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The Hermitage Hotel, Nashville

Things to do guide

The best things to do in Nashville

Updated 1 October 2026 · 16 things to do

Pictured: The Hermitage Hotel

Nashville is the rare city where the music isn't a show put on for visitors. It's the day job. Songwriters work out of Music Row offices, session players slip between studios, and on any night of the week, a stranger on a bar stool might turn out to be the person who wrote your favourite chorus.

It's also a very good place to eat, with the fiery local invention of hot chicken at the front of the queue. Give it a long weekend, stay within reach of downtown, and plan one big night on Lower Broadway and one quieter evening listening to songwriters somewhere smaller.

Don't miss

  1. 1The Grand Ole Opry
  2. 2Ryman Auditorium
  3. 3Lower Broadway
  4. 4Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
  5. 5Nashville hot chicken

Music City

Start here. Everything else in Nashville is a footnote.

  1. Lower Broadway

    Nightlife

    Tootsie's Orchid Lounge on Lower Broadway, Nashville
    Photo: FaceMePLS from The Hague, The Netherlands, CC BY 2.0

    Honky-tonk Row is a few blocks of neon, boot shops and bars with live bands playing from late morning to the small hours. Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, with its purple front, is the best known, but you can wander in and out of a dozen places in an evening, and nobody charges to listen.

    Tip the band. They're often better than the headline acts back home.

    Tip: Come in the afternoon for the music without the crush, and again at night for the neon.

  2. Ryman Auditorium

    Landmark

    The red-brick Ryman Auditorium, the Mother Church of Country Music
    Photo: Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 4.0

    The red-brick former church that became the Mother Church of Country Music. For decades it was home to the Grand Ole Opry, and its wooden pews and superb acoustics still draw artists from every genre. Take a daytime tour, or better, see a show.

    Tip: Even if you can only manage a tour, sit in a pew and imagine the legends who stood on that stage.

  3. The Grand Ole Opry

    Landmark

    The Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville
    Photo: Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0

    The long-running Saturday-night radio show has been broadcasting live since 1925, and it remains the best single night out for country fans. Today it's staged at the Grand Ole Opry House, a short drive from downtown, with a circle of wood cut from the Ryman stage at its centre.

    Expect a mix of old-timers and current stars, each doing a short set.

    Tip: Check the schedule and book ahead. It sells out for headline nights.

  4. Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

    Museum

    The piano-shaped front of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
    Photo: Jumpy542, CC0

    A thorough, loving walk through the history of country music, from Appalachian fiddle tunes to modern stars, with guitars, stage outfits and Elvis's gold Cadillac. The building itself is shaped like piano keys and a radio tower.

    It's the place to go if you want to understand why Nashville matters.

  5. Johnny Cash Museum

    Museum

    The Johnny Cash Museum in downtown Nashville
    Photo: Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0

    A small, personal museum downtown, packed with the Man in Black's handwritten lyrics, stage clothes, letters and records. It suits fans, but even if you only know the big songs, it tells a compelling story.

  6. The Bluebird Cafe

    Nightlife

    A tiny room in a suburban shopping strip, famous for hosting songwriters in the round, taking turns to play their own songs. The audience is expected to listen quietly. It's the opposite of Broadway, and often the real highlight of a trip.

    Tip: Check the schedule and book well ahead. Seats are few.

Neighbourhoods to wander

  1. The Gulch

    Neighbourhood

    A former railyard turned polished district of rooftop bars, boutiques and restaurants. The famous pair of angel wings mural here is the city's most-photographed backdrop, and there's a queue to prove it.

    Come for dinner and a drink rather than for sightseeing.

  2. 12 South

    Neighbourhood

    A friendly strip of independent shops, coffee houses and brunch spots south of downtown, with the I Believe in Nashville mural and a leafy, small-town feel. A very good place for a slow Saturday morning.

  3. East Nashville

    Neighbourhood

    Across the Cumberland River, East Nashville is where many local musicians actually live. Expect laid-back dive bars, taquerias, vintage shops and a lot of live music in unglamorous rooms.

    It feels like another city, and it's easy to reach by ride-hail from downtown.

History and green space

  1. The Parthenon

    Landmark

    The full-scale Parthenon replica in Centennial Park, Nashville
    Photo: Thomas R Machnitzki (thomasmachnitzki.com), CC BY 3.0

    Nashville's nickname, the Athens of the South, led to a full-scale replica of the Greek Parthenon in Centennial Park, built for the 1897 Tennessee Centennial Exposition. Inside stands a towering statue of Athena. It's quirky, grand and surprisingly beautiful, especially at golden hour.

  2. The Hermitage

    Landmark

    The Hermitage, Andrew Jackson's mansion near Nashville
    Photo: Jim Bowen from Zhenhai, China, CC BY 2.0

    President Andrew Jackson's mansion and estate, a little way east of downtown. The tours and exhibits cover the life of the seventh president and the enslaved people who worked the plantation, with an honest look at both.

Eat and drink

  1. Nashville hot chicken

    Food

    Nashville-style hot chicken served with white bread and pickles
    Photo: Sean Russell from Knoxville, TN, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0

    Fried chicken coated in a cayenne paste and served on white bread with pickles. Prince's Hot Chicken Shack is the family restaurant most credited with inventing it, and Hattie B's is the lively modern chain. Start with mild. Seriously.

    A cold beer and extra bread are the only rescue.

    Tip: Order one level less spicy than you think you can handle.

  2. Meat and three

    Food

    The southern lunch tradition: pick a meat, such as fried chicken, meatloaf or roast beef, then three sides from a list that might include mac and cheese, collard greens and fried okra. Cornbread comes with it. Cheap, filling and honest.

  3. Goo Goo Cluster

    Food

    Nashville's own sweet: a round of caramel, marshmallow nougat and peanuts coated in milk chocolate, first made here in the early 1900s. Pick one up as a souvenir, or visit the Goo Goo Shop downtown to watch them being made.

Day trips

  1. Franklin

    Day trip

    The historic corner of Fourth Avenue and Main Street in Franklin, Tennessee
    Photo: Ichabod, CC BY-SA 3.0

    A well-kept historic town south of Nashville, with brick-fronted shops, a Civil War heritage and a very pleasant main street for lunch. It's a calm antidote to downtown, and a nice stop on a drive south.

  2. Natchez Trace Parkway

    Nature

    The double-arched concrete bridge on the Natchez Trace Parkway near Franklin
    Photo: Matthew Nichols, CC BY 2.0

    A slow, scenic road through woods and past historic sites, following an old trail that runs south-west from the Nashville area. There's no traffic to speak of, no billboards and plenty of places to stop for a short walk. Near Franklin, a striking double-arched concrete bridge carries it over a valley and makes a good photo stop.

Where to stay in Nashville

Not sure which area suits you? Read our guide: Where to stay in Nashville →

Getting around

Downtown, the Gulch and Music Row can be walked, and ride-hail is easy for everything else. Public transport is limited, so hire a car only if you plan to see Franklin, the Hermitage or the Natchez Trace.

When to go

Spring and autumn are the most pleasant seasons, with mild days and long evenings. Summer is hot and humid, and winter can be chilly but quiet. Weekends are busy at any time of year, as bachelorette parties flood Broadway.

Questions about visiting Nashville

What is Nashville best known for?
Country music and the Grand Ole Opry, the honky-tonks of Lower Broadway, Music Row's recording studios and spicy Nashville hot chicken.
How many days do you need in Nashville?
Three days covers the music venues, museums, the main neighbourhoods and a hot chicken lunch. Add a day for Franklin or the Hermitage.
Is Nashville worth visiting if you are not into country music?
Yes. The food, the live music across all genres, the neighbourhoods and the Parthenon are good reasons on their own, and the Ryman and Bluebird are special whatever you usually listen to.
Do you need a car in Nashville?
Not for the city centre, where you can walk and use ride-hail. A car helps for Franklin, the Hermitage and the Natchez Trace Parkway.

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