They call it Music City; the spiritual heartland of the USA's country music scene and home of the honky-tonk (we’ll explain that one later…). But Nashville is more than just square dancing and Stetson hats. It’s street art and deep fried chicken, wild parkland and a Grecian Parthenon and more museums than you can shake a stick at. To help you plan your trip to Tennessee, we’ve hand-picked a selection of must sees in Nashville that you won’t want to miss (cowboy hats and boots optional).
- Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum
- Frist Art Museum
- Centennial Park
- Honky Tonk Highway
- Corsair Distillery
- National Museum of African American Music
Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum
Your first hint of what this building holds lies in its architecture. From the outside, the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum resembles a huge piano; with dark thin rectangular windows scoring its white arched walls. But the homage to harmonies really continues inside, where galleries and exhibitions chart the evolution of country music all the way from Southern folk and bluegrass to pop country and the likes of Tim McGraw, Little Big Town and Taylor Swift. Country fan or not though, you’ll easily lose a few hours ogling Elvis’ Cadillac and Carl Perkins’ blue suede shoes. But for those of you that really just can’t get enough, the Historic RCA Studio B tour is sure to scratch your country itch. See where legends like Elvis Presley and Dolly Parton recorded some of their biggest hits and swing by Hatch Show Print, the historic print shop that’s been producing posters for artists and performers since 1879. Of course it would be rude to leave without your own replica poster too.
Frist Art Museum
With no permanent collection, you never quite know what you might encounter in the galleries of the Frist Art Museum. Housed in a beautiful Art Deco building that was once Nashville’s main post office, the museum feels like a work of art itself (see for yourself at its free architecture tour every Saturday at 3.30pm). Don’t sweat if you’re visiting with children though, the museum has plenty to keep them entertained. At ArtQuest, an award-winning space, little ones can get hands-on with activities like drawing and painting and creating their own art inspired by the works on display in the exhibits. Entrance to the museum and ArtQuest is free for under 18s, making the Frist one of the more family-friendly must sees in Nashville.
Centennial Park
A 132-acre oasis in the city, Centennial Park has everything you’d expect from an urban greenspace (think water fountains, walking trails, a playground) and one thing you certainly wouldn’t: a full-scale replica of the Parthenon in Athens. Inspired by Nashville’s nickname ‘the Athens of the South’ (because of the city’s Greek-like dedication to education and learning), the Parthenon was built for the Tennessee Centennial Exposition in 1897 and remains the centre piece of the park today. It’s also home to an art gallery, the highlight of which is a 42-foot-tall gold statue of the Greek goddess Athena. Much like the building itself, it must be seen to be believed (it’s the tallest indoor statue in the US), so of course it’s one of our must sees in Nashville. Take a stroll through the greenery, wander around the lake and take a pew on one of its many benches. Rumour has it Taylor Swift enjoys doing the exact same thing…
Honky Tonk Highway
The neon-lit Honky Tonk Highway on Lower Broadway is Nashville’s most famous district. A rowdy row of bars or honky-tonks where music fills the streets from 10.00am to 3.00am, what’s not to love? But ‘what is a honky-tonk?’, we hear you whisper. Quite simply, it’s a bar where musicians, locals and tourists come together to drink, dance and delight in the disorderly atmosphere. These are your typical no thrills come as you are kind of places so as long as you have one hand free for whiskey shooting and the other to sway in the air, you’ll be just fine. Get a local to teach you how to line dance and put your newly purchased cowboy boots to good use for the night. If you want to kick back and sample some Southern musical magic without the crowds though, visit during the day for a more relaxed low-key experience.
Corsair Distillery
Tennessee might be best known for Jack Daniel’s (the distillery is in Lynchburg, a one-and-a-half-hour drive from Nashville), but if you want to try a tasting session without leaving the city, we recommend Corsair Distillery in Marathon Village. In 2010, it became the first craft distillery in Nashville since prohibition, producing award-winning small-batch whiskey and gin. Take a tour of the distillery (tastings included) then retire to the tap room to continue with cocktails at the bar. Refuel with fresh pizza and pick up a souvenir from the bottle shop. If spirits aren’t your tipple, they also have a tempting menu of local craft beers as well as non-alcoholic beverages.
National Museum of African American Music
Since opening its doors in 2021, the National Museum of African American Music has become a staple must see in Nashville. The only museum dedicated to celebrating the history of Black music in America, it explores more than 50 musical genres created or inspired by African Americans, including blues, jazz, hip hop, R&B and gospel. While country music commands much of the attention in Nashville, this museum tells the story of how Black musicians and artists have actually shaped much of the musical landscape both in the city and beyond. The immersive exhibits include recording rooms where you can lay down your own track and share it with friends on social media (if you dare).