When you think of Nashville, two things immediately come to mind: chicken and music! Known as the “Music City,” Nashville offers live music shows happening every hour of the day.
But there’s so much more to Nashville than just music and chicken. With plenty of things to do and places to visit, it’s essential to have an idea of what Nashville has to offer. That’s why we’ve prepared this list of things to do in Nashville.
While many of the activities we’ve listed may seem cliché and likely recommended by friends or locals, there are also some hidden gems you may not have heard of before. From the hundreds of options available in Nashville, we’ve curated a list of must-see attractions and activities that you won’t want to miss on your next trip to Nashville. Take a look and start planning your Nashville adventure!
Contents
- 1 Things to do in Nashville
- 1.1 1. Try the hot chicken
- 1.2 2. Grand Ole Opry
- 1.3 3. Listening Rooms
- 1.4 4. Marathon Village
- 1.5 5. Doyle and Debbie
- 1.6 6. Visit Robert’s Western World
- 1.7 7. Visit Parthenon
- 1.8 8. Rayman Auditorium
- 1.9 9. Go to Downtown Sporting Club
- 1.10 10. Visit Two Old Hippies
- 1.11 11. Try out a local distillery
- 1.12 12. FirstBank First Saturday Art Crawl
- 1.13 13. Woolworth’s
- 1.14 14. Nashville Farmers Market
- 1.15 15. GamePoint
- 1.16 Conclusion –
Things to do in Nashville
1. Try the hot chicken
The first and the most important thing you wanna do in Nashville is to try out the hot chicken. It doesn’t matter if you like the chicken or not but you have got to try out Nashville’s famous hot chicken.The secrete behind the popularity of Nashville’s hot chicken is they marinate the meat in water-based blend seasoning before frying! And it’s taste mind-blowing! Literally, this one is going to be the best hot chicken you have tried in your life.They serve the chicken in a variety of styles and customers also get to choose their favorite sauce (which varies from sweet to spicy).There are a number of places that surveys hot chicken, the two most popular ones are Prince’s Hot Chicken and Hattie B’s. Both the places have been there for a long time now and they live up to our expectations as well.
2. Grand Ole Opry
This was a radio show that made Nashville the Music Capital of the World. The radio show started broadcasting in 1925 and since then it has made its mark and people still like to listen to it here. Although the venue for the Grand Ole Opry has been changing but the thing is it’s still our top choice when it comes to listening to good music.It is popular in hosting the best performers in the country. You are likely to catch a show there as they are going on quite frequently. Take a tour or Grand Ole Opry House and witness the history of music through the past times to the murder time.The fun facts and knowing who have walked down these places is amusing and visitors often like the tour with the expert guides, in fact, this tour is rated as one of the best tours of the city. So the bottom line is, your journey to Nashville would be incomplete if you haven’t been to the Grand Ole Opry House!
3. Listening Rooms
There is no shortage of music in Nashville and we have made that clear now, so the next thing to do in Nashville is to find a good listening room and spend some quality time there.The listening room is the low-key place where you get listen to the best music by aspiring artists. The place isn’t about the loud upbeat music but it gives you a very cozy and relaxing environment where you can sit and appreciate the lyrics and the music. The performers are generally the people who wrote the songs rather than the popular singers but still, then it’s worth going there.Two of the popular Listening rooms are the Bluebird Cafe and the Listening Room Cafe where you not only get the best music but they also serve the best foods and drinks. So do pay a visit there, it’s something that you are likely to enjoy.
4. Marathon Village
If you are in Nashville and want to shop something that represents the roots of the city then you must visit the Marathon Village. A former automobile has been reopened and transformed as the shopping stop where people can buy the antique things, home decors and go through the art galleries and look for the best artifact as well.The place has been redecorated and refurbished to give you an idea about the history of the place as well as the history of the building by preserving some of the machines and stuff from the time it was operated as an automobile plant. It’s a great experience to be there so don’t miss it.
5. Doyle and Debbie
As we have mentioned earlier there are plenty of things to do in Nashville and one of the must do the thing is to visit Doyle and Debbie. This is a comedy show that honors the country music and features the best stage show.The show is all about making you laugh hard and have a good time there. The first-rate jokes, the costumes, and not to forget the music is something to give our attention to. The show takes place at the Station Inn which isn’t too far from the city center.The show is loved by the locals as well as the tourists and everything about it would make you love Nashville more!
6. Visit Robert’s Western World
Yet another recommendation from the locals and the tourist guide that is hard to miss. This one also involved music though but with totally different feels. Here you will get to see the live band performing and giving you the best time and the best music experience.There you just need to grab a stool and get something nice to eat or drink and just enjoy some of the best band performing for you. It’s all about giving you the best time with outing having to feel like you are in a concert and surrounded by thousands of people. The atmosphere and music are all you need to enjoy yourself.
7. Visit Parthenon
Now we have something for those who loved to explore the art and the museums. The Nashville’s Centennial Park is home to a full-size replica of the Parthenon which was originally built in 1877.The place also functions as a full-sized museum and there are so many paintings from the 19th and the 20th century by some of the popular artists present. It’s definitely a must-visit the place and if you are short on time then you can take a city tour and explore many things with the tour.
8. Rayman Auditorium
We are back again with a music lover’s destination which hosts the best country music and allows you to get to experience the best country music venue in Nashville. It was built in 1892 and is known as the mother church of the country music.The place has become one of the best entertainment spots soon as it allows people to showcase their talents with the best acoustics and give them one of the best stages to showcase their talents. Visitors can also take photographs of the world’s best stage. If you go early, you can also take a backstage tour!
9. Go to Downtown Sporting Club
Who doesn’t wants to have the best time playing some of the best games and that too at the best place with a great sports bar and all the good food and drinks? The Downtown Sporting Club is quite popular for this and that why you should definitely visit the place.There are a number of activities available for you to do and some of the best ones are ax throwing, cole hole, shuffleboard, etc. There are also old school video games and board games that would take you to the old days and makes you a little nostalgic.
10. Visit Two Old Hippies
Two Old Hippies is a place that would be your favorite if you want to shop and listen to music at the same time.There are places where you would find a collection of guitars and a room along with it where artists can play them and host a live show.This isn’t it though there are a number of shops present which features some of the best collection of clothing lines and the decorations and gifts. There are many things that you would wanna take home with you, so don’t resist yourself from going at Two Old Hippies the place is as fun as its name suggests.
11. Try out a local distillery
Distilleries are also something that you must try out when you are in Nashville. The place is all about whiskeys. The place features some of America’s best seekings Whiskey’s which you must try out.The tour of the distillery would describe the journey of making the best beverages and how they take care of it as they become the most popular beverages. You should also take a tasting tour where you get the best taste. It’s about 90 minutes away from Nashville so if it’s in your way then do pay a visit.
12. FirstBank First Saturday Art Crawl
The city isn’t done with the art or the music or the wine and that’s why The FirstBank First Saturday Art Crawl is on our list of things to do in Nashville. The place is all about some of the best art galleries and bringing you the best party-like atmosphere.You will find some of the best art here and that too with free wine which makes it one of the best places in Nashville to visit. It’s kinda like the tribute for the creativity and the artistic expression of the city.
13. Woolworth’s
Woolworth’s is one of the top-rated restaurants in Nashville. The place goes back at the time of the civil rights movement how people have fought against the law which stops the African Americans to sit in the top-rated restaurants and eat.Apart from the historical value, the place does serve the best food, which you should definitely taste, so don’t hesitate to go there and have quite and cozy dining time.
14. Nashville Farmers Market
If you have some time to shop the farmer’s stuff then you must visit the Farmers Market. The place features some of the best dairies products and cheese which is sold by the 100 farmers.Although the place is not only about the farmers there are a number of artisans selling their crafts and presenting some of the best work. Some local restaurateurs also present there and feature the best food and local beverages.You are likely to find everything from gourmet pizza to Jamaican specialties. So do go to the farmers market and have the best time in Nashville.
15. GamePoint
Of you are into board games then we have the best place for you in Nashville! There is a collection of more than 400 board games that you can play without any extra cost at Bongo East Coffee Shop.Since there are so many games to play and choose from, you would certainly like the service of the trained expert who will help you to choose a game that you would like to play. They will also tell you how to play and explains the rules so you won’t have to go through the manuals and waste your time there. Lastly, they will also provide snacks and drinks so that you can fully enjoy the games!
Conclusion –
These are the must-visit places and activities in Nashville that encompass everything from food and music to art and museums, allowing you to experience the city’s essence fully.
We hope you’ll take the time to visit these remarkable places in Nashville and thoroughly enjoy your time in the city. Thank you for choosing to explore Nashville with us, and we wish you a fantastic trip!