Things to Do in Nashville
Ten stops running from a museum holding the actual handwritten lyrics behind country music's biggest hits to a tiny venue where songwriters still perform in the round, guitars facing each other.
Nashville runs on live music at nearly every hour, this list heads past what the wider Tennessee page already covers, including the state's hot chicken tradition, toward the Country Music Hall of Fame, a legendary auditorium once called the 'Mother Church of Country Music,' and a meat-and-three tradition that's a beloved Nashville institution in its own right. Ten stops below, plus a quiz elsewhere on this site if you fancy testing what stuck.
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
A remarkably comprehensive museum covering the full history of country music, real handwritten lyric sheets, stage costumes, and instruments from decades of significant artists fill several floors, the Hall of Fame Rotunda itself holds bronze plaques honouring every inducted member. This runs considerably larger than most visitors expect, allow a proper half-day given how much ground the museum actually covers across its various galleries.
The adjacent RCA Studio B, where Elvis Presley and dozens of other major artists recorded, runs separate guided tours, book that specific add-on if the recording history interests you beyond the main museum.
Hours Daily, roughly 9am-5pm
Address 222 5th Ave S, Nashville, TN
Grand Ole Opry
A live country music radio show running continuously since 1925, the longest-running radio broadcast in the country, performances still happen live in front of a studio audience most weeks, a solid mix of established stars and emerging artists on the same bill. A circle of wood from the original Ryman Auditorium stage remains embedded centre stage at the current venue, performers still stand on this exact circle out of direct respect for that history.
Book tickets ahead, particularly for weekend shows, this remains one of the most consistently popular tickets in the city given its real, ongoing significance to the genre.
Hours Shows run several nights a week, check current schedule
Address 2804 Opryland Dr, Nashville, TN
Ryman Auditorium
Originally built in 1892 as a religious tabernacle, the Ryman's pew-style seating and remarkably excellent natural acoustics made it a favoured recording and performance venue, serving as the Grand Ole Opry's home for over 30 years before the current venue opened. Daytime self-guided tours cover the building's full history, and evening concerts still run regularly, the venue remains an active, working performance space rather than a static museum.
This runs as one of the more historically significant music venues in the entire country, attend an actual show here specifically if the schedule allows, the acoustics fully live up to the reputation.
Hours Daily, roughly 9am-4pm for tours
Address 116 5th Ave N, Nashville, TN
Broadway's Honky-Tonks
Downtown Nashville's main strip runs a remarkably dense concentration of live music venues, most with no cover charge and bands playing from late morning well into the night, a constant soundtrack that spills directly out onto the street. Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, one of the longest-running honky-tonks on the strip, has hosted decades of now-famous performers back when they were still unknowns playing for tips.
This runs particularly well as a bar-hopping evening, move between a few different venues rather than settling into just one given how much the specific acts vary from bar to bar.
Best time Evening for the fullest atmosphere, though bands play from midday
Address Lower Broadway, Nashville, TN
Johnny Cash Museum
A richly detailed museum covering Johnny Cash's full career, real stage costumes, instruments, and handwritten personal letters trace his life from his early Sun Records days through his later career, including his complicated relationship with Nashville's country music establishment. This runs well for a couple of hours, considerably more personal and detailed than a general country music museum given its single-artist focus.
This works particularly well for fans specifically, prioritise it if Cash's music matters more to your visit than the wider genre covered at the larger Hall of Fame museum.
Hours Daily, roughly 9am-7pm
Address 119 3rd Ave S, Nashville, TN
The Parthenon, Centennial Park
A full-scale replica of the Athens Parthenon, built for Tennessee's 1897 centennial exposition and never demolished afterward, a nod to Nashville's long-standing nickname as the 'Athens of the South' for its concentration of universities and colleges. Inside, a strikingly enormous 42-foot statue of the goddess Athena, the tallest indoor sculpture in the Western world, stands gilded in real gold leaf.
The surrounding Centennial Park offers a real green space beyond just the Parthenon itself, a walk through pays off if the weather cooperates, particularly around the park's own small lake.
Hours Tue-Sat, roughly 9am-4.30pm
Address 2500 West End Ave, Nashville, TN
Nashville Zoo
A sizeable zoo, home to one of the largest giraffe herds in North American zoos alongside a widely well-regarded reptile and amphibian collection. The interactive Jungle Gym play area and a gemstone panning activity both run well for younger kids specifically, considerably more hands-on than passive animal viewing alone.
This runs well for a full family day, comfortable walking shoes and sun protection help given how spread out the zoo's grounds run.
Hours Daily, roughly 9am-4pm, hours vary seasonally
Address 3777 Nolensville Pike, Nashville, TN
Adventure Science Center
A thoroughly hands-on science museum, exhibits covering physics, space, and the human body through direct interaction rather than passive viewing, a planetarium runs regular shows covering astronomy and the wider night sky. This runs well as a rainy-day or hot-afternoon backup, a manageable couple of hours if the outdoor and music-focused stops elsewhere on this list don't suit the current weather.
This works particularly well for younger kids specifically, most exhibits are built for direct, hands-on exploration rather than static display.
Hours Daily, roughly 9.30am-4.30pm
Address 800 Fort Negley Blvd, Nashville, TN
Nashville's Meat and Three
A meat and three, a cafeteria-style restaurant format where diners choose one main meat dish and three side dishes from a rotating daily selection, remains a real Southern institution particularly strong in Nashville specifically. Arnold's Country Kitchen, operating for decades, remains one of the most established, well-regarded spots for the format, arrive early given how popular the lunch rush runs.
This runs as honest, unfussy Southern comfort food, considerably different from the city's more famous hot chicken tradition, try both if your visit covers enough ground.
Address Arnold's Country Kitchen, 605 8th Ave S, Nashville, TN
The Bluebird Cafe
A small, unassuming venue that's become widely legendary within the songwriting community, performers sit in the round, guitars facing each other rather than a single performer facing the audience, a format specifically built to showcase original songwriting over performance spectacle. Several major country stars were discovered performing here before their careers took off, the venue's reputation for launching talent remains a real point of pride.
Seating runs extremely limited, book well ahead given how consistently this venue sells out, this isn't a walk-up option most nights.
Hours Shows run most nights, check current schedule
Address 4104 Hillsboro Pike, Nashville, TN
Best time to visit Nashville
April through June and September through October cover the most comfortable weather for this list, mild enough for the outdoor stops without summer's serious heat and humidity.
Weekends specifically suit the Grand Ole Opry's fullest schedule and Broadway's liveliest atmosphere, plan a trip around a weekend if the live music scene is the priority.
Getting around Nashville
Downtown Nashville runs walkable for the Broadway and Country Music Hall of Fame stretch, a car or rideshare becomes necessary for the Grand Ole Opry, the zoo, and the Bluebird Cafe given their distance from downtown.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Nashville worth visiting beyond the honky-tonks?
- Yes, easily, the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Ryman Auditorium, and the Parthenon all offer a considerably deeper experience than Broadway's bar strip alone.
- How many days do you need in Nashville?
- Four days gives a comfortable pace to cover downtown's main sights, a proper evening of live music, and either the zoo or the Parthenon.
- Is Nashville expensive to visit?
- Moderate, most honky-tonks run free entry, though the bigger-name museums and the Grand Ole Opry both run pricier than average.
- What's the best Nashville trip for kids?
- Nashville Zoo and Adventure Science Center both rank as the most reliably kid-friendly stops on this list.
That's ten decent slices of a city where live music never really seems to stop.
A note before you plan around this: prices, opening hours, booking requirements and admission details in this guide were correct at the time of writing, but venues change these often and sometimes without notice. Always check directly with the attraction or its official website before you travel or build a schedule around a specific time or price.
Before travelling to any destination featured on this site, please also check your government's latest travel advice, as safety situations, entry requirements and travel warnings can change.
