Music lovers, here’s our list of eight iconic, must-see, don’t-even-think-of-skipping sites in Music City, along with our best Nashville travel tips to make your life a little easier along the way.
Mother Maybelle Carter If you don’t know who this woman is, you should study up fast, because she likely had an influence on the music you’re listening to now, no matter what kind it is. [Mural: Carter Vintage Guitars]
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As a lifetime student of music and music making, there was a time when I thought I knew a lot about the history and evolution of music in America. However, our trips to Tennessee have taught me that I have far more to learn than I could ever have imagined.
As we visited these iconic Nashville music destinations, Mr B and I got a crash course in the varied cultural influences that formed American country music as we know it today. One of the things that became crystal clear was the intricate web of influence that has been woven over time to create what we now call “American” music – in all its many forms. If that had been the only thing I took away from Tennessee (it wasn’t!), it still would have been totally worth the trip.
If you love music and are traveling in Nashville, be sure to visit these eight spots!
Eight Iconic, Must-See Nashville Music Sites
1 . Ryman Auditorium
Originally built in 1892 at the Union Gospel Tabernacle, the Ryman Auditorium was home to the Grand Ole Opry from 1943 until 1974. Due in part to its religious roots as a house of worship, and in part to its place in American music history, the Ryman is known even today as “The Mother Church of Country Music.”
From the time its first stage was built, the Ryman has served as a venue for a wide variety of events, including religious revivals, jazz recitals, operas, ballets, political debates and Broadyway musicals. Mr B and I were both awestruck by the musical history the building holds. If you go, take the Backstage Tour. It is more than worth it.
2. Country Music Hall of Fame
This is the place where I finally started to internalize the profound impact and influence Nashville has had on the evolution of American music. The Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee is one of the world’s largest museums and research centers dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American music, and houses the world’s largest collection of country music and artifacts.
? Read More about The Country Music Hall of Fame in our post “What We Learned from Bob & Johnny at The Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum.”
3. RCA Studio B
The historic RCA Studio B, Nashville’s oldest surviving recording studio, is birthplace to more than 35,000 songs, and more than 1,000 hits. This is where the Everly Brothers recorded “All I Have to Do is Dream” (a signature song for Mr B and me), Roy Orbison recorded “Only the Lonely,” and Dolly Parton set the tracks for her classic “Coat of Many Colors.” For anyone with musical roots, standing in this space is moving beyond words.
? Read More about RCA Studio B in our post “Home of 1000 Hits: RCA Studio B {Nashville}.”
4. Hatch Print Show
Hatch Show Print is one of the oldest working letterpress print shops in the U.S. Our tour of the print shop ended up being one of the biggest surprises of our trip, in a very good way. We’ll share more in a more in-depth post, but for now, suffice it now to say that this should not be missed. Such an extraordinary piece of music history.
5. Honky Tonk Highway
Take a walk down Lower Broadway in Nashville and you’re sure to hear music pouring out of honky tonks up and down the street at all hours of the day and night. (Well, almost all hours. Folks have to sleep sometime, you know. They are, however, open from 10am until 3am the next day. Every. Single. Day. 365.) There’s no cover charge (or at least I didn’t see any place that had one), so you can wander in and out of places until you find your heart’s desire.
The coolest part, aside from all the history and local color, is that you just never know who you’ll be listening to. Country music legends like Willie Nelson, Gretchen Wilson, and Deirks Bentley, along with so many others, all began their careers singing in the honky tonks along this famous street.
You know what that means, don’t you? You could wander into The Second Fiddle one night and listen to country’s newest rising star – before anyone even knows they’re on the horizon – all for the price of a beer.
6. Ernest Tubb Record Shop
It may be tucked between the honky tonks on Nashville’s Lower Broadway, but this cool little store gets its own line item. Why? Well, let’s start with the fact that it has a copy of virtually any country music recording ever made, from classic country to bluegrass to post-punk hillbilly.
Founded by Grand Ole Opry star Ernest Tubb in 1947, the staff is amazingly friendly – and boy-howdy, do they know their country music! While Mr B picked up a few Patsy Cline CD’s for his mama, the man we spoke with (who I believe was the current owner) chatted with him about the old-timers, easily moving back and forth between past and present singing greats with the ease of someone who lives for the music.
7. Carter Vintage Guitars
If you are a musician of any skill level, or have ever even held a guitar in your hands long enough to figure out a G-chord, then you need to make time to stop in at Carter Vintage Guitars.
Founded in 2012 by Christie and Walter Carter (I have no idea if they are related to the famous Carter family or not), this guitar shop aims to provide “a comfortable place for fine fretted instruments and the people who appreciate them.”
The place is filled with beautiful instruments at every price point, but even if you aren’t in the market for a new guitar, you’re sure to find something fun to play a few licks on. (Mr B tried out a very nice 12-string while we were there.) If none of that appeals, the mural on the outside wall is worth the trip all by itself.
8. Grand Ole Opry
DO NOT MISS THIS! This ain’t your great-grandma’s Grand Ole Opry (but she’d still feel right at home).
The Grand Ole Opry was founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio “barn dance” on WSM, making it the longest-running radio broadcast in US history. Dedicated to honoring country music and its history, the Opry showcases an eclectic mix of famous singers, old-timers, and contemporary chart-toppers. Live performances include a little bit of everything: country, bluegrass, folk, gospel, and even comedy.
With a seating capacity of 4,400, the Grand Ole Opry House is considered the largest broadcasting studio in the world, but it is nevertheless still surprisingly intimate. There really isn’t a bad seat in the house, but if you plan to attend the Grand Ole Opry, order you tickets in advance for the best seats. Mr B and I went to the Opry on our last night in Tennessee, and it was the perfect way to end our vacation.
Nashville Travel Tips
1. Parking downtown costs a ton. Budget for it.
This was the most shocking traveler issue we ran into on our trip: the parking fees in downtown Nashville are exorbitant, and they can take a significant bite out of your budget. Daily rates run around $20, and in one location, it cost us $16 to park for two hours. There are a couple of less expensive parking options, which were unfortunately filled up at the time of our visit. (It probably didn’t help that we were there during the Stanley Cup finals!)
2. Everyone needs a valid ID to purchase alcohol in Tennessee.
In 2007, Tennessee became the first U.S. state to make universal carding mandatory. Clerks are held responsible and face huge fines and other penalties for not requiring ID, so no matter how many crow’s feet you have, you will need to have a valid driver’s license or other official form of ID to buy a drink. No exceptions.
3. Do NOT plan to stick to your vegan/paleo/vegetarian/points diet.
It’s just not happening. (To clarify, I’m sure that Tennessee residents can and often do eat a very healthy diet: this is strictly from a visitor’s point of view.) Granted, Mr B and I were eating at some rather touristy establishments; nonetheless, every menu we looked at consisted of three big, colorful columns filled with delicious-sounding descriptions of succulent, smokey meats and deep fried proteins (and I don’t mean tofu) and carb heavy sides.
{Actual Conversation}
Do you have any vegetables on the menu?
Why sure, honey. See here? We got green beans and bacon, collard greens and bacon, baked beans and bacon…
How ’bout a salad?
Down there in lower right corner. Under the sides and beverages. See that little box green box? No, lift up your thumb up. There it is! See, we have two salads – a House and a Caesar. Both come with cheese grits on the side. Y’all got all kinda options, honey.
All kidding aside, just embrace and enjoy the local cuisine, because it is so so so good. You can climb back onto your kombucha and kale chip wagon when you get home, if that’s your jam.
Speaking of which, you have got to try the Nashville Hot Chicken – crispy, spicy, and oh-so-addictive! Seriously. Just do it. Best thing we ate in Tennessee, hands down. It’s fabulous, and totally worth the line you’re probably going to have to wait in. (I wrote a whole post about Nashville Hot Chicken just so I could learn to make it at home! Be sure to check it out!)
More Helpful Nashville Travel Info: We aren’t not the only ones who have great ideas and tips on how to spend time in Nashville! If you have a few days in town, check out this great Nashville 3-day Itinerary for Music City, which includes some excellent suggestions for specific stops along the Honky-Tonk Highway, as well as ways to explore Nashville beyond the music.
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Original Pub Date: June 28, 2017
I am a music lover, but not a country music lover. Still, Nashville is still one place that I definitely want to visit. I think I would really enjoy a visit there.
Oh my, your observations about food cracked me up! I haven’t traveled a ton in the south, but when I was in Kentucky I *did* get a lot of weird looks when I asked for vegetarian options. Ha!
You make SUCH a good point about other need-to-know details like parking costs. Whew, that’s expensive!!!
We were just in Nashville this past weekend for the first time. I live in East TN and it was my first time in Nashville, I loved it! Unfortunately we only got to see the Opry and not these other amazing places- I’m already planning a trip back!
I would love to visit Nashville one day. Thanks for so many helpful tips and great places to visit 🙂 I look forward to your future posts.
I totally agree about the hot chicken and seriously, THE PARKING! No one told us before. We are going again in November and we will be prepared!
I can’t wait to visit Nashville!! I’ve been dying to go and seeing all these things just makes me want to visit it all the more!!! Great photos 🙂
i really want to visit Nashville. I have a friend that went to college there and I’ve been wanting to go ever since he told me how much fun and full of life the town is and i know there is a lot there for music lovers.
It’s been a while since the husband and I went to Nashville and we both love music! It would be so nice to go here and plan an itinerary that would allow us to see all of the places you mentioned!
I can’t wait to go to Nashville one day. This is going to be bookmarked so that I can have a great list to go by!
So many people going to Nashville this summer!! I would love to go. Looks like a beautiful, fun city rich of food, music and history.
I am planning to visit my bestfriend in Nashville this year and i am definitely checking this. My favorite is #7 – that mural i want a pic of that. 🙂 Great read.
These are some great tips! Now I am wanderlusting after a trip to Nashville
I was only able to spend a few hours when driving through Nashville, but I did get to see The Country Music Hall Of Fame and Honky Tonk Highway. I think it is great that Tennessee cards everyone. I know they do that at Trader Joe’s Markets. I’ve seen 60 year olds get carded!
I really want to go Nashville so all of these things sound great to me, I’d definitely be eating badly if I went because meats and deep fried carbs sounds amazing haha x
It’s been so long since I’ve been to Nashville. I would love to visit there again, although I might have to prepare myself for the food selection.
These are great tips! A close friend recently moved to Nashville and I really need to plan a visit.
We lived in Nashville for a few months and fell in love with the city. Loved everything about it, from the music scene to the food, art and culture.
Visiting Nashville while enjoying both Summer and Music is very worth the time and effort! Thanks for all your tips, they’re very helpful!
I am the biggest music fanatic. I love all genres and I think this would be a blast. I would love to take on Nashville!
I love music and country reminds me so much of my father! I would love to go ahead and visit Nashville some time soon! It would be so cool to do all of these things there!
I have always wanted to visit Nashville! It looks like such a vibrant area to live, and I do love music. It is a place my husband and I have thought about moving to actually. Great list of things to do!
After years of listening to musicians like Johnny Cash, I have been dying to visit here! I would love to see everything the city have to offer and explore every part of it.
I have always wanted to go to Nashville. There is just something about the country music scene and all the history that has taken place there that I would love to take in.
One of the things that became crystal clear to me on our trip was the intricate web of influence that has been woven over time to create what we now call “American” music – in all its many forms. If that had been the only thing I took away from Tennessee, it would have been worth the trip.
Oh, we missed so much when we traveled through Tennessee. We will have to make a special trip to do these things.
You really should. If I had one thing to do differently, I would have spent more time in the Country Music Hall of Fame. We learned so much there!
I was laughing so hard at your comments about the food in Nashville! I’ll make a note to pack green smoothie ingredients in my suitcase when I go. xo Nipa
??? In certain places in the South, finding fresh vegetables on a menu is a little like an advance scavenger hunt. It actually became a running joke for us!
Oh, I love Nashville so much! Your food comments made me smile. I love Southern food but it does seem like many veggie dishes are incorporated into some sort of rich casserole.
I’ve enjoyed visiting several places on your list and will have to add the others for the future. I really enjoy walking down The Honky Tonk Highway to enjoy all the music and of course, The Grand Ole Opry.
We love the Parthenon and Cupcake ATM too!
Oh my gosh! How did we miss the Cupcake ATM!!! ?
I’m a huge fan of country music, so Nashville would be a dream destination for me! The Country
Music Hall of Fame would definitely be #1 on my go-to list. So much history and great memories all in one place!
I learned so much there, and I came away with a deeper appreciation of country music and the people who make it.
I’ve been wanting to visit the Hatch Print Show! I’ve seen it all over my IG lately and I would love to visit!
We went to a workshop there and got to make a print. It was so much fun!
As a music lover, I would loooooooooooooooooove to visit Nashville one day to learn about country music as well as music history. It is is a fasnicating place!
I went to see the Grand Ole Opry when I went to Nashville. There are so many more places to see.
Our visit to the Grand Ole Opry was probably the thing that surprised me the most on this trip. It was, even for this classic rocker, one of the most entertaining experiences I’ve had to date.
I love Nashville – have lots of family there – and it’s always interesting me to hear what people like to do there on visits. I agree 100% with your list. The Ryman and Grand Ole Opry might be my all-time fav but its hard to choose!
Nashville is so amazing! I love that there are so many amazing things to see and do, especially for music lovers. Thanks for sharing this wonderful list of activities!