Things to do · Nashville · United States
17 best things to do in Nashville
17 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Nashville are Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Ryman Auditorium and Grand Ole Opry. Of the 17 picks below, 4 are free, 6 work on a rainy day and 5 suit children. Allow about 3 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
- Free sights
- 4
- Good on a rainy day
- Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
- Time to see the highlights
- 3 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum | Downtown and Lower Broadway | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Ryman Auditorium | Downtown and Lower Broadway | 1–1.5 hours | Mid-priced |
| Grand Ole Opry | Music Valley | 2–2.5 hours | Mid-priced |
| Lower Broadway honky-tonks | Downtown and Lower Broadway | An afternoon or evening | Free |
| Johnny Cash Museum | Downtown and Lower Broadway | 1–1.5 hours | Mid-priced |
| National Museum of African American Music | Downtown and Lower Broadway | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| The Parthenon | Midtown and Music Row | 1–1.5 hours | Low cost |
| The Hermitage | Hermitage | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Belle Meade Historic Site and Winery | Belle Meade | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Bluebird Cafe | Green Hills | 2–3 hours | Low cost |
| John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge | Downtown and Lower Broadway | 30 minutes | Free |
| Tennessee State Capitol | Downtown and Lower Broadway | 1 hour | Free |
| Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park | Germantown | 1 hour | Free |
| Frist Art Museum | Downtown and Lower Broadway | 1.5–2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum | Downtown and Lower Broadway | 1.5 hours | Mid-priced |
| Station Inn | The Gulch | An evening | Low cost |
| Cheekwood Estate and Gardens | Belle Meade | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
The 17 best things to do
Museum · Downtown and Lower Broadway
1.Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
The largest museum dedicated to a single genre traces country music from its folk roots to today, with instruments, costumes, Elvis Presley's gold Cadillac and the Hall of Fame rotunda of inductees' plaques. It is also the starting point for tours of the historic RCA Studio B.
Book the Studio B tour with your museum ticket; it is only reached by the museum's shuttle.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Rainy day
Historic site · Downtown and Lower Broadway
2.Ryman Auditorium
Built in 1892 as a gospel tabernacle, the Ryman was the home of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943 to 1974 and is known as the 'Mother Church of Country Music'. Daytime self-guided and backstage tours cover its history, and the church-pew auditorium still hosts concerts of every genre.
If you can, see a concert rather than only a tour; the acoustics are famous.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Popular concerts sell out quickly; buy tickets through the official site.
- Iconic
- History
- After dark
- Architecture
Experience · Music Valley
3.Grand Ole Opry
Broadcast on radio since 1925, the Opry is a live show of several country artists, from legends to newcomers, each playing a few songs. At the Opry House a circle of wood from the Ryman's stage is set into the centre of the stage. Backstage tours are offered by day.
Check whether the show is at the Opry House or, during some winter weeks, at the Ryman.
- Time needed
- 2–2.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Book tickets ahead, especially for weekend shows.
- Iconic
- After dark
- History
Street · Downtown and Lower Broadway
4.Lower Broadway honky-tonks
Honky-tonks such as Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, Robert's Western World and the Stage line Broadway with live bands on every floor from late morning, mostly with no cover charge. Robert's is known for traditional country and its fried-bologna sandwich.
Go in the afternoon or on a weekday to hear the musicians without the weekend crush, and tip the band.
- Time needed
- An afternoon or evening
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- After dark
Museum · Downtown and Lower Broadway
5.Johnny Cash Museum
A compact museum of Johnny Cash's life and career, with costumes, instruments, handwritten letters and a stone wall from his Hendersonville home. It shares a building with the Patsy Cline Museum upstairs.
Allow about an hour; combine it with the Patsy Cline Museum on a combined ticket.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
Museum · Downtown and Lower Broadway
6.National Museum of African American Music
Opened in 2021 at Fifth and Broadway, this museum traces more than 50 genres shaped by African American musicians, from spirituals and the blues to jazz, gospel, R&B and hip-hop, with interactive booths where you can sing, dance or produce a beat.
Plan at least two hours; the interactive galleries take time.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
- Art
Museum · Midtown and Music Row
7.The Parthenon
A full-scale replica of the Athens Parthenon built for the 1897 Tennessee Centennial Exposition stands in Centennial Park. Inside are an art museum and a 12.8-metre gilded statue of Athena, the tallest indoor statue in the Western Hemisphere.
The park around it is free and a pleasant place for a picnic.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- Art
- Kids
- Rainy day
Historic site · Hermitage
8.The Hermitage
The plantation home of Andrew Jackson, the seventh US president, about 20 km east of downtown. Tours cover the mansion, the gardens, Jackson's tomb and the lives of the enslaved people who worked the estate.
Allow time for the grounds and the exhibits on enslaved people, not just the mansion.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Architecture
- Outdoors
Historic site · Belle Meade
1.Belle Meade Historic Site and Winery
A Greek Revival plantation house that was once a famous thoroughbred horse farm, with guided tours of the mansion, outbuildings and the history of the enslaved community, plus a winery tasting room on site.
Finish with a wine tasting at the estate's winery, included with some tour tickets.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Couples
- Architecture
Experience · Green Hills
2.Bluebird Cafe
A 90-seat listening room in a strip mall where songwriters play their songs 'in the round', often including hits they wrote for big-name artists. Talking during sets is discouraged — it is a place to listen.
If you miss out on reservations, other songwriter nights downtown and in East Nashville offer a similar experience.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Book ahead
- Reservations open online in advance and go very quickly; some seats are released for walk-ins.
- After dark
- Couples
- History
Viewpoint · Downtown and Lower Broadway
3.John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge
A restored 1909 steel truss bridge across the Cumberland River, closed to cars and open to walkers, with the classic view of the downtown skyline and the 'Batman Building'.
Walk across at sunset or after dark when the skyline is lit.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Photo spot
- After dark
- Couples
Architecture · Downtown and Lower Broadway
4.Tennessee State Capitol
A Greek Revival capitol completed in 1859 on the highest hill downtown, designed by William Strickland, who is buried in its walls. President James K. Polk's tomb is on the grounds, and free tours visit the legislative chambers.
Walk down the hill afterwards to the Bicentennial Capitol Mall and the Farmers' Market.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
Park · Germantown
5.Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park
A long state park below the Capitol, with a 60-metre granite map of Tennessee, a World War II memorial globe, fountains children can play in and a 95-bell carillon representing the state's counties.
Pair it with lunch at the Nashville Farmers' Market food hall next door.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- History
- Outdoors
Gallery · Downtown and Lower Broadway
6.Frist Art Museum
An exhibition centre with no permanent collection, housed in the city's former Art Deco main post office, which shows touring exhibitions from major museums, plus a hands-on art studio for children.
Check the current exhibitions online; under-18s go free.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Architecture
- Kids
Museum · Downtown and Lower Broadway
7.Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum
Honours the session musicians who played on famous recordings across genres, from Nashville's 'A-Team' to Motown's Funk Brothers, with instruments used on classic records and an interactive gallery.
A good follow-on for music fans who have already done the Hall of Fame.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
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Experience · The Gulch
8.Station Inn
A long-running, low-ceilinged bluegrass club in the Gulch, where some of the best bluegrass and roots musicians play on a small stage, and the Sunday-night bluegrass jam is a local institution.
Arrive early for good seats; it is first come, first served.
- Time needed
- An evening
- Cost
- Low cost
- After dark
- Off the beaten path
- History
Garden · Belle Meade
9.Cheekwood Estate and Gardens
A 1930s mansion and 22 hectares of gardens on the city's western edge, with an art museum, a Japanese garden, a sculpture trail and seasonal displays such as spring tulips and holiday lights.
Visit in spring for the tulip and daffodil displays, or in December for the evening lights.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Nature
- Art
- Couples
- Kids
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Johnny Cash Museum, National Museum of African American Music and The Parthenon |
| History | Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Ryman Auditorium, Grand Ole Opry and Johnny Cash Museum |
| Views | John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge |
| Outdoors and nature | The Hermitage, Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park and Cheekwood Estate and Gardens |
| After dark | Ryman Auditorium, Grand Ole Opry, Lower Broadway honky-tonks and Bluebird Cafe |
| With children | National Museum of African American Music, The Parthenon, Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park and Frist Art Museum |
| On a rainy day | Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Johnny Cash Museum, National Museum of African American Music and The Parthenon |
What to book ahead
- Ryman Auditorium: Popular concerts sell out quickly; buy tickets through the official site.
- Grand Ole Opry: Book tickets ahead, especially for weekend shows.
- Bluebird Cafe: Reservations open online in advance and go very quickly; some seats are released for walk-ins.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Nashville?
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The largest museum dedicated to a single genre traces country music from its folk roots to today, with instruments, costumes, Elvis Presley's gold Cadillac and the Hall of Fame rotunda of inductees' plaques.
+What can you do for free in Nashville?
Lower Broadway honky-tonks, John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge, Tennessee State Capitol and Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Nashville when it rains?
Head indoors to Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Johnny Cash Museum, National Museum of African American Music and The Parthenon.
+What is there to do in Nashville at night?
Ryman Auditorium, Grand Ole Opry, Lower Broadway honky-tonks and Bluebird Cafe are best after dark.