Top Attractions in Nashville
Nashville's identity is inseparable from music, but the city's top attractions extend well beyond the recording studios and concert halls into art, history, and architecture that make this one of the South's most compelling destinations.
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
Located on Fifth Avenue South downtown, the Country Music Hall of Fame chronicles the entire history of country music through interactive exhibits, rare artifacts, and video footage. See Elvis's gold Cadillac, Taylor Swift's handwritten lyrics, and costumes worn by legends from Hank Williams to Dolly Parton. The museum also offers tours to Historic RCA Studio B on Music Row, where hundreds of classic hits were recorded.
The Parthenon
Nashville's full-scale replica of the Greek Parthenon in Centennial Park on West End Avenue is the only one in the world. Built in 1897 for the Tennessee Centennial Exposition, it houses a 42-foot gilded statue of Athena, the tallest indoor sculpture in the Western Hemisphere, along with a permanent collection of 63 oil paintings by 19th and 20th-century American artists.
Ryman Auditorium
Known as the Mother Church of Country Music, the Ryman on Fifth Avenue North was the home of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943 to 1974. Today it remains one of the finest live music venues in the world, with legendary acoustics and a stained-glass-window ambiance that gives every performance a sacred quality. Self-guided daytime tours let you stand on the famous stage and sit in the original wooden pews.
Frist Art Museum
Housed in a gorgeous Art Deco former post office on Broadway downtown, the Frist features rotating exhibitions that span everything from contemporary photography to ancient civilizations. The museum has no permanent collection by design, meaning every visit offers entirely new shows. The Martin ArtQuest Gallery on the lower level provides hands-on art-making activities for all ages.
Food and Dining Scene
Nashville's food scene is anchored by hot chicken, a fiery, cayenne-crusted fried chicken preparation that originated here and has since spread across the country. Prince's Hot Chicken Shack on Ewing Drive is the original, open since the 1940s, and the line is always worth the wait. Hattie B's on 19th Avenue South in Midtown is the most popular newcomer, with heat levels ranging from mild to Shut the Cluck Up.
Beyond hot chicken, Nashville offers a dining scene that has earned national recognition. The Gulch neighborhood on 12th Avenue South is home to some of the city's most celebrated restaurants, including Husk, which builds its seasonal menus entirely from Southern ingredients, and Biscuit Love, where the East Nasty biscuit sandwich has achieved cult status.
East Nashville across the Cumberland River is the city's most eclectic food neighborhood. Five Points, the area's central intersection, is surrounded by spots like Pharmacy Burger Parlor, which serves German-style beer garden burgers, and Mas Tacos Por Favor, a tiny cash-only counter known for its fish tacos and elote. For a splurge, The Catbird Seat on 12th Avenue South offers one of the most acclaimed tasting menus in the South, served at a chef's counter surrounding an open kitchen.
Outdoor Activities
Nashville's rolling hills, mild climate, and winding Cumberland River make it an underrated city for outdoor recreation.
Percy Warner Park and Edwin Warner Park
These adjacent parks in the Belle Meade area on the western edge of the city span over 3,100 acres of forested hills crisscrossed by trails for hiking, trail running, and horseback riding. The Mossy Ridge Trail in Percy Warner is one of the best hikes in Middle Tennessee, climbing through old-growth forest to ridge-top views. The steep stone steps at the park entrance are a popular local workout spot.
Shelby Bottoms Greenway
This 960-acre natural area along the Cumberland River in East Nashville features paved and unpaved trails through meadows, wetlands, and bottomland forests. The Shelby Bottoms Nature Center provides maps and wildlife information, and the greenway connects to the Stones River Greenway for a longer ride. It is the best place in the city for birding and a peaceful escape from the downtown bustle.
Radnor Lake State Park
Just seven miles south of downtown on Otter Creek Road, Radnor Lake is Nashville's most beloved natural area. The 1,368-acre park surrounds an 85-acre lake and features six miles of trails through dense forest where you can spot deer, wild turkey, great blue herons, and the occasional bald eagle. No bikes, dogs, or swimming are permitted, keeping the park remarkably serene.
Nightlife and Entertainment
Nashville's nightlife is legendary, and it extends far beyond the neon-lit honky-tonks of Lower Broadway. That said, Broadway between First and Fifth Avenues is where most visitors start, with live music blasting from multi-story bars like Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, Robert's Western World, and the Stage. The music is free, the boot-scootin is contagious, and the energy runs from morning until well past midnight.
For a more authentic Nashville music experience, seek out the city's listening rooms. The Bluebird Cafe on Hillsboro Pike in Green Hills is world-famous for its in-the-round songwriter sessions, where the artists who penned hits for Garth Brooks and Taylor Swift perform their songs in an intimate 90-seat setting. The Station Inn on 12th Avenue South is the gold standard for bluegrass, and 3rd and Lindsley on Third Avenue South books excellent blues, Americana, and soul acts nightly.
The craft cocktail scene has also flourished, with Attaboy on Eighth Avenue South bringing a speakeasy-style experience from New York, and Old Glory on 11th Avenue South serving expertly crafted drinks in a laid-back patio setting.
Hidden Gems
Hatch Show Print
Operating since 1879 on Broadway inside the Country Music Hall of Fame complex, Hatch Show Print is one of the oldest working letterpress shops in America. Tours let you watch artisans hand-set type and pull prints on vintage presses, and the gift shop sells affordable posters printed on-site. The iconic show posters produced here have advertised everyone from Elvis Presley to Jack White.
Marathon Village
This former automobile factory on Clinton Street near Marathon Village has been transformed into a creative campus housing small-batch distilleries, antique shops, a record store, and artisan workshops. Corsair Distillery and Nelson's Green Brier Distillery both offer tastings and tours, making it one of the best under-the-radar stops in Nashville.
Cheekwood Estate and Gardens
Set on 55 acres on Forrest Park Drive in the Belle Meade neighborhood, Cheekwood is a 1930s Georgian mansion and botanical garden featuring a fine art museum, seasonal garden displays, and miles of woodland trails. The Chihuly at Cheekwood exhibitions have become a beloved tradition, and the property's hilltop setting provides gorgeous views of the surrounding hills. Most tourists never make it here, leaving it refreshingly uncrowded.