Heralded as Music City, USA, and the country-music capital of the world, Tennessee's fast-growing capital city also shines as a leading center of higher education, appropriately known as the Athens of the South. Nashville has prospered from both labels, emerging as one of the South's most vibrant cities in the process.
When to Go
Spring is probably the most attractive season in this part of the United States. Throughout the region, cherry blossoms are followed by azaleas, dogwood, and camellias from April into May and by apple blossoms in May. Folk, crafts, art, and music festivals tend to take place in summer, as do sports events. State and local fairs are held mainly in August and September, though there are a few in early July and into October. Fall can be a delight, with spectacular foliage. In winter, temperatures generally average in the low 40s. Summer temperatures range from the high 70s to the mid-80s, now and then the low 90s.
What to See
Grand Ole Opry: This enormously popular radio show, performed in the Grand Ole Opry House, has been broadcasting country music for more than 70 years. You can see superstars, legends, and up-and-coming stars on this stage. The Opry seats about 4,400 people and is broadcast live on WSM AM 650 every Friday and Saturday night at 6:30 and 9:30; buy tickets well in advance, particularly during Fan Fair week in June.
Ryman Auditorium and Museum: A country-music shrine, the Ryman Auditorium and Museum was home to the Grand Ole Opry from 1943 to 1974. The auditorium seats 2,000 for live performances of classical, jazz, pop, gospel, and, of course, country. The museum displays photographs and memorabilia of past Ryman Auditorium performances that provide a history of both the facility and country music.
The District: Thanks to an extensive preservation program begun in the early 1980s, this 16-square-block area between Church Street and Broadway is packed with handsomely restored 19th-century redbrick warehouses and storefronts. On Thursday, June-September, an after-work street party, Dancin' in the District, assembles with live music ranging from jazz to alternative rock. The Wildhorse Saloon, a huge country music dance hall, plus an array of popular local and chain restaurants and clubs, increases the festive atmosphere.
Music Row: This area at the eastern edge of the West End contains recording studios and record industry offices, including the famous but now closed RCA Studio B, at 27 Music Square West, where Elvis, Dolly Parton, and other greats recorded.
Country Music Hall of Fame: This tribute to country-music's finest, among them Hank Williams, Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline, and Johnny Cash, reopened in 2001 in a new facility across from the Gaylord Entertainment Center. A block long, the museum contains plaques honoring country greats, a two-story wall with every gold and platinum country record, a theater that screens a digital film on the industry, and daily live entertainment. Not to mention Elvis Presley's solid-gold 1960 Cadillac limo. A digital film presentation surveys country music around the world.
Belle Meade Plantation Known as the "queen of the Tennessee plantations," this stunning Greek Revival house is recognizable by the Civil War bullet holes that riddle its columns. Guides in period costumes lead you through the mansion, which is furnished antebellum style. The mansion is the centerpiece of a 5,300-acre estate that was one of the nation's first and finest thoroughbred breeding farms. It's also the site of the famous Iroquois, the oldest amateur steeplechase in America, a society event now run each May in nearby Percy Warner Park. A Victorian carriage museum with an impressive collection continues the equine theme. A two-story visitors center is modeled after a traditional Southern paddock.
The Hemitage
The historic home of Andrew Jackson, the Hermitage is Nashville's most prized historic-home museum and a monument to the state's most famous political figure. It is located about 20 miles (30km) northeast of Nashville,
Beginning his national political career as Tennessee's single Representative even before it had officially gained statehood, the fiery tempered Jackson went on to become the 7th US president.
Set among gardens in a wooded urban retreat, the graceful mansion is an amalgamation of its original 1821 Federal style with Pallatian flourishes and Grecian columns added in the 1830s. The big house was once the center of a self-sufficient cotton plantation of 1500 acres worked by 150 slaves. The modern visitor center introduces Jackson's life
with a short film.
