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My experience in Nashville is completely incomplete. On my trips to the city, I was only able to muster up a short amount of time to explore. This entry will grow as soon as I have a chance to see more of the city.
Lower Broadway
A great place to start is a walk down Lower Broadway. This is the heart of the city’s entertainment district. It’s lined with bars and clubs for country and rock music lovers as well as music-related companies. It’s not very lively during the day, but at night it’s a great place to be.
Looking down lower Broadway in December 2018
From Lower Broadway, you can get a good look at the AT&T Building. This 33 story building, built in 1994, is the tallest building in Tennessee. You can also see the famed Ryman Auditorium, known as the “Mother Church of Country Music”. Check out a live show or take one of the guided or self-guided tours.
Customs House
Further down Broadway at 7th Street is the Customs House. It’s not a tourist destination but it is a beautiful historic limestone building. It was built in 1875 as a government building and is now privately owned.
Nashville First Baptist Church
Across the street from the Customs House is the Nashville First Baptist Church, founded on July 22, 1820. The current church, which opened in 1970, is its third location downtown.
Parthenon
West of downtown is the Nashville Parthenon. It’s a full-scale replica of the Parthenon in Athens, Greece, built in 1897 for the Tennessee Centennial Exhibition. The interior features a 42-foot recreation of the Athena Parthenos statue, which was sculpted by Phidias in 447 BC and housed in the Parthenon. The replica was created by Alan LeQuire in 1990. The building also serves as the city’s art museum.
The exterior has a frieze made from direct plaster casts of the original Parthenon Marbles. It’s typically open daily and adult admission is US$10 (as of February 2024).
Gaylord Opryland
East of the city is the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center. It was originally built in 1977 next to the Grand Ole Opry, a Nashville institution, and has been expanded greatly over the years. I had to attend a conference there in 2006 and really enjoyed walking around in it.
