Nashville is the hometown of country music and the birthplace of bluegrass, with roots in R&B, and a thriving pop and rock scene. Over 15 million visitors flock to the “Capital of Country Music” year-round for live music in the nightclubs and taverns.
Located on the Cumberland River, the city grew quickly in the 19th century due to its strategic location as a port and railroad destination. Nashville was part of the American Civil War and the first state capital in the Confederacy to be taken by Union forces.
Originally called Fort Nashborough, the city was later named after American Revolutionary war hero Francis Nash, a general in the Continental Army. It was founded in 1779 by James Robertson, John Donelson, and a party of Overmountain Men frontiersmen who took part in the American Revolutionary War.
The first celebrity of the city was Davy Crocket, a resident of the city and a fiddle player, frontiersman, a military member, and state representative of Tennessee in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was referred to as “King of Wild Frontier”and showcased in movies – Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier (released in 1955) and Davy Crockett and the River Pirates (1956). This film series are known for the catchy theme song, “The Ballad of Davy Crockett”.
Over the years, Nashville transformed itself from a frontier trading post to a thriving educational and commercial center. It is often referred to as “Athens of the South” due to its full size replica of the Greek Athena Statue and Parthenon building in Centennial Park. These were built for Tennessee’s 1897 Centennial Exposition.
The Old Town Trolley Tours has numerous stops that allow you to hop off and explore these and other nearby points of interest at your own pace. When you’re ready, hop back aboard the next trolley.
Broadway is a major thoroughfare running through the heart of downtown. From 21st Avenue South to 1st Avenue, the street connects neighborhoods like “The Gulch” (a former railroad industrial area now a renovated upscale walkable historic neighborhood with a hip atmosphere) to “Music Row” and the River waterfront.
Music Row (also known as Music Square) is an area on 16th and 17th Avenues South. This area has been the heart of Nashville’s country music industry and home for record label offices, radio stations and recording studios for over 35 years. The first recording studio on Music Row, Columbia’s Historic Quonset Hut, and historical RCA Studio B (where many legends like Dolly Parton and Elvis Presley recorded hits), shops and eateries are located here. Street names in the area are honored with various country stars. Owen Bradley Park showcases a the center a bronze statue of the influential record producer seated at a grand piano titled “Musica”.
The Country Music Hall of Fame is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American music and one of the largest museums and research centers in the world. Started in 1964, it has compiled one of the world’s most extensive musical collections and 152 inductees.
The Grand Ole Opry was founded in 1925 as a one hour barn dance broadcast, it now is a weekly live country music performances. President Richard Nixon performed on the Grand Ole Opry during its first show at the new Opry House in 1974.
Bluebird Café showcases new artists and songwriters – some of the most significant songwriters and artists have performed. It only has 90 seats so make reservations, shows are always sold out. Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge with 3 floors, 3 bars and 3 stages, is known for helping out struggling artists – it is located across the street from the Ryman Auditorium (is a historic 2,362-seat live-performance venue).
Well-known entertainers frequently sit in on jam sessions at local watering holes like the Station Inn Seats are first-come, first-served at this intimate venue, where live bluegrass plays every night.
Wildhorse Saloon, a 66,000 sq ft building on 3 floors, is known for its live entertainment and free line dancing.
Open-air concert series and music festivals are abundant in Nashville throughout the year. The Ascend Amphitheater is an open-air event venue located on the Cumberland River and in Riverfront Park. The capacity of the venue is 6,800 that includes seating and a lawn area.
The Tennessee Performing Arts Center, located in the James K. Polk Cultural Center, hosts the city’s professional ballet, opera and repertory companies. TPAC is the setting for a variety of theatrical performances, concerts and other events. The Nashville Symphony performs in the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. Once a year, Shakespeare in the Park performs in the Centennial Park amphitheater – a 132 acre park featuring the Parthenon, a walking trail, Lake Watauga, the Centennial Art Center, historical monuments, an arts activity center, a beautiful sunken garden, a band shell, an events shelter, sand volleyball courts, dog park, and an exercise trail.
