how to be a tourist in nashville

If you need a break from the bar scene, and you’ve done the boozy bike tour, here are some other things you can check out in Nashville:

Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center – this is not to be confused with the Grand Ole Opry, although it is nearby. Gaylord is one of the largest hotels in the world. They have a 3.5 story waterfall, and a garden conservatory, reminiscent of a rainforest – which makes sense, since it’s home to over 8,000 tropical plants.

Opryland 4
One of the many waterfalls at the center

Opryland 8

Grand Ole Opry – if you’ve made it at the Grand Ole Opry, then you’ve made it to the big leagues of country music. At least that was the sense I got from LeAnn Rimes in that TV movie, ‘Holiday in Your Heart.’ (I probably watched this because I was 9 years old at the time, we didn’t have cable, and there was nothing else to do). It seems like a very popular venue for country music artists – from newbies, to the big names. I’d assume it’s like the Madison Square Garden of that music genre.

Grand Ole Opry 1Grand Ole Opry 18

Country Music Walk of Fame – this is like a much smaller version of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, but for country music stars. Out of the 30 or so stars, I knew about half – and was pretty surprised to find names like Jimi Hendrix and Kings of Leon on there.

Country Music Hall of Fame 2Country Music Hall of Fame 3

Parthenon – if you can’t make it to Greece, then this Parthenon in Centennial Park is a pretty good knock-off. Built in 1897, it’s a full-scale replica of the Parthenon in Athens.

Parthenon 6.JPG

Depending on what your interests are, you may be able to skip some of these. If you’re really into country music, you can buy a ticket for a tour of the Grand Ole Opry. Otherwise, you can skip it because you won’t get to take a look at the auditorium without one. The only attraction I’d really recommend from this list is the Parthenon. Other than that, your time would be better spend checking out some more live music Downtown.

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