Tourist Attractions in Nashville, Tennessee
A good place to begin your tour of Nashville is at the Nashville Visitor’s Center, located downtown. The staff at the Visitor’s Center will help plan activities and provide maps to help you get the most out of your visit to Nashville. After gathering all the information at the Visitor’s Center, the downtown area is a great place to begin your tour of Nashville. Here a tourist can enjoy the Cumberland Science Museum, which offers over 150 interactive exhibits as well as a planetarium and a New Century Computer Lab. The Ryman Auditorium, another tourist attraction located downtown, displays it’s rich history in the daytime and offers musical performances in the evening. The General Jackson Showboat, also located downtown, is a 100-yard paddle wheeler, which cruises the Cumberland River and takes the guest back into the 19th century. Riverfront Park, with its “Foxtrot” carousel is the perfect spot downtown to slow down from all the excitement that Nashville has to offer. Here tourists can enjoy the many walking paths, an afternoon picnic as well as concerts and festivals. If you are looking for a little different tour, try NashTrash Tours. This tour company offers satirical commentary while traveling aboard a pink bus to see the sights. Bicentennial Mall State Park, another park located in this area, was built to commemorate the anniversary of Tennessee’s 200 years of statehood. Guests here will find a 220-foot granite map of Tennessee, 31 fountains, a 1400-foot granite historical timeline, a 2000-seat amphitheater, a botanical garden and a visitor center. Hatch Show Print, which is the oldest print shop in America, is still in operation here and today it is used to create images of the Grand Ole Opry stars. Adelphia Coliseum, home to the Tennessee Titans is the place in Nashville for football fans. Visit the sights in style while in Nashville by catching ride on a beautiful carriage. Second Avenue Carriage Service offers carriage rides complete with knowledgeable drivers, who can tell you about the sights. Another tour company found in Nashville is First Choice Tours; this tour company specializes in senior citizen group tours. Downtown is also the home to the Nashville War Memorial Auditorium, here guests will find a statue of a lone warrior as well as a black marble memorial engraved with the names of the Vietnam vets from Tennessee. Tourists to the downtown area will can also tour the Tennessee State Capital Building. History buffs will enjoy a stop at Fort Nashborough, which is a replica of the original 1700’s settlement. Nashville also can offer those with a need for speed, the Nashville Speedway, which offers events from NASCAR truck races to amateur races.
Jefferson Street District is the location for Oscar Farris Agricultural Museum, which allows the visitor the opportunity to step back in time to witness the farming way of life endured by the early Tennessee settlers. Hadley Park is also located in this area. This park honors African-American soldiers who lost their lives in battle. Activities here include football, picnicking, kite flying, baseball or softball and a children’s playground.
Oak Hill is the location of Travellers Rest Historic House Museum. This museum depicts life as it was in the 1800’s complete with period costumes being worn by the staff. The Governor’s Residence, which is a two-story mansion surrounded by ten acres of beautifully groomed grounds, offers tours three day per week.
In the Bellevue area, there is the Belmont Mansion, which was the home to Adelicia Acklen. Here visitors can enjoy guided tours of the mansion, which houses original furnishings as well as artwork and statues. Bellevue Recreation Center is another location in this area that can be enjoyed by tourists. This recreation center houses a full-scale playground, complete with wooden forts, old train cars, swings, seesaws, slides and other fun things. One last tourist attraction in this area is the Tennessee Central Railway Museum, which is a fully restored 1950’s passenger train, complete with large picture windows, air conditioning and reclining seats. Tourists can enjoy themes such as a train robbery or murder mystery when here.
Music Row is the location of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. A stop here allows the tourist to view stage costumes, see original song manuscripts and musical instruments and other items belonging to the greats of country music.
Berry Hill is the location of the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere. The Nashville Zoo is located on 200 acres and is home to cougars, black bears, Bengal tigers, zebras, cheetahs and other animals and other exhibits.
The East Division of Nashville is the location of Shelby Park and Golf Course. This park is the cities oldest park and is known for its Victorian houses. Activities available here are picnicking, rollerblading, cycling, softball, tennis and a playground as well as a golf course.
The area known as Opryland/Airport is the location of The Opryland Hotel Indoor Garden and Collections. Here a guest can enjoy nationally acclaimed indoor gardens, restaurants, shops and a river. The Grand Ole Opry is also located in this area. The Grand Ole Opry is known as the home of country music and has country music stars on its stage every Friday and Saturday night. This area is also the location of Two Rivers Mansion, which is a mid 19th century mansion complete with Roman-style marble columns, high ceilings and frescoed walls. This mansion may be rented for special occasions. Opryland River Taxis, located in this area as well, are an exciting way to see the sights of Nashville. These taxis tour Nashville from the Cumberland river from Opryland Hotel to Downtown and back. The Nashville Train and Toy Museum is another tourist attraction located here. This museum is the home to a 150 year old private toy collection, complete with model trains, antique dolls, model ships, bears, planes and old soldiers. Another museum located in this area is the Grand Ole Opry Museum, which allows visitors to remember the greats of country music, such as Patsy Cline, Tex Ritter and others as well as exhibits from some of the newer artists such as Reba and Garth Brooks. Visitors here can also charter the Music City Queen, which is located in this area. This luxury vessel is available for private events. The last tourist attraction in this area is the Grand Ole Opry House. This is the new home of the Grand Ole Opry and is a must see for country music lovers.
Another area of Nashville is known as Belle Mead. This area is the location for Cheekwood Botanical and Museum of Art as well as Cheekwood Bonsai Show. These two attractions are necessary for anyone who loves the beauty of plants or has ever been intrigued by bonsai trees. Here visitors will also find a contemporary art gallery and a museum of art. There are also many classes and workshops available for all ages. Belle Meade Plantation is also located in the area of Nashville. This mansion is a 1853 Greek revival mansion which was once the home of a 19th century thoroughbred farm and nursery. If a walk with nature is needed, then a stop at Warner Parks Nature Center is in order. Here you will find 10 miles of hiking trails, lectures concerning the environment and conservation or enjoy a guided tour of the preserve.
The West End area of Nashville also has tourist attractions. The Parthenon and the Athena Statue are both located here. Here a tourist can find the only full-size replica of the ancient Parthenon complete with forty-six Doric columns that encircle the building, large bronze doors and feature the Athena Statue. There are also four art galleries located here. The Sarratt Gallery is also located in this area, at Vanderbilt University. This gallery houses contemporary art featured in ten exhibits a year. If all this culture is getting to be too much, make a change and attend a Nashville Sounds baseball game.
A vacation in the Nashville, Tennessee area is an exciting time for country music lovers, but can also be fun and exciting for most any one. This area has a lot to offer in the way of entertainment, in either the fast paced and loud Nashville Speedway, or a quieter and more relaxing afternoon at one of its many parks. The biggest decision will be what to do and where to begin after arriving here.
