Downloads

Syllabus

Information Pack (1Mb)

Timetable of Dances

About Nashville

Sightseeing Overview
There is more than enough to see in Nashville to warrant a stay of several days, perhaps splitting the time between Downtown Nashville and the Opryland area, north east of the city center. Add in the surrounding rural attractions and a few more days can be spent profitably. A car is essential for rural pursuits, although central Nashville can be easily explored on foot and with the tourist transport options.

The bright and well-stocked Visitor Information Center on Broadway is a good place to start, located in the visually striking Gaylord Entertainment Center , designed primarily for concerts and sporting events. Across Broadway and half a block up Fifth Avenue is the Ryman Auditorium , a place of pilgrimage for country music fans. Further on along Sixth Avenue are the Tennessee Performing Arts Center , State Museum and State Capitol .

Transport, private or public, is needed to get to Opryland (see the Excursions section), home of the Grand Ole Opry and a cluster of country music museums. Here too is the Opryland Hotel , an attraction in its own right, with indoor gardens that even include an indoor lake, stunning waterfall and revolving restaurant. Nashville was never known for its understatement, and this is no exception.

Tourist Information
Visitor Information Center
Gaylord Entertainment Center, 501 Broadway, corner of Fifth Avenue
Tel: (615) 259 4747 or (800) 657 6910.
E-mail: nashcvb@musiccityusa.com
Website: www.musiccityusa.com
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1700.


Passes
Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau (tel: (615) 259 4747; website: www.musiccityusa.com ) offers a variety of passes allowing discounted entry to Nashville tourist attractions. The Pick 3 pass costs US$29.99 and offers free entry to three of 14 smaller participating attractions, while the Take 2 pass costs US$49.99 and offers free entry to two of nine participating attractions. The two tickets can be combined - at a cost of US$69.98. There is also the Parent Pass and the Kids on the House pass. All are available from the Visitor Information Center (see above), or can be purchased online or by calling (800) 657 6910 or (615) 259 4700.

Key Attractions:

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
The new Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum opened its doors in May 2001, following its re-location from Music Row to its impressive new home in the heart of Nashville's downtown entertainment district. Spanning an entire city block and soaring 33m (107ft) above a lush urban park, the new US$37million facility features over 40,000 square feet of exhibition space.
The self-guided tour takes the visitor on a chronological journey through the history of country music, from its 'back porch' beginnings, through the heyday of the Grand Ole Opry and right up to the present. This fascinating tour takes around three hours, features over one million items of memorabilia (from Elvis Presley's Gold Cadillac to Patsy Cline's cowboy boots) and is accompanied by archive recordings from radio, television and many of the country music's most important recorded works, as well as numerous interactive features.
The Country Music Hall of Fame is home to the largest country music archive in the world and the museum's archivists and restoration experts can be viewed at work through the glass walls of their hi-tech studios. An enormous two-story wall displays every gold and platinum record ever to make the country charts. There is daily live music in the atrium, in the form of live CMT (Country Music Television) broadcasts. The museum also boasts the Ford Theater , a 214-seat state-of-the-art performance venue featuring a digital film presentation on country music from around the world. The 1,676 sq m (5,500 sq ft) museum shop offers one of Nashville's best selections of vintage and current country music CDs, tapes, books, videos, collectibles and apparel. A full-service restaurant features contemporary Southern cuisine and is open for lunch.

222 Fifth Avenue South (corner of Demonbreun Street)
Tel: (615) 416 2001 or (800) 852 6437.
Website: www.countrymusichalloffame.com
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1700.
Admission charge; concessions available.

The Hermitage
The home of Andrew Jackson (America's seventh President) is Nashville's national treasure, attracting 250,000 visitors every year. Jackson first bought the property in 1804 and some of the original log cabins still survive. Rather more grand is the Greek Revival mansion he built in 1837, which has been fully restored, containing almost all original period furnishings. The gardens are impressive too and there is a museum on the site, as well as a restaurant and gift shop.

4580 Rachel's Lane, Hermitage
Tel: (615) 889 2941.
Website: www.thehermitage.com
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1700.
Admission charge; concessions available.

Ryman Auditorium
One of Downtown Nashville's prime attractions is the original home of the Grand Ole Opry, which still puts on all kinds of musical shows in the evening. By day, visitors can tour the auditorium, stand on the stage and hear anecdotes from the tour guides about the country stars who played here. These include Hank Williams, Patsy Cline and even a young Elvis Presley, when he was still regarded as a country singer. Memorabilia is on display, with some stage outfits and guitars. Ryman was a riverboat captain who built the theater in 1892, as a venue for religious meetings.

116 Fifth Avenue North
Tel: (615) 889 3060.
Website: www.ryman.com
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1600; evening shows vary.
Admission charge; concessions available.

Cheekwood
Known as Nashville's 'Home of Art and Gardens' and now also the Museum of Art, after an US$18million restoration, Cheekwood covers a site of 22 hectares (55 acres). The three-story Georgian-style Cheek Mansion was built in the 1930s, by Leslie and Mabel Cheek - Leslie Cheek being a successful local businessman. The art collection concentrates on local artists, such as the sculptor, Will Edmondson - the first African-American whose work was displayed at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, in 1937. American art and fine art of the 19th and 20th centuries are also covered. The gardens of the estate are magnificent and include a botanic hall and woodland sculpture trail. There is a restaurant open for lunch and a gift shop. Seasonal classes and workshops, exhibits, auctions and community events are held regularly at Cheekwood.

1200 Forrest Park Drive
Tel: (615) 356 8000.
Website: www.cheekwood.org
Opening hours: Tues-Sat 0930-1630. Sun 1100-1630.
Admission charge; concessions available.

Tennessee State Museum
This stimulating collection tells the story of the state, from prehistoric times through to the early 20th century. Special attention is paid to prominent characters, such as Andrew Jackson and Davy Crockett, as well as the Civil War. Historical arts and crafts items are also displayed and, in addition to the permanent collection, there are temporary exhibitions, for which there is usually a small admission charge.

Polk Cultural Center, 505 Deaderick Street
Tel: (615) 741 2692 or (800) 407 4324.
Website: www.tnmuseum.org
Opening hours: Tues-Sat 1000-1700, Sun 1300-1700.
Free admission.

Tennessee State Capitol
The Tennessee State Capitol was built in 1859 and many parts of it, including the library and the Supreme Court chamber, have been restored to their original grandeur. Portraits of local dignitaries gaze down from the walls, while statues of famous Tennesseans, such as General Andrew Jackson and President James Polk, stand in the Capitol's grounds.

Charlotte Avenue, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues
Tel: (615) 741 1621.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1600.
Free admission; group tours also available.

Belle Meade Plantation
The Belle Meade Plantation (huge grounds known as 'The Queen of Tennessee Plantations') contains one of the oldest houses in Tennessee - a log cabin from 1790. The star attraction, however, is the 1853 Greek Revival Mansion, which has been lovingly restored to its original elegance. Other original outbuildings survive on the 12-hectare (30-acre) site, including the stables and an 1890s carriage house, which are popular venues for weddings and large parties. Guides dressed in period costume give tours. There is also a visitor center, tearoom and gift shop.

5025 Harding Road
Tel: (615) 356 0501 or (800) 270 3991.
Website: www.bellemeadeplantation.com
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0900-1700, Sun 1100-1700.
Admission charge; concessions available.

Adventure Science Center
This was formerly the Cumberland Science Museum , and it remains firmly aimed at younger visitors. There are numerous hands-on exhibits and daily displays on scientific subjects. A simulated flight over Nashville is one attraction. Touring exhibitions are also housed here. There are daily shows in the Planetarium, including a live presentation explaining the 'Skies over Nashville'.

800 Fort Negley Boulevard
Tel: (615) 862 5160.
Website: www.adventuresci.com
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 1000-1700, Sun 1230-1730; planetarium shows 1100, 1400 and 1500 and occasionally at 1200.
Admission charge; concessions available.

Parthenon
Over the years, Nashville has established itself as the one of the foremost seats of learning in the US, with its prominent university (Vanderbilt) and famous medical and film schools. Because of this, Nashville is sometimes referred to as the 'Athens of the South.' This replica of Greece's most famous building was built in 1897, to house the international art exhibition for the Centennial Exposition in recognition of this achievement. It now serves as Nashville's art museum, but the real focus of the Parthenon is the gilded 12.75m (41ft 10in) re-created statue of the goddess Athena. The statue took eight years to build on-site, and if you get to walk or drive around the illuminated Parthenon at night, sometimes you may catch a glimpse through rarely opened doors of an event such as a private wedding reception gathered under the stunning gaze of the golden Athena. The glory of ancient Greece has indeed been meticulously re-created.

West End and 25th Avenues, Centennial Park
Tel: (615) 862 8431.
Website: www.parthenon.org
Opening hours: Tues-Sat 0900-1630, Sun 1230-1630 (Jun-Aug); Tues-Sat 0900-1630 (Sep-May).
Admission charge; concessions available.

Further Distractions:

This Italianate mansion was built in 1853 by Adelicia Acklen, who at the time was one of the wealthiest women in America - thanks in part to her cotton trading with both sides during the Civil War. There are 16 rooms that are open to the public, with guided tours showing the original furniture and artworks. The grounds, now part of Belmont University, also contain a gazebo and statuary.

1900 Belmont Boulevard
Tel: (615) 460 5459.
Website: www.belmontmansion.com
Admission charge; concessions available.

Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park
This large park covers an area of eight hectares (19 acres) to the north of the State Capitol. The grounds contain 31 fountains (corresponding to the main rivers of Tennessee) and a vast granite map of the state. The park also has walks, a Wall of History, an amphitheater and good views, especially leading up to the Capitol itself.

598 James Robertson Parkway
Tel: (615) 741 5280.
Website: www.state.tn.us/environment/parks/parks/Bicentennial/
Free admission.

Frist Center for the Visual Arts
The Frist Center for the Visual Arts is a non-profit art-exhibition center in Downtown Nashville, with approximately 7,315 sq m (24,000 sq ft) of gallery space, dedicated to presenting the finest visual art from local, state and regional artists, as well as major US and international exhibitions. It is housed in a beautiful 1930s Art Deco building, which was originally Nashville's historic main post office. The building was renovated in the late 1990s, with great care taken to preserve its interior period ornamental features. Hands-on activities in the ArtQuest Gallery provide interactive and educational experiences for all ages. On Thursday and Friday evenings the center features live music in the lobby and wine is available at the cash bar. Frist Fridays is a popular outdoor concert series held once a month May-October.

919 Broadway
Tel: (615) 244 3340.
Website: www.fristcenter.org
Admission charge; concessions available.

Nashville Shores Yacht Club & Marina
A summertime only (May-Sep) water park on Percy Priest Lake, featuring boat and jet ski rentals, water slides, swimming pools and mini-golf.

4001 Bell Road, Hermitage
Tel: (615) 889 7050.
Website: www.nashvilleshores.com
Admission charge; concessions available.