Landmarks
You can navigate your way around Nashville by its many iconic buildings, star-spangled streets, and cultural centers. Music Row has much of the glory, boasting theaters and the recording studios of legends. One of the city’s most famous landmarks, however, is an exact replica of the Parthenon in Athens. Parthenon
A little less weathered and time-worn than the Grecian original, Nashville’s Parthenon is incongruous but impressive. It’s a triumph of 19th century Neo-Classical architecture, built to celebrate the city’s centenary. Nowadays, it houses an art museum and a gigantic statue of the goddess Athena – just to remind you of its Greek inspiration.
2500 West End Avenue, Nashville TN 37203. Museums and galleries
Nashville is the curator – and creator – of some of the finest music memorabilia and exhibits in the world, with permanent exhibitions dedicated to stars such as Elvis and Johnny Cash. As the Tennessee state capital, Nashville also bursting with museums specializing in regional history, heritage, and art. Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
Devoted country music fans make the pilgrimage to Nashville for this place alone. As well as an interactive, permanent exhibition charting the development of country music in Nashville, there are retrospectives on the genre's biggest stars. You can also try your hand at songwriting, or listen to the expert artists-in-residence perform.
222 5th Avenue South, Nashville TN 37203.
Frist Center for the Visual Arts
Nowadays a vast art museum, this white marble building once housed the city’s post office. Alongside the contemporary work of local artists, the museum hosts touring international exhibits, which gives it an eclectic feel. At the center of it all is the ArtQuest gallery, where you can create your own works of art.
919 Broadway, Nashville TN 37203-3822 .
Historic homes
Immersed in the deep Southern culture of its state, Nashville has preserved a rich heritage in its restored plantation houses, where you can experience of pre-civil war life in all its tumultuous but lavish periods of decadence. Nashville’s most famous plantation home belonged to a president, no less. The Hermitage
Andrew Jackson was the first American president not to come from the aristocratic circles of society. He made his way up through the deadly arenas of war, helping to found the state of Tennessee on the way. At his plantation home, you can take a guided tour of the house and gardens.
4580 Rachel's Lane, Nashville, TN 37076.
Music legends
In Nashville, there’s a plethora of iconic venues dedicated solely to music. From the famed RCA Studio B, where so many legends recorded their music, to the auditoriums and theaters where stars old and new continue to grace the stages with sell-out performances. Music-lovers, Nashville is calling. Ryman Auditorium
A triumph of red-brick, 19th century architecture, the Ryman Auditorium is one of the world’s most famous concert venues. An evening visit to see a live performance here is a must, but so too is a daytime trip sneak a peek in the backstage areas and see the exhibits on the theater’s musical history.
116 Fifth Avenue North, Nashville TN 37219.
