karaoke nights add to its charm. Often hosts nationally-known indie bands.
Good music nightly on the stage at this spacious two-floor honky tonk in the center of downtown Nashville.
Tootsie's is one of the few denizens of lower Broad that looks like it's been there for half a century - and it has. An old honkytonk where many major country stars got their starts.
A bit of a time warp, especially located in the middle of the now trendy Gulch area of 12th Ave. Its excellent bluegrass and old-time Americana shows have drawn loyal patrons for decades.
Located downtown, it offers line-dancing lessons during the day. A multi-level bar with rooftop deck, it is near quite a few other bars and clubs aimed at country music fans and tourists downtown, most of which tend to be bustling on weekends. Luke Combs' honky-tonk with a reference to a category 10 hurricane.
Bath is shared with one other room. Locks off. Near Vanderbilt and Music Row.
Free hot breakfast, free high-speed Internet, airport shuttle. All non-smoking hotel.
Located in the heart of "Music Row." Pet friendly, free breakfast.
Hot breakfast, free high-speed Internet, airport shuttle, fitness center, great outdoor pool and evening manager's cocktail reception. Meeting rooms available for meetings and training. Fully smoke-free hotel and facility.
Great amenities, including an outdoor pool, 24-hour fitness center, free 24-hour shuttle service to the BNA Airport. You can start the day with the free, hot Express Start Breakfast Bar.
Clean and quiet hotel across the road from Percy Priest lake. Free breakfast, pool, fitness center.
Attractive hotel with outdoor pool, pet friendly, high-speed wireless internet.
Make sure to get your "Goo Goo" cluster candy bar, a Nashville production, at check in so you can thoroughly enjoy this Country Music themed hotel!
All-suite hotel with refrigerator, microwave and coffee maker in rooms. Free breakfast, pool, sauna and fitness center.
111 rooms and suites.
Pet-friendly hotel with microwaves, refrigerators, coffeemakers, and free wireless high-speed internet in all rooms.
300 rooms, pet friendly, outdoor pool and high-speed internet.
One of 16 in this luxury hotel chain.
Complimentary breakfast, high-speed Internet, 154 rooms and suites.
Complimentary breakfast, high-speed internet.
Located in the historic Doctor's Building in downtown Nashville. An all-suite property with full functioning kitchens, free high speed internet, and complimentary hot breakfast bar. Beautifully restored in 2007 and only upscale extended stay in downtown area.
Next to the football stadium. Guitar-shaped indoor pool.
The largest non-casino hotel in the world.
Free high-speed internet and complimentary shuttle service.
A 4-star hotel in the West End district. The on-site restaurant serves new American cuisine with an emphasis on sustainable seafood entrees and farm fresh produce from local growers, and an expansive wine list.
Overlooking Vanderbilt University. High-speed internet available.
Beautiful lobby and rooms, fantastic dining. Be sure to check out the famous men's room near the lobby.
A AAA Four-Diamond hotel 1 block off Broadway. An all-suite hotel with a restaurant that has great American cuisine.
It is in the business district, and connected to the Convention Center.
In the style and personality of the 1960s and 70s. Retro-modern rooms complete with era-appropriate décor and details.
Several fun (though pricey) vintage stores, like Savant.
Short section of 21st Ave. just south of Vanderbilt. Home of a well-stocked kitchen goods and coffee store.
The best independent record store in town. Cramped, but has a good selection of vinyl. Hosts free in-store performances by both local and nationally-known bands, usually in the afternoon or early evening.
Former location of the Opryland USA Theme Park, includes mostly outlet stores, specialized clothes shops like Brooks Brother, Coach, Michael Kors, Vera Bradley and Forever 21, and a Regal Cinemas and IMAX.
Head to Hip Zipper for vintage clothing, The Turnip Truck for health food, or Art and Invention Gallery for fine art and handmade jewelry.
Formerly a mall, 100 Oaks's shopping options are the street level vendors. The building houses clinic facilities for Vanderbilt Medical Center, but shops remain open, too.
Located in quaint Hillsboro Village, this shoe repair shop offers great deals on secondhand cowboy boots. Great place to find a bargain.
This mall contains several high-end vendors. Dillards and Macy's are the anchor department stores. Other stores include Betsy Johnson, Apple, Gap, Burberry, Sephora, BCBG Max Azria, bebe, Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware, Tiffany, Benetton, and Swarovski.
By car
Nashville is a nexus of several interstate highways, including I-65 (north-south), I-40 (east-west), and I-24 (northwest-southeast).
By bus
By shuttle
By train
By car
The primary mode of transportation is by private car in Nashville. The average speed on highways ranges from 55 to 70 mph, but are usually much slower due to traffic congestion.
By foot
The center of Nashville is not too big for an able-bodied person to traverse on foot in decent weather, and walking downtown can be quite pleasant.
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