Nashville In 3 Days
Day 1: Morning
Begin your exploration of Music City, USA, with a visit to the Ryman Auditorium , home to the Grand Ole Opry from 1943 until 1974, when the show relocated to its present 4,400-seat performance house at Gaylord Opryland. Take a daytime tour of the Ryman to learn all about the “Mother Church of Country Music,” which originated in the late 1800s as a tabernacle for Christian revivals.
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You can take the self-guiding tour before heading to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum , packed with all kinds of glitzy country music paraphernalia. The museum also offers a don't-miss tour of Music Row's Historic RCA Studio B, the famous recording studio where Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton cut singles.
Day 1: Afternoon
After a casual lunch at Jack's Bar-B-Que, head to the Frist Art Museum to see its collection of impressive international artwork. If time remains, include a walk through the Tennessee State Museum and Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park on your afternoon itinerary.
Day 1: Evening
An evening out in Lower Broadway (centered on 2nd Avenue and Broadway), Nashville's hottest nightlife area, is a must for party-goers. Catch a concert or take a dance lesson before hitting one of many live music clubs sharing the streets with warehouses and old bars. We like Legends Corner , Robert's Western World , Tootsie's Orchid Lounge and B.B. King's Blues Club . (If you're in the mood for a more upscale evening, opt for a leisurely dinner on the second floor of Merchants , set in a vintage hotel.)
Day 2: Morning
After a night of partying in Lower Broadway, return there to browse souvenir stores for country music-themed wares. But if you want something more memorable than a magnet or a commemorative shot glass, peek inside the original Ernest Tubb Record Shop opened in the 1940s, where you can score some rare vinyl or hard-to-find CDs. Or, you could snag a concert poster reprint from Nashville's historic Hatch Show Print (located inside the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum). The cool turn-of-the-20th-century letterpress print shop has created custom designs for everyone from Bob Dylan to Mumford & Sons and offers tours of its production area.
Day 2: Afternoon
Spend the rest of your day in the Music Valley area, just northeast of downtown.
Courtesy of Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center
You'll find a number of places to eat inside Gaylord Opryland , the focal point of the vicinity. The expansive complex includes Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center , the Grand Ole Opry , and General Jackson Showboat . Sign up for a tour of the Grand Ole Opry, wander the resort's botanical garden, waterfall and fountain or take a flatboat along canals in the atrium.
Day 2: Evening
The Music Valley area offers plenty in the way of live music and things for couples to do. The Grand Ole Opry presents shows on weekend evenings; if it's a weekday, opt instead for a dinner trip aboard the Cumberland River on the General Jackson Showboat . Another theater is Nashville Palace. A popular late-night event is the Saturday night radio show, which begins at midnight and is broadcast from the Texas Troubadour Theatre .
Day 3: Morning
Delve into Nashville's cultural side during your vacation. Fisk University Galleries houses works by Cézanne, O'Keeffe, Picasso and Renoir. Adjacent to Vanderbilt University is The Parthenon , with a gigantic, gilded Athena statue. Near campus, tour the Belmont Mansion , a furnished, ornate Italianate villa dating from the 1850s. Or stroll through Hillsboro Village, a small shopping and dining district centered on 21st Avenue South.
Day 3: Afternoon
Break for brunch or lunch at Biscuit Love , a popular local restaurant known for its made-from-scratch Southern fare. Then take a driving tour of the ritzy Belle Meade neighborhood, where many country music stars live. In Belle Meade, the Greek Revival Belle Meade Plantation is definitely worth a stop, as is Cheekwood Botanical Garden & Museum of Art , comprising substantial gallery space with noteworthy pieces, gardens and a sculpture trail.
Day 3: Evening
Look into a show at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC). Odds are, you can catch a ballet, opera or theatrical performance. Dine at the Drusie & Darr by Jean-Georges , set in a historic hotel. For a more casual vibe, head to Ellington's Midway Bar and Grill, which offers updated American classics and patio seating with a great view.