Ryman Auditorium

Travelers can visit independently or on a Nashville tour—ride a hop-on hop-off trolley and stop at the Ryman Auditorium for a self-guided tour or take a guided backstage tour to see dressing rooms, exhibits, multimedia presentations, historic memorabilia, and artifacts.

Music history buffs may prefer to visit the auditorium on a walking tour of downtown Nashville, to hear stories of the city’s must-see sites, while foodies can stop by the Ryman on a culinary tour. Alternatively, combine a visit with an evening tour of Nashville featuring live music and a traditional barbecue dinner.

• Purchase tickets online or in person at the Ryman Auditorium ticket office or the Opry House.

• Café Lula, the Ryman’s on-site dining venue, serves up local food and drinks from 9am to 8pm every day, with extended hours for concerts and events.

• Cameras are permitted during daytime tours but are not allowed backstage.

• There are no coat check facilities.

• The Ryman provides wheelchair escorts during nighttime events for guests with limited mobility; accessible ticket options are available.

The Ryman is centrally located in the heart of downtown Nashville, at the junction of Broadway and Fourth Avenue. The entrance is located on the Fourth Avenue side of the building. The site does not have a dedicated public parking lot.

The Ryman Auditorium and museum are open year-round except for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Tours are offered daily between 9am and 4pm. The most popular time to visit is from April through October, when warm weather brings Music City to life. Winter is the city’s off-season, when visitors may find lower prices.

Although it’s the original home of Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry country music concerts, the Ryman stage has seen superstars of every genre. Artists such as Paul Simon, the Pixies, MGMT, and even Houdini have performed here, in addition to comedians Joe Rogan and Bill Burr.

Yes, you can take a tour of the Ryman Auditorium. Visitors have options: they can peek behind the scenes on a backstage tour, explore at their own pace on a self-guided tour, or enjoy a Post-Show Opry Tour after seeing the Grand Ole Opry, a weekly American country music stage concert.

The Ryman Auditorium offers tours lasting from around 45 to 60 minutes. If you take the self-guided tour, you can explore at your own pace and spend as much or little time as you wish in the venue during visiting hours.

Yes, tours of the Ryman Auditorium are popular and can sell out, especially on weekends and from June to August, Nashville’s peak summer season. The tours are also more likely to sell out on Grand Ole Opry dates or when a top act is in town to play a show.

Yes, you can take pictures during self-guided tours of the Ryman Auditorium. However, regulations don’t permit cameras at any time during backstage tours. Performers set photography policies on the night of their shows—check beforehand if you want to bring a camera to a performance.

Yes, you can enter the Ryman Auditorium without booking a tour if you have a ticket for a performance. However, if you want to see musicians’ memorabilia and the exhibits, you’ll need to book a self-guided tour. If you want to go backstage, you’ll need to book a guided tour.

No, booking a tour of the Ryman Auditorium in advance isn’t required. However, while you can purchase tickets at the door on arrival, it’s best to buy them online ahead of time to ensure your preferred date and time slot are available.