The best things to do in Nashville are a show at the Ryman, an afternoon in the Broadway honky-tonks, the Country Music Hall of Fame, a night at the Grand Ole Opry and a songwriter set at the Bluebird Cafe. Add hot chicken, a meat-and-three lunch and the pedestrian bridge at sunset, and you have the essential first trip.
This guide ranks the 20 things most worth your time, then sorts dozens more by the kind of trip you’re taking: free, after dark, rainy days, kids, couples, history, the outdoors, sports, sober travelers and repeat visitors. Every entry gives the price, how long it takes and how far it is from Lower Broadway. One caveat: prices and hours below were checked in September 2026, and the Grand Ole Opry plays the Opry House at Opryland, not the Ryman, nearly all year, so check the venue for your date.
Last updated September 30, 2026. Prices, rules and details checked September 2026.
The Short Version
| If you only do five things | Why | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| A concert or tour at the Ryman Auditorium | The Mother Church of Country Music, and the best room in town | Tours on the Ryman’s calendar; shows vary |
| An afternoon in the Broadway honky-tonks | Live bands from late morning, no cover | Free; tip the band |
| The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum | The story of the music in one building | $31.95 for adults |
| A night at the Grand Ole Opry | A century-old radio show, live on stage | Varies by show and seat |
| Hot chicken and a meat-and-three lunch | The two dishes the city is known for | Counter-service prices |
Things to Do in Nashville: The Top 20, Ranked
This ranking favors the things you can only do here, weighed against cost and time. Each entry lists the price, the time you need (our estimate) and the distance from Lower Broadway, the five blocks of honky-tonks that most visitors treat as the center of town. Addresses and prices were checked with each venue in September 2026.
1. See a show or take a tour at the Ryman Auditorium
Price: tours on the Ryman’s calendar; shows vary · Time: 1 to 1.5 hours for a tour · Distance: half a block from Broadway
The Ryman is a 19th-century tabernacle turned concert hall, home of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943 to 1974 and still one of the best-sounding rooms in the country. See a concert here if the calendar offers anything you like; the pews and the balcony make every show feel like a revival. By day, tour it: the self-guided tour is free for children 12 and under with a paying adult, the Guided Backstage Tour adds 45 minutes with a guide, and every tour includes a souvenir photo on the stage. Verdict: the single most Nashville thing you can do.
2. Spend an afternoon in the Broadway honky-tonks
Price: no cover; tip the band · Time: 2 to 4 hours · Distance: you’re on it
Lower Broadway’s honky-tonks run live bands on nearly every floor from late morning into the small hours, with no cover charge. Start at Robert’s Western World for traditional country, then Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge and Legends Corner. The traditional rooms are all ages until 6pm and 21 and up after, so families should go after lunch. Verdict: essential once, best in the afternoon, and not worth four nights in a row. Our ranked guide to the Nashville honky-tonks covers which bars to choose and how to tip.
3. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
Price: $31.95 adults, $21.95 ages 6 to 12 · Time: 2 to 3 hours · Distance: a 5-minute walk
The Hall of Fame tells the story of country music from its string-band beginnings to today’s stadium acts, with costumes, instruments, handwritten lyrics and the rotunda where every inductee has a plaque. It opens at 9am daily and closes at 5pm, so go first thing, before the tour groups. Verdict: the best music museum in the city, and worth it even if you think you don’t like country.
4. A night at the Grand Ole Opry
Price: varies by show and seat · Time: an evening · Distance: about 10 miles; 15 to 25 minutes by car
The Opry is a live radio show that has run for a century: several artists a night, a few songs each, legends and newcomers on the same bill. Its 2026 calendar puts shows at 7pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at the Opry House, next to Opry Mills, where it stays through December 2026. Its winter stint at the Ryman shrank to a single week in January 2026, so don’t assume a downtown Opry in winter. Verdict: the most Nashville night you can have. Add the $45 Post-Show Tour to go backstage afterward.
5. A songwriter night at the Bluebird Cafe
Price: free to $39.94 a seat plus a $15 per-seat minimum · Time: an evening · Distance: about 15 to 20 minutes by car
The Bluebird is a tiny room where songwriters play the hits they wrote for other people, often in the round. Seats are sold online only, six per order at most: they release at 8am Central a week ahead for Monday to Thursday shows and on the Monday of show week for Friday to Sunday. Verdict: the best way to hear what Nashville actually does, which is write songs. Set an alarm for the release.
6. Eat hot chicken, then a meat-and-three
Price: counter-service prices · Time: an hour each · Distance: Prince’s has a counter at Fifth + Broadway
Nashville’s two signature meals are hot chicken, fried and coated in cayenne and served on white bread with pickles, and the meat-and-three, a cafeteria-style lunch of one meat and three Southern sides. Prince’s Hot Chicken, the family that invented the dish, has a counter in Assembly Food Hall; Arnold’s Country Kitchen is the city’s best-known meat-and-three. Verdict: do both, on different days. Our guide to the best restaurants in Nashville has the rest.
7. Walk the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge at sunset
Price: free · Time: 30 minutes · Distance: a 5 to 10 minute walk
The old Shelby Street Bridge, closed to cars and reborn as a pedestrian bridge, crosses the Cumberland River between SoBro and the East Bank, and it frames the best free view of the skyline. Walk it at sunset, then either come back for dinner downtown or keep going toward East Nashville. Verdict: the best 30 minutes you’ll spend for free.
8. The Johnny Cash Museum
Price: $32.95 plus tax · Time: 1 to 1.5 hours · Distance: a 2-minute walk, just off Broadway
A compact, well-stocked museum devoted to the Man in Black, with stage outfits, personal items, recordings and a wall of gold records. It’s open 9am to 7pm every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas, which makes it one of the few museums you can visit in the early evening. Verdict: worth it for Cash fans; for everyone else, the Hall of Fame covers more for about the same price.
9. RCA Studio B
Price: $23 · Time: about an hour with the shuttle · Distance: tours leave from the Hall of Fame
The Music Row studio where a remarkable run of 1960s country and pop was recorded, Elvis Presley’s Nashville sessions among them. Tours leave from the Country Music Hall of Fame between 10am and 3pm with transportation included. Verdict: book it with your Hall of Fame ticket and do both in one morning.
10. Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage
Price: $29.95 adults, $19.95 ages 5 to 12 · Time: 2 to 3 hours · Distance: about 25 minutes east by car
The plantation home of the seventh president is Nashville’s most substantial historic site. A ticket covers the film, the museum, a 25 to 30 minute guided mansion tour and the grounds, including Jackson’s tomb and the sites that tell the stories of the enslaved community who worked the land. It opens from 8:30am to 6pm, with the last tickets sold at 5pm, and closes on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. A family pass for two adults and two children is $93.80. Verdict: the best history stop in the area, and an honest one.
11. The National Museum of African American Music
Price: check the museum’s site · Time: 2 hours · Distance: at Fifth + Broadway
NMAAM traces the Black roots of American music, from spirituals and gospel through blues, jazz, R&B and hip-hop, in a building at Fifth + Broadway. The last entry is at 4pm, so don’t leave it for late afternoon. Verdict: the essential counterpart to the Hall of Fame, and the museum most first-time visitors miss.
12. The Parthenon in Centennial Park
Price: $15 adults · Time: 1 hour · Distance: about 2 miles; 10 minutes by car
A full-scale replica of the Athens original, built for the Tennessee Centennial Exposition in 1897 and rebuilt in permanent form in the 20th century, with a towering statue of Athena inside. The park around it is free and makes a good picnic stop. Verdict: the park is a must for photos; the interior is worth $15 if you have an hour.
13. The Tennessee State Museum
Price: free · Time: 1.5 to 2 hours · Distance: about a 20-minute walk, at Bicentennial Capitol Mall
A free museum that covers the whole state’s history, from its first people to country music, with one of Dolly Parton’s stage costumes in the collection. It’s closed on Mondays and opens Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm and Sunday from 1pm to 5pm. Verdict: the best free museum in the city and the perfect rainy-morning stop before the Farmers’ Market.
14. The Nashville Farmers’ Market and Bicentennial Capitol Mall
Price: free to browse · Time: 1 to 2 hours · Distance: about a mile north; 20 to 25 minutes on foot
Next door to each other, north of the Capitol, the Farmers’ Market has farm sheds, a garden center and a food hall with more than 20 restaurants, and Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park runs south to the Capitol with views over the city. Pair them with the State Museum for a free half-day. Verdict: the best-value morning in Nashville.
15. The Frist Art Museum
Price: check the current exhibition · Time: 1 to 2 hours · Distance: a 10 to 15 minute walk, at 919 Broadway
The Frist has no permanent collection; it hosts touring exhibitions in the grand Art Deco former post office on Broadway. It opens Thursday to Monday, so plan around its closed days. Verdict: check what’s on; when the exhibition suits you, it’s the best-looking building to spend a hot afternoon in.
16. Explore a neighborhood: the Gulch, Germantown or East Nashville
Price: free · Time: half a day · Distance: 1 to 2 miles
Nashville’s character is in its neighborhoods: the Gulch for rooftops and shopping, Germantown for brick streets and dinner, East Nashville for bars, record shops and neighborhood restaurants, and 12South for boutiques and brunch. Verdict: spend at least one afternoon off Broadway; it’s where the city’s own life happens. Our guide to where to stay in Nashville compares these areas as places to sleep.
17. Walk at Radnor Lake State Park
Price: free · Time: 1 to 2 hours · Distance: about 20 minutes south by car
A protected lake and woods on the city’s southern edge, with easy trails and regular wildlife sightings. Come early on a summer morning, or for the fall color from late October. Verdict: the best antidote to a Broadway night.
18. Cheekwood Estate & Gardens
Price: $26 to $32 adults, $20 to $26 youth, by date · Time: 2 to 3 hours · Distance: about 20 minutes southwest by car
A 1930s mansion set in botanical gardens, with art inside and seasonal displays outside; its Holiday LIGHTS run in the evenings during the Christmas season. Verdict: the loveliest garden visit in the city, best in spring and at Christmas.
19. The Nashville Zoo
Price: $32 adults and $28 children for an any-day ticket; dated tickets vary · Time: 3 to 4 hours · Distance: about 20 minutes south by car
The family pick, with prices that vary by date if you commit to a day in advance. Verdict: the best half-day for young children; go early on summer days.
20. The Lane Motor Museum
Price: check the museum’s site · Time: 1.5 to 2 hours · Distance: about 10 minutes by car
The city’s most unexpected museum is a hall of strange cars: microcars, amphibious vehicles, prototypes and rare European models. Verdict: the best rainy-day surprise in Nashville, for car people and kids alike.
What the Top Sights Cost
Most of Nashville’s paid sights charge around $30 for adults, and several of the best things cost nothing: the honky-tonks, the State Museum, the Capitol grounds, the pedestrian bridge and the parks. The Hall of Fame, Studio B and an Opry backstage tour together come to about $102 a person, before the Ryman tour, food, drinks and the Opry show itself. Nashville has no single city pass covering the big sights; the savings come from operator bundles, such as the Opry’s Country Duos package with the Ryman.
Free Things to Do in Nashville
- The Broadway honky-tonks: no cover at the traditional rooms, just tips for the band.
- The John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge: the skyline view, especially at sunset.
- The Tennessee State Museum: free admission, Tuesday to Sunday.
- Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park and the Capitol grounds: history walls, views and space.
- The Nashville Farmers’ Market: free to wander, with food to buy.
- Centennial Park: the Parthenon’s exterior, the lake and the lawns.
- Radnor Lake and the Warner Parks: trails, wildlife and fall color.
- Honky Tonk Tuesday Nights at American Legion Post 82: classic country dancing in East Nashville; check the organizer’s page for the cover.
- Free line-dance lessons at Category 10: Thursday to Sunday, in the Second Avenue building that housed the Wildhorse Saloon until it closed in January 2024.
- Free weekend music at Arrington Vineyards: Saturday 3pm to 7pm and Sunday 2pm to 6pm in season, 35 minutes south.
Things to Do in Nashville at Night
Nashville is a night city, and the best evenings aren’t all on Broadway.
- A Ryman concert is the best night out in town when the line-up suits you.
- The Grand Ole Opry runs 7pm shows on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at the Opry House.
- The Bluebird Cafe for songwriters in the round, booked a week ahead online.
- The Listening Room Cafe at 618 Fourth Avenue South, another songwriter room, where tickets usually run $5 to $25 plus a $15 per-person minimum, with up to nine tickets per online order.
- Printers Alley for blues at Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar and jazz and weekend burlesque at Skull’s Rainbow Room.
- Rooftop bars such as L27 on the Westin’s 27th floor and lou/na on the Grand Hyatt’s 25th.
- Midtown’s Division Street, where Losers stays open until 3am.
- East Nashville’s clubs, including The Basement East and The 5 Spot.
Things to Do on a Rainy Day
Nashville handles rain well, because most of its best sights are indoors. Build a wet day around the Country Music Hall of Fame and RCA Studio B in the morning, lunch at Assembly Food Hall, then the Ryman tour or the Johnny Cash Museum, and an afternoon in the honky-tonks, which are indoors anyway. The Tennessee State Museum, NMAAM, the Frist and the Lane Motor Museum are all good backups, as is an Opry backstage tour. May is the wettest month, averaging 5.02 inches of rain.
Things to Do with Kids
- The Nashville Zoo for a morning, with any-day tickets at $32 for adults and $28 for children.
- The Lane Motor Museum, where odd cars delight kids who don’t care about cars.
- The Tennessee State Museum, free, and big enough to run through.
- The Parthenon, where the giant Athena statue impresses every age.
- The honky-tonks after lunch, since the traditional rooms are all ages until 6pm.
- The Ryman’s self-guided tour, free for children 12 and under with a paying adult.
- Gaylord Opryland, where SoundWaves, the indoor-outdoor water attraction, needs a SoundWaves Experience package; room-only bookings don’t include it.
- The Farmers’ Market and the Capitol lawn, for space and snacks.
Skip NashTrash, which doesn’t allow anyone under 15, and anything involving party vehicles, which are adults-only when alcohol is aboard.
Things to Do for Couples
For two, trade the crowds for quality. Book the Bluebird or a Ryman show, have dinner at Husk or one of the Michelin-starred tasting counters, and take a rooftop drink at sunset. By day, walk Radnor Lake or Cheekwood’s gardens, or drive 35 minutes south for a tasting at Arrington Vineyards, where a self-guided flight is $16. For a special evening without Broadway’s noise, the General Jackson Showboat’s dinner cruise sails from Opryland.
Things to Do Without Drinking
Nashville’s nightlife is built around bars, but the city is easy to enjoy sober. The Ryman, the Opry and the Bluebird are about the music, not the bar tab, and the Bluebird’s $15 minimum can go on food and soft drinks. Daytime Broadway is all ages until 6pm, and the bands play just as well to a room drinking iced tea. NashTrash bans alcohol on board, the museums and parks fill the days, and a Titans, Predators or Nashville SC game gives you a crowd without the barstool.
Things to Do for History Buffs
Start at the Tennessee State Museum for the overview, then walk Bicentennial Capitol Mall and the Capitol grounds. Spend a morning at The Hermitage, where the guided mansion tour and the enslaved community’s story sit side by side, and another at Belle Meade Historic Site on the west side of town. NMAAM puts the city’s music in its full context, and Franklin, 20 miles south, has some of the region’s most important Civil War sites. For music history specifically, pair the Hall of Fame with RCA Studio B.
Outdoor Things to Do
- Radnor Lake State Park: easy lakeside trails and wildlife, 20 minutes south.
- The Warner Parks: big wooded parks on the west side, home of the Iroquois Steeplechase each May.
- Centennial Park: the Parthenon, a lake and lawns, 2 miles west of Broadway.
- The riverfront and pedestrian bridge: the city’s best walk.
- The lakes: Percy Priest and Old Hickory, where you can rent a pontoon for the day, or join a two-hour Pontoon Saloon cruise on the Cumberland.
- Cheekwood’s gardens: the most beautiful outdoor space in the city, with an admission fee.
Sports in Nashville
The Tennessee Titans play their 2026 home games at the existing Nissan Stadium on the East Bank, on October 11 and 25, November 15, December 6 and 20, and January 3, 2027; from 2027 they move into the new enclosed stadium next door. Tennessee State University plays home football at Nissan Stadium on five Saturdays in October and November 2026. The Nashville Predators play NHL hockey at Bridgestone Arena on Broadway, Nashville SC plays MLS soccer, and the minor-league Nashville Sounds play baseball at First Horizon Park in Germantown. A game is one of the best ways to see Nashvillians out in force.
For Repeat Visitors
If you’ve done Broadway, the Ryman and the Hall of Fame, go deeper. Spend a Tuesday at American Legion Post 82’s Honky Tonk Tuesday Nights, a weeknight at the Bluebird or the Listening Room Cafe, and an evening in Printers Alley. Eat your way along Nolensville Pike, home to the country’s largest Kurdish community and a long run of immigrant-run restaurants. Book the Opry’s Women of Country or VIP backstage tour, take a food tour through East Nashville, and give a day to Franklin or the Warner Parks.
Things to Do Within a 10-Minute Walk of Broadway
If you’re staying downtown without a car, all of these are on foot from the honky-tonk blocks.
| Sight | Walk from Lower Broadway | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Ryman Auditorium | 1 minute | Tours on the Ryman’s calendar |
| Johnny Cash Museum | 2 minutes | $32.95 plus tax |
| Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum | 5 minutes | $31.95 adults |
| National Museum of African American Music | On Broadway, at Fifth + Broadway | Check the museum’s site |
| Acme Feed & Seed rooftop | At the river end of Broadway | Free to go up; walk-ins for 2 to 9 |
| Printers Alley | 5 minutes north | Free to walk; bars and clubs vary |
| Category 10’s line-dance lessons | 5 minutes, on Second Avenue | Free, Thursday to Sunday |
| John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge | 5 to 10 minutes | Free |
| Tennessee State Capitol grounds | 10 minutes | Free |
| Frist Art Museum | 10 to 15 minutes | Check the current exhibition |
Add Bridgestone Arena, the Schermerhorn Symphony Center and the Music City Center, all within the same few blocks, and a downtown hotel really does put a full day of sights within walking distance. The only honest caveat is summer: in July, even a 10-minute walk in the afternoon sun is enough, so plan indoor stops for the middle of the day.
Seasonal Things to Do in Nashville
Spring
Cheekwood’s gardens are at their best, Radnor Lake turns green, and the calendar fills with outdoor events: the St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville marathon weekend on April 24 and 25, 2027, and the Iroquois Steeplechase at Percy Warner Park on May 8, 2027. It’s also storm season, so keep an indoor plan in reserve.
Summer
CMA Fest takes over downtown from June 10 to 13, 2027, with nightly shows at Nissan Stadium, and the Fourth of July brings fireworks over the Cumberland. The heat, averaging 91°F in July, pushes sensible visitors onto the water, with Pontoon Saloon cruises on the river and pontoon rentals on the lakes, and into the museums in the afternoon.
Fall
The best season for almost everything. Nashville Oktoberfest runs October 1 to 4, 2026, at Bicentennial Capitol Mall, football fills Nissan Stadium on autumn weekends, ghost tours run downtown, and the Warner Parks and Radnor Lake put on the fall color from late October.
Winter
Gaylord Opryland’s A Country Christmas runs from November 6, 2026, to January 2, 2027, with its ICE! attraction themed on Home Alone this year. Cheekwood’s Holiday LIGHTS run in the evenings, the city’s free New Year’s Eve party has been held at Bicentennial Capitol Mall, and January brings the year’s cheapest hotel rooms. The month-by-month guide linked below has the full calendar.
Day Trips Worth the Drive
With a car, a few easy trips add a new side of Middle Tennessee. Franklin, 20 miles south, has a historic Main Street and important Civil War sites, and Gray Line runs a hop-on, hop-off service called The Franklin Hop for visitors without a car. Arrington Vineyards, 25 miles and about 35 minutes south, pours tastings in the hills, with free music on weekend afternoons in season and carry-in picnics welcome. Gray Line also sells day tours to Memphis, about three hours each way, and to Dollywood. For the Great Smoky Mountains, about three and a half to four hours east, plan at least two nights rather than a day trip.
Things to Do with a Group
Nashville is built for groups, and bachelorette parties in particular. The classic group day mixes a Pontoon Saloon cruise, from $39.95 on weekdays, with a NashTrash comedy tour, $45 to $50 and nobody under 15, and an early-evening pedal tavern or party bus. Nashville Hat Bar, which shares an address with Honky Tonk Party Express at 1343 Lewis Street, makes custom trucker and rhinestone hats, with private parties of 10 to 15 paying a $60 rental plus a per-hat fee. Suzy Wong’s Drag’n Brunch, $34.99 for the show and food, books up weeks ahead. For the full group playbook, see our bachelorette party planning guide.
The Best Photo Spots
- The pedestrian bridge: the classic skyline shot, best at sunset and blue hour.
- Lower Broadway at dusk: when the neon comes on and the crowds haven’t peaked.
- The Ryman’s facade: red brick and Gothic windows, best in morning light.
- The Parthenon: a Greek temple on a Tennessee lawn, from any angle.
- The Capitol steps: the view down Bicentennial Capitol Mall.
- Rooftop bars: L27 and lou/na for the skyline from above.
Nashville’s murals are popular photo stops too, and they change often; check that the one you’re after is still there before crossing town for it.
Getting Between the Sights
Downtown, SoBro and the Gulch are walkable, and the core sights sit within about half a mile of one another. For everything else, rideshares are the easiest option: Midtown, the Parthenon, 12South and East Nashville are about 10 minutes from Broadway, and the Opry House 15 to 25. There are no designated rideshare zones on Broadway, so walk a block off it before you request. The Old Town Trolley’s 13-stop loop, from $41.65 for a day, covers downtown, Midtown and Music Row with narration, and WeGo’s Route 18 bus runs from the airport to downtown for $2. You only need a car for The Hermitage, Cheekwood, the zoo, Radnor Lake and day trips, and even those are short rideshare trips.
Which Days Things Close: Plan Around the Calendar
A few of Nashville’s best sights keep short weeks, and the music calendar runs on set nights. This is how a week lines up, based on the venues’ own schedules in September 2026.
| Day | Closed or limited | Good bets |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Tennessee State Museum closed; no NashTrash tours | A Monday Bluebird show; the Hall of Fame; the Frist is open |
| Tuesday | Frist Art Museum closed | The Opry at 7pm; Honky Tonk Tuesday Nights at Post 82 |
| Wednesday | Frist Art Museum closed | The Opry at 7pm; bluegrass at Post 82 |
| Thursday | Nothing major | Singer-songwriters at Post 82; Category 10’s free line-dance lessons begin their weekly run |
| Friday | Nothing major | The Opry at 7pm; Broadway at full volume |
| Saturday | Nothing major | The Opry at 7pm; weekend brunch; free afternoon music at Arrington Vineyards in season |
| Sunday | The State Museum opens at 1pm; no Opry on the 2026 calendar | Brunch, a 1pm drag brunch at Suzy Wong’s, free music at Arrington from 2pm in season |
Holidays close more. The Johnny Cash Museum shuts on Thanksgiving and Christmas, The Hermitage on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and the Old Town Trolley on Thanksgiving, Christmas, Independence Day and the day of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon. The honky-tonks, by contrast, run nearly every day of the year, which makes them the safest plan on a holiday. If your trip includes a Monday, put the State Museum on another day; if it includes a Tuesday or Wednesday, do the same with the Frist.
Overrated? Do This Instead
| Instead of | Do this | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Broadway every night | One Broadway afternoon, then the Opry, the Bluebird or East Nashville | The same cover songs wear thin by night three |
| A celebrity-bar crawl | Robert’s Western World, Tootsie’s and Legends Corner | The traditional rooms are where Broadway’s reputation came from |
| A Homes of the Stars bus tour | An Opry backstage tour | Dressing rooms beat gates and hedges |
| A 90-minute brunch line | A meat-and-three lunch before noon | Better value and more Nashville |
| A pedal tavern at 3pm in July | A Pontoon Saloon cruise or a museum | July averages 91°F |
| Driving to Opryland just to look around | Go for the Opry, Christmas or SoundWaves | Self-parking alone is $37 plus tax |
| The Johnny Cash Museum as your only museum | The Country Music Hall of Fame | More music for about the same price |
| A two-day trolley ticket downtown | Walking, plus one trolley loop | The core is half a mile across |
How to Plan Your Days
Most first trips work best at three days: downtown on foot for the Hall of Fame, the Ryman and Broadway; a neighborhood day with the Opry that evening; and a day for history, Studio B and the Bluebird. Our hour-by-hour Nashville itineraries lay out one to five days, and our guide to Nashville tours worth booking compares the Opry, Ryman and NashTrash tours. Timing matters too: October and late April are the best months, and our month-by-month guide to the best time to visit covers events, weather and prices.
| Time you have | Do |
|---|---|
| Half a day | The Ryman tour and an hour on Broadway |
| One day | The Hall of Fame, lunch at Fifth + Broadway, the Ryman, the honky-tonks, the bridge at sunset |
| Two days | Add the Parthenon, 12South and the Opry or the Bluebird |
| Three days | Add Germantown, East Nashville, The Hermitage and Studio B |
| Four days or more | Add Franklin, a winery, Radnor Lake and a repeat-visitor night |
Things to Do in Nashville FAQ
What are the top things to do in Nashville?
The top things to do in Nashville are a show or tour at the Ryman Auditorium, an afternoon in the Lower Broadway honky-tonks, the Country Music Hall of Fame, a night at the Grand Ole Opry and a songwriter set at the Bluebird Cafe. Add hot chicken, a meat-and-three lunch and the pedestrian bridge at sunset.
What is there to do in Nashville for free?
Plenty: the Broadway honky-tonks charge no cover, the Tennessee State Museum is free, and the pedestrian bridge, Bicentennial Capitol Mall, the Capitol grounds, Centennial Park and Radnor Lake cost nothing. Category 10 runs free line-dance lessons Thursday to Sunday, and Arrington Vineyards has free weekend music in season.
What is there to do in Nashville at night besides Broadway?
See a concert at the Ryman, the Grand Ole Opry at the Opry House, or songwriters at the Bluebird Cafe or the Listening Room Cafe. Printers Alley has blues and jazz, the hotel rooftops have the views, Midtown’s Division Street stays open until 3am, and East Nashville’s clubs host local bands most nights.
What can you do in Nashville with kids?
Take kids to the Nashville Zoo, the Lane Motor Museum, the free Tennessee State Museum and the Parthenon. The traditional Broadway honky-tonks are all ages until 6pm, and the Ryman’s self-guided tour is free for children 12 and under with a paying adult. NashTrash doesn’t allow anyone under 15, so skip that one.
How many days do you need to see Nashville?
Three days is right for a first visit: one downtown for the Hall of Fame, the Ryman and Broadway, one for the neighborhoods and the Opry, and one for history, RCA Studio B and the Bluebird Cafe. One day covers downtown’s highlights, and four or five days add Franklin, a winery and the city’s deeper music scene.
Is Lower Broadway worth visiting?
Yes, once, and best in the afternoon. The honky-tonks charge no cover and run live bands from late morning, and Robert’s Western World, Tootsie’s and Legends Corner show the street at its best. After dark on weekends it gets loud and crowded, so plan other nights around the Opry, the Bluebird or East Nashville.
What is the best thing to do in Nashville on a rainy day?
Spend a rainy day indoors on the music: the Country Music Hall of Fame and RCA Studio B in the morning, lunch at Assembly Food Hall, the Ryman tour or the Johnny Cash Museum after lunch, and the honky-tonks in the afternoon. The Tennessee State Museum, NMAAM and the Lane Motor Museum are good backups.
Related Nashville Guides
- Nashville Itineraries: Ready-Made Plans for 1-5 Days: these sights arranged hour by hour
- Nashville Honky Tonks and Bars: A Ranked Nightlife Guide: which Broadway rooms to choose
- Nashville Tours: What’s Actually Worth Booking: backstage, comedy, food and river tours compared
- Where to Eat in Nashville: Best Restaurants Guide: hot chicken, meat-and-threes and the Michelin picks
- Where to Stay in Nashville: Best Areas & Hotels: a base within walking distance of the top sights
- Nashville Bachelorette Party: The Honest Planning Guide: the group-weekend version of this list
Sources and verification
Details in this guide were checked on September 23, 2026 against the venues, operators and agencies listed below; the guide does not claim first-hand visits, and times needed are our estimates.
- Ryman Auditorium: tours
- Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum: plan your visit
- Grand Ole Opry: show calendar
- Grand Ole Opry: backstage tours
- The Bluebird Cafe
- Johnny Cash Museum: tickets
- Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage: admission
- National Museum of African American Music: visit
- The Parthenon: hours and admission
- Tennessee State Museum: plan your visit
- Frist Art Museum: hours and admission
- Cheekwood Estate & Gardens: tickets
- Nashville Zoo: tickets
- Lane Motor Museum
- Tennessee Titans: schedule
Photo credits
- Ryman Auditorium interior: photo by Artaxerxes, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
- Johnny Cash Museum: photo by Michael Rivera, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Andrew Jackson's Hermitage: photo by Jim Bowen from Zhenhai, China, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
- Tennessee State Museum: photo by Antony-22, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Frist Art Museum: photo by Michael Rivera, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Lane Motor Museum: photo by Lester Snapwell from Tupelo, M.S., United States, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
- Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park: photo by Thegreenj, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
- Shelby Street (John Seigenthaler) Pedestrian Bridge (featured image): photo by Kaldari, Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Photos are from Wikimedia Commons and have been resized for the web. The chart is our own, drawn from the figures in this guide.