50 Best Things to Do in Nashville: The Short Version (2026)
- Top things to do in Nashville on a first trip: tour or see a show at the Ryman, spend three hours in the Country Music Hall of Fame ($31.95 adults), hear free live country on Lower Broadway and book a night at the Grand Ole Opry.
- Best free picks: the Tennessee State Museum, weekday State Capitol tours, the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge and the Music City Walk of Fame.
- Best museums beyond country: the National Museum of African American Music ($33.33), the Frist Art Museum ($20, free 18 and under) and Lane Motor Museum ($15).
- Closed, skip the old lists: the Patsy Cline Museum (closed May 2025), the George Jones Museum (closed December 2021), Antique Archaeology Nashville (closed April 2025) and the Ernest Tubb Record Shop (closed again in January 2026).
- This season: Gaylord Opryland’s A Country Christmas runs November 6, 2026–January 2, 2027 and Cheekwood’s Holiday LIGHTS November 20, 2026–January 3, 2027.
Compare Live Nashville Hotel Rates & Availability
The best things to do in Nashville start with music, but they do not end there. In one compact downtown you can tour the Ryman, watch posters come off the presses at Hatch Show Print and hear a live band on Broadway before lunch; a 15-minute drive away are a full-size Parthenon, a presidential estate and some of the best urban parks in the South.
This pillar guide lists 50 things to do, grouped by type: live music and icons, museums and historic homes, neighborhoods, food and drink, parks and family outings, and day trips. Each entry gives the area, a verified 2026 price or “free”, and a link to our deeper guide where we have one. Every place listed was checked as open in November 2026; four famous names that older lists still recommend have closed and are flagged.
How we researched this: in November 2026 our editors checked prices, hours and closed days on each venue’s official site (the Country Music Hall of Fame, Ryman, Grand Ole Opry, NMAAM, Johnny Cash Museum, Frist, Lane Motor Museum, the Parthenon, the Hermitage, Belle Meade, Cheekwood, Nashville Zoo and Adventure Science Center), confirmed closures in local news (WSMV, Nashville Post, NewsChannel 5) and took hotel fees and parking from our hotel registry. Walk times are approximate, from map distances. Anything we could not confirm as open was dropped or labeled.
Top 15 things to do in Nashville at a glance
If you only have two or three days, these 15 are the strongest picks, and seven of them are within a 15-minute walk of Lower Broadway. Prices are adult admission as published in November 2026; time needed is our estimate for an unhurried visit.
| Attraction | Area | Typical cost (adult) | Time needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Country Music Hall of Fame | Downtown / SoBro | $31.95 | 2–3 hours |
| Ryman Auditorium tour | Downtown | Backstage tour $42.52 + tax | 1–1.5 hours |
| Lower Broadway honky-tonks | Downtown | Free entry; tip the band | 2–4 hours |
| Grand Ole Opry | Music Valley | Show prices vary; daytime backstage tour $46.65 | 2–2.5 hours |
| National Museum of African American Music | Downtown (Fifth + Broadway) | $33.33 | 2 hours |
| Johnny Cash Museum | Downtown | $32.95 + tax | 1–1.5 hours |
| Tennessee State Museum | Bicentennial Mall | Free | 2 hours |
| Frist Art Museum | Downtown / Gulch edge | $20; 18 and under free | 1.5 hours |
| Parthenon in Centennial Park | West End | $15; park free | 1–1.5 hours |
| Historic RCA Studio B | Music Row | $54.95 with museum entry | 1 hour (tour) |
| Pedestrian bridge | Downtown / East Bank | Free | 30–45 minutes |
| Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage | Hermitage (east) | $29.95 | 2–3 hours |
| Lane Motor Museum | Southeast Nashville | $15 | 1.5–2 hours |
| Gaylord Opryland atriums | Music Valley | Free to walk; parking paid | 1–2 hours |
| Belle Meade Historic Site | Belle Meade | Mansion tour from $32 | 1.5–2 hours |
Live music and country icons (1–10)
Nashville’s headline attraction is live music, and much of it is free: the Broadway honky-tonks charge no cover, while the Ryman, the Opry and the songwriter rooms are worth paying for. Start here, then use our live music guide to plan each night of the week.
- 1. Ryman Auditorium (116 Rep. John Lewis Way North, Downtown). The 1892 “Mother Church of Country Music” runs daytime tours from 9 AM to 4 PM: guided backstage $42.52 + tax, VIP $62.02 + tax; the self-guided tour was a $25 + tax fall offer through October 31, 2026, so check the current rate. Closed for tours on Thanksgiving. See our Ryman tickets and tours guide.
- 2. Grand Ole Opry (Music Valley, about 15 minutes’ drive). The longest-running radio show in America; show prices vary by date. The daytime backstage tour is $46.65 including taxes and fees, and a post-show tour needs a show ticket.
- 3. Lower Broadway honky-tonks. Robert’s Western World and Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge charge no cover and have bands from late morning; all ages until 6 PM, then 21+. Tip the band. Our honky-tonk guide ranks the stages.
- 4. The Bluebird Cafe (Green Hills). The 90-seat songwriter room where writers play in the round; seats sell out fast, so read our Bluebird reservation tips first.
- 5. The Listening Room Cafe (SoBro). Songwriter shows with dinner in a larger, easier-to-book room.
- 6. The Station Inn (402 12th Avenue South, The Gulch). Bluegrass since 1978; the Sunday-night bluegrass jam has no cover.
- 7. Printers Alley (between 3rd and 4th Avenues North). The neon alley is free to walk; some clubs charge a cover after 9 PM.
- 8. Historic RCA Studio B (Music Row). Elvis recorded more than 200 songs here; tours leave from the Hall of Fame only, $54.95 with museum admission or $23 as an add-on.
- 9. Music City Walk of Fame Park (Demonbreun Street, Downtown). Free, open daily, with stars for Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley.
- 10. Third Man Records (627 7th Avenue South). Jack White’s label store is free to browse daily 11 AM–6 PM; its 1947 Voice-o-Graph booth is out of order, so call ahead.
Museums and historic homes (11–23)
Nashville’s museum row is downtown: the Hall of Fame, NMAAM, Johnny Cash and the State Museum are all within a 26-minute walk of Broadway. Watch the closed days: the Frist and Lane Motor Museum close Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and the State Museum closes Mondays. Our Nashville museums guide compares every ticket.
- 11. Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (222 Rep. John Lewis Way South). Open daily 9 AM–5 PM; $31.95 adults, $21.95 ages 6–12. The Hatch Show Print letterpress shop is in the same building. Details in our Hall of Fame and Hatch Show Print guide.
- 12. National Museum of African American Music (598 Broadway). More than 50 genres, from spirituals to hip-hop, with interactive booths; $33.33 adults, last entry 4 PM. See our NMAAM guide.
- 13. Johnny Cash Museum (119 3rd Avenue South). $32.95 + tax, open daily 9 AM–7 PM. The Patsy Cline Museum upstairs closed on May 15, 2025 and became an expansion of the Cash museum; our Johnny Cash Museum guide has the background.
- 14. Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum (401 Gay Street). The session players behind the hits, plus a GRAMMY Museum Gallery; Monday–Saturday 10 AM–5 PM. See our Musicians Hall of Fame guide.
- 15. Tennessee State Museum (1000 Rosa L. Parks Boulevard). Free; Tuesday–Saturday 10–5, Sunday 1–5. Our State Museum guide lists the best galleries.
- 16. Frist Art Museum (919 Broadway). Touring exhibitions in a 1934 Art Deco post office; $20 adults, free 18 and under.
- 17. Lane Motor Museum (702 Murfreesboro Pike). Microcars, amphibious cars and propeller cars; $15 adults, $3 ages 6–17, free parking. See our Lane Motor Museum guide.
- 18. The Parthenon (Centennial Park). Full-scale replica with a 42-foot Athena; $15 adults, closes at noon on Thursdays.
- 19. Tennessee State Capitol. Free 45-minute guided tours on weekdays.
- 20. Belmont Mansion (Belmont University campus). Self-guided tour $18, guided $22. See our Belmont Mansion guide.
- 21. Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage (4580 Rachel’s Lane, about 20 minutes east). $29.95 adults; last mansion tour 4 PM.
- 22. Belle Meade Historic Site (west Nashville). Mansion tours from $32, every 30–45 minutes from 9:30 AM.
- 23. Two Rivers Mansion (Donelson). An 1859 mansion run by the Friends of Two Rivers, open for scheduled tours rather than daily; see our Two Rivers guide.
One more closure to know: the George Jones Museum on 2nd Avenue closed in December 2021, and the building now houses Nashville Live!, so our George Jones on 2nd Avenue page is history, not a museum stop.
Plan museum days around the closed days
Do downtown museums Thursday to Monday if you can. The Frist and Lane Motor Museum are closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays, the State Museum on Mondays and the Musicians Hall of Fame on Sundays, while the Parthenon shuts at noon on Thursdays and on November 11, 26 and 27, 2026. The Hall of Fame, NMAAM and Johnny Cash open every day except major holidays.
Nashville neighborhoods to walk (24–31)
Each neighborhood has a different personality: the downtown Arcade and Printers Alley for history, The Gulch and 12 South for boutiques and murals, East Nashville and Germantown for independent restaurants. All are free to wander and within a 10-minute rideshare of Broadway.
- 24. The Arcade (between 4th and 5th Avenues North). A 1902 glass-roofed passage of galleries and lunch counters, free to walk; Arcade Arts studios open for the Second Saturday Art Crawl. See our Arcade guide.
- 25. Marathon Village (1300 Clinton Street). A 1910s car factory turned shops, bars and Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery. Mike Wolfe’s Antique Archaeology store closed on April 27, 2025; our Marathon Village guide covers what remains.
- 26. 12 South. A half-mile strip of boutiques such as Imogene + Willie and White’s Mercantile. See our 12 South guide.
- 27. The Gulch. Rooftops, the Station Inn and Kelsey Montague’s “What Lifts You” wings mural at 302 11th Avenue South, free.
- 28. East Nashville. Five Points bars, vintage shops and some of the city’s best independent restaurants across the river.
- 29. Germantown. Brick Victorian streets next to the Farmers’ Market and Bicentennial Mall.
- 30. Wedgewood-Houston. Galleries and distilleries in former warehouses south of downtown.
- 31. Fifth + Broadway. The downtown shopping block with Assembly Food Hall (30+ eateries and bars, 9 AM–10 PM, to midnight Fridays and Saturdays) and NMAAM; our Nashville shopping guide covers the rest of the city’s stores.
Food and drink: what to eat and sip in Nashville (32–37)
Eat hot chicken at least once, then try barbecue, a meat-and-three and a biscuit breakfast; most of the classic versions are casual counter-service or cafeteria meals. Our Nashville food guide maps the best spots by neighborhood.
- 32. Hot chicken. Prince’s, the family credited with starting it, has a counter in Assembly Food Hall; compare heat levels in our hot chicken guide.
- 33. Barbecue. Whole-hog and dry-rub ribs; our Nashville barbecue guide compares the main names.
- 34. A meat-and-three. Cafeteria-style plates of one meat and three sides, a weekday lunch tradition.
- 35. Nashville Farmers’ Market (900 Rosa L. Parks Boulevard). Free to browse, with an indoor food hall; see our Farmers’ Market guide.
- 36. Rooftop bars. Broadway and The Gulch both have skyline rooftops, many with live music; see our Broadway rooftop bars guide.
- 37. A whiskey tasting. Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery (1414 Clinton Street) runs a 45–60-minute tour with four whiskeys for $25; more in our distillery tours guide.
Parks, outdoors and family things to do in Nashville (38–46)
The pedestrian bridge and Centennial Park are free and close to downtown; Radnor Lake and the Warner Parks are 15–25 minutes away by car. For children, the Zoo and Adventure Science Center are the two best paid outings, and our free things to do in Nashville guide adds 25 no-cost ideas.
- 38. John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge. The best free skyline view, 6 minutes from Broadway on foot.
- 39. Centennial Park. Free lawns and a lake around the Parthenon.
- 40. Radnor Lake State Park. Free wildlife trails about 15 minutes south; lots fill on weekend mornings.
- 41. Shelby Bottoms Greenway. Flat riverside paths for walking or cycling, free.
- 42. Percy and Edwin Warner Parks. More than 2,500 acres of free trails. More ideas in our parks and outdoor guide.
- 43. Nashville Zoo at Grassmere. Open 9 AM–4 PM; “any day” tickets are $24 adults and $20 ages 2–12, and prices vary by date.
- 44. Adventure Science Center (800 Fort Negley Boulevard). $22 adults, $18 ages 2–12, planetarium $10 extra; closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
- 45. Gaylord Opryland atriums. Nine acres of indoor gardens, free to walk; A Country Christmas adds paid attractions from November 6, 2026.
- 46. Cheekwood Estate and Gardens. Holiday LIGHTS runs nightly November 20, 2026–January 3, 2027 with timed tickets; daytime hours are Tuesday–Sunday.
Day trips from Nashville (47–50)
The easiest day trips are Franklin, 30 minutes south, and the Jack Daniel’s Distillery in Lynchburg, about 90 minutes away; Chattanooga and the Smoky Mountains need a full day or more. Our day trips from Nashville guide compares 15 options with drive times.
- 47. Franklin. A historic Main Street and Civil War sites; read our Franklin day trip guide.
- 48. Jack Daniel’s Distillery, Lynchburg. Tours of the whiskey maker in a small Middle Tennessee town; see our Jack Daniel’s day trip guide.
- 49. Chattanooga. Two hours southeast, with Lookout Mountain and the Tennessee Aquarium.
- 50. A guided tour. If you would rather not drive, our best Nashville tours guide compares trolley, food, backstage and day-trip tours by length and price.
Where to stay for sightseeing in Nashville
For sightseeing, stay downtown within a few blocks of Broadway: Hilton Nashville Downtown and Renaissance Nashville charge no resort fee and put the Hall of Fame, the Ryman and NMAAM within roughly a 3- to 8-minute walk. Choose the Gaylord only if the Opry and its indoor gardens are the trip’s focus.
Every Nashville hotel bill carries 16.75% tax plus $2.50 per room per night, and destination fees are taxed too. The Hermitage Hotel is the luxury pick with no resort fee, 7 minutes from the Ryman. W Nashville suits couples who want a pool and The Gulch’s restaurants, but it is a 14-minute uphill walk to Broadway. Gaylord Opryland is 5 minutes on foot from the Opry House but about 15 minutes by car from downtown, with a $45 + tax resort fee.
| Hotel | Area | Price level | Walk to Broadway | Pool | Resort fee | Parking | Booking.com |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hilton Nashville Downtown | Core Downtown (1 Block off Lower Broadway) | Upscale | Half a block (100 yards) from Lower Broadway Honky Tonks (1-minute walk) | No pool — 100% all-suite hotel right behind Bridgestone Arena & Country Music Hall of Fame | None ($0 mandatory resort fee) | Valet only: $65/night with in-and-out privileges (no self-parking) | Check prices |
| Renaissance Nashville Hotel | Core Downtown (Adjacent to Fifth + Broadway) | Upscale | 1 block north of Lower Broadway & Ryman Auditorium (2-minute walk; connected to Fifth + Broadway) | Indoor pool | Destination fee: booking sites list $25–$30 + tax per night (confirm at booking) | Valet only: $69/day (no self-parking; Library Garage across the street closed since the June 2025 fire) | Check prices |
| The Hermitage Hotel | Downtown / Capitol District | Luxury | 4 blocks north of Lower Broadway & Ryman Auditorium (7-minute walk) | No pool — historic 1910 Beaux-Arts National Historic Landmark | None ($0 mandatory resort fee) | Valet $58/night + tax (per the hotel’s FAQ, October 2026) | Check prices |
| W Nashville | The Gulch | Luxury | 14-minute walk (or 4-minute Uber) to Lower Broadway | 9,700-sq-ft WET Deck heated resort pool with private cabanas & pool bar | $30 + tax per night (Destination Amenity Fee) | Valet $58/night | Check prices |
| Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center | Opryland / Music Valley | Upscale | 15-min drive to Lower Broadway (about a 14-min walk to the Grand Ole Opry House) | 4-acre SoundWaves indoor/outdoor upscale waterpark + 2 outdoor resort pools | $45 + 16.75% tax per night ($52.54/night total) | Self-parking $38/night; Valet $50/night | Check prices |
Hilton Nashville Downtown
- 100% Two-Room Suites (separate living room + bedroom)
- NO Resort Fee ($0/night)
- About 4 min on foot to Bridgestone Arena, 5 min to the Ryman
- Soaring sunlit atrium
The closest all-suite hotel to Honky Tonk Highway—located half a block off Lower Broadway across from Bridgestone Arena and the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Prices vary according to travel dates and availability.
Renaissance Nashville Hotel
- Directly connected to Fifth + Broadway & Assembly Food Hall
- 1 block from Ryman Auditorium
- Indoor pool
- Large meeting hotel near Music City Center
Connected directly to the Fifth + Broadway dining and shopping complex, one block from Ryman Auditorium and Lower Broadway.
Prices vary according to travel dates and availability.
The Hermitage Hotel
- NO Resort Fee ($0/night)
- Oversized 500+ sq ft guest rooms
- Drusie & Darr by Jean-Georges Vongerichten
- 1910 Beaux-Arts National Historic Landmark
Nashville’s original 1910 Five-Star Beaux-Arts landmark offering oversized 500-square-foot rooms, Jean-Georges dining at Drusie & Darr, and zero resort fees.
Prices vary according to travel dates and availability.
W Nashville
- Massive 9,700-sq-ft WET Deck heated pool
- Butterfly rooftop bar (José Andrés Group, 2026)
- Zaytinya & Bar Mar by José Andrés Group
- Prime Gulch walkability
High-voltage luxury in The Gulch boasting a 9,700-square-foot WET Deck pool oasis and, since 2026, José Andrés Group dining: Zaytinya, Bar Mar and the Butterfly rooftop bar.
Prices vary according to travel dates and availability.
Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center
- 9 acres of indoor glass-enclosed botanical atriums
- 4-acre SoundWaves indoor/outdoor waterpark
- Delta flatboat river ride inside hotel
- Walk to Grand Ole Opry & Opry Mills
Nashville’s iconic 2,888-room resort featuring nine acres of climate-controlled indoor tropical gardens, indoor waterfalls, a quarter-mile riverboat ride and the SoundWaves waterpark.
Prices vary according to travel dates and availability.
Sources and How We Verified This
- Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum: 2026 admission, Studio B and Hatch Show Print packages; daily 9–5 hours.
- Ryman Auditorium tours: tour prices, 9–4 tour hours and the Thanksgiving closure.
- Grand Ole Opry tours: daytime, VIP and post-show tour prices.
- National Museum of African American Music: admission, hours and last entry.
- Lane Motor Museum: 2026 prices and Tuesday–Wednesday closure.
- Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage: admission and hours.
- WSMV: the Patsy Cline Museum closure in May 2025.
- WVLT: Antique Archaeology’s Nashville store closing in April 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the number one thing to do in Nashville?
For most first-time visitors it is live music at a historic venue: a show or tour at the Ryman Auditorium, followed by free live country in the Lower Broadway honky-tonks. If you have time for one museum, make it the Country Music Hall of Fame ($31.95 adults), open daily 9 AM to 5 PM and 3 minutes from Broadway on foot.
How many days do you need in Nashville?
Three days covers the essentials: one day for downtown museums and Broadway, one for the Opry and Music Valley or a neighborhood like The Gulch, and one for a historic home or Franklin. Our 3-day Nashville itinerary lays it out hour by hour; with five days, add a day trip.
Is the Patsy Cline Museum in Nashville still open?
No. The Patsy Cline Museum above the Johnny Cash Museum at 119 3rd Avenue South closed on May 15, 2025, and its space became an expansion of the Johnny Cash Museum. No reopening elsewhere had been announced when we checked in November 2026. The Johnny Cash Museum is open daily 9 AM to 7 PM for $32.95 plus tax.
What is there to do in Nashville in November 2026?
Gaylord Opryland’s A Country Christmas opens November 6, 2026 and Cheekwood’s Holiday LIGHTS on November 20. Museums and honky-tonks run as usual, but plan around Thanksgiving, November 26: the Ryman tours, Tennessee State Museum, Hermitage and Frist are closed that day, and the Parthenon also closes November 11 and 27.
What is the best area to stay in Nashville for sightseeing?
Downtown near Lower Broadway, because the Hall of Fame, Ryman, NMAAM, Johnny Cash Museum and pedestrian bridge are all walkable. Hilton Nashville Downtown and Renaissance Nashville charge no resort fee and sit within a few minutes of those sights. Our where to stay in Nashville guide compares every neighborhood.
