Nashville Area Activities and Attractions

The Music Scene None of the venues listed below are within walking distance, but most are not far away. Some hotels provide a shuttle service within a 3-mile radius, so check with your hotel about whether they will drop you off and pick you up from your desired venue. You can’t swing a dead cat in Nashville without hitting a live music venue, so ask at your hotel’s front desk if you want to find one within walking distance.

Opryland (13 miles): Grand Ole Opry. Classic country and bluegrass.

Downtown (2.5 miles): Nashville Symphony. Classical, some pop.

Ryman Auditorium. Broad coverage of country, bluegrass, folk, pop, and jazz in the original home of the Grand Ole Opry (now performing at a dedicated venue).

Bridgestone Arena. Megastars in country and pop music.

Many bars and music venues on Lower Broadway & Second Avenue, including: The Wildhorse Saloon.

B.B. King’s Restaurant & Blues Club.

The Gulch (2 miles): The Station Inn. Classic and modern bluegrass, some country.

Green Hills (3 miles): Bluebird Café. Features singer-songwriters.

F. Scott’s Restaurant and Jazz Bar.

For Kids of All Ages Adventure Science Center and Sudekum Planetarium.

General Jackson Riverboat.

Nashville Zoo at Grassmere.

Local Examples of Excess and Oddity The Opryland Hotel (nearby is Opry Mills Shopping Mall and the Grand Ole Opry venue) has elaborate interior decorations and water features; photos at the above link.

Centennial Park is a lovely park and garden that includes a full-size replica of the Parthenon; the park is a nice place to stroll or run during daylight hours.

The Country Music Hall of Fame houses a collection of sheet music, photographs, recordings, costumes, cars, and instruments from the early days to the present.

Art, Gardens, and Mansions The Frist Center for the Visual Arts is a beautifully-restored Art Deco building (formerly a post office) that houses art exhibits and has an art activity center for children.

Cheekwood is the former Cheek family estate (whose fortune derived from Maxwell House Coffee). The mansion houses an art collection and the grounds include a botanical garden, an outdoor sculpture garden, and a restaurant.

The Parthenon Gallery (at the Parthenon; see description of Centennial Park above).

Belle Meade Plantation is known for its role in thoroughbred breeding and racing. Guided tours of the restored mansion, stables, and grounds are offered.

The Hermitage is the home of President Andrew Jackson. Guided tours of the restored mansion, grounds, and farm are offered.

Vanderbilt University Fine Arts Gallery (Collections, exhibitions and events; located in the Cohen Building on the Peabody Campus).