The sounds coming from Nashville are those authentic, soulful, powerful and unpretentious sounds that can only come from the place where music is inspired, written, recorded and performed. Country, rock, R&B, blues or bluegrass -- Nashville delivers on its title of THE Music City every day. But it is more than “three chords and a chorus” that lure millions of visitors to Nashville every year.
Families and convention attendees from across the country are taking time to enjoy Nashville’s unmistakable sights and sounds. Today, Nashville continues its emergence as a cultural, artistic and entertainment-rich destination, filled with unique attractions and activities: the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, the world-class Schermerhorn Symphony Center, B. B. King’s Blues Club, the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, a myriad of art galleries, botanical gardens, plantation homes and mansions, honky tonks, and professional football and hockey teams.
Families and convention attendees from across the country are taking time to enjoy Nashville’s unmistakable sights and sounds. Today, Nashville continues its emergence as a cultural, artistic and entertainment-rich destination, filled with unique attractions and activities: the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, the world-class Schermerhorn Symphony Center, B. B. King’s Blues Club, the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, a myriad of art galleries, botanical gardens, plantation homes and mansions, honky tonks, and professional football and hockey teams.
Country standards and hits-in-the-making spill out into the streets from the doors of the bars and honky tonks of Lower Broadway. Downtown in the District, clubs offer up rock, dance and alternative music with cocktails and cigars. Close by, Printer’s Alley sloshes blues and jazz together in funky and storied downtown hideaways like the Bourbon Street Boogie and Blues Bar and Lonnie's Western Room. And out in the suburbs, clubs and dives come alive with songwriters “in the round” or bands belting out original works.
At the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, more than 70% of the artifacts currently on display have never been viewed before. Inside the museum, country music’s past, present and future pour out their stories and their souls to visitors from around the world.
Probably the most famous attraction of Nashville is the Grand Ole Opry. Country's roots run deep through Nashville, and the Grand Ole Opry was instrumental in bringing country into the national psyche. After 80 years, the Opry is still the world’s longest-running live radio show with early and late shows on Friday and Saturday. Currently residing at the Grand Ole Opry House near the Gaylord Opryland Resort, the Opry regularly returns downtown to its former home, the historic Ryman Auditorium. Nashville natives will tell you if you have a chance to take in a show at the Ryman, jump at it.
On the flip side, Nashville is known as the Athens of the South; few cities can rival it for culture and arts. In addition to the 16 colleges and universities that call Music City home, Nashville claims a critically-acclaimed symphony, a world-class ballet, an award-winning opera, and numerous theater companies. The city’s main library has a new $50-million downtown home, combining the city’s rich history and cosmopolitan future in one extraordinary facility. The Tennessee Performing Arts Center recently finished a renovation to modernize its 25-year old facility to better accommodate the more than 500 performances held in the Center’s three performance halls each year. And, in the heart of the entertainment district along Nashville’s Music Mile, the Schermerhorn Symphony Center is the world's most acoustically advanced performance space.
As the home of many art museums, Nashville stands out as a city painted rich with culture. Nestled in historic North Nashville, Fisk University boasts two extraordinary collections of its own, showcasing works by Alfred Stieglitz, his wife Georgia O’Keeffe, Pablo Picasso, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Among Nashville’s other prestigious institutions, Vanderbilt University proudly houses two galleries highlighting the mid-South’s most notable contemporary artists. The city's most extensive collection of art, however, resides within the walls of the Frist Center for the Visual Arts. Formerly Nashville's main post office (a city landmark on the National Register of Historic Places), this center has revolving exhibits on loan from national and international galleries and collections. Many of the exhibits on display are compiled exclusively for the Frist Center and cannot be seen anywhere but with the original collections.
For those with a passion for nature, art and history, Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art holds the key to unlocking Mother Nature’s beauty. Rolling hills and 12 lush gardens on 55 acres await the admirer year-round. Named as one of the South’s five top gardens, the estate -- which is decorated with pools, fountains and statuaries; changes seasonally to add mystery and color to the breathtaking grounds. The Cheek family mansion houses an extensive collection of American art, European and American decorative arts, and contemporary art from the family’s personal collection.
Music City is also a powerhouse for high-octane professional sports. The Tennessee Titans (NFL), the Nashville Predators (NHL), the Nashville Sounds (Milwaukee’s Triple A baseball club), the Country Music Marathon, the Franklin American Mortgage Championship (LPGA) all call Nashville and middle Tennessee home.
We hope you'll try and experience everything Music City has to offer. For more information, visit our website at
www.visitmusiccity.com. While in Music City, stop by the Visitor Information Centers, located in the glass tower of the Sommet Center (at 5th & Broadway) and on the ground floor of the USBank building (at 4th & Commerce), for discounted attraction tickets and itinerary planning.
