No stage is more highly esteemed in the inner circles of country music than that of the Grand Ole Opry.  With humble beginnings as a talent showcase for local, rural musicians, the Grand Ole Opry radio program has ballooned into a nationwide powerhouse in the country music industry.  A right of passage for the genre’s top artists, playing the Grand Ole Opry is a major milestone for any musician’s career, with membership in the Opry’s Country Music Hall of Fame reigning supreme as country music’s utmost honor.  Beginning its broadcast in 1925, for the better half of a century the Opry has made a distinct point to celebrate contemporary country crooners while still recognizing and promoting the history and heritage of country, bluegrass, folk and gospel alike. » Read The Rest

Hot pink school buses, small coolers filled with adult beverages, and tour guides who specialize in improv comedy? If you’re looking to spice up your tour of Nashville, I think you’ve found the right place.

The Nash Trash tours are lead by Sheri Lynn and Brenda Kay, two sisters, who have musical theater backgrounds and years of experience in improv comedy. They lead a slightly historic but mostly comedic tour through downtown Nashville and a bit of the Music Row, focusing on scandalous stories about country music legends. » Read The Rest

President Andrew Jackson is among the most influential people in American history.  Well known as a protector of democracy, he was also a kind man known to allow visitors into his home.  In over 200 years this has not changed.  Andrew Jackson’s home, dubbed The Hermitage, now stands as a museum celebrating the history of our nation and our seventh President.

The museum preserves many relics from Andrew Jackson’s life and early America.  You can visit the log kitchen from Jackson’s first home, which still stands to this day.  The Hermitage mansion itself has been restored to appear as it did after Jackson’s second term in office.  There is even original wallpaper still hanging on the walls and Jackson’s personal possessions still adorn the rooms. » Read The Rest

Vanderbilt University, situated just a mile and a half from the downtown area, has helped shape Nashville’s cityscape for over a century.  Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt’s generous $1 million donation in the spring of 1983 paved the way for what is today regarded as one of the South’s most prestigious private academic institutions.  In his honor, the school was renamed “Vanderbilt University” and its athletic teams, nicknamed the “Commodores,” still pay homage to his title.  Originally founded by bishop Holland McTyeire as “Central University,” in its early years the university maintained strong ties with the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.  After a series of escalating conflicts with the Methodist church, including the employment of non-Methodist teachers and the lack of representation of Methodist leaders on the school’s Board of Trust, culminated in a formal spit from the church at the General Conference of 1914.  Despite no official ties to the Methodist church, Vanderbilt is still shaped and influenced by its history of Methodist tradition. » Read The Rest

If you’re going to be in the Nashville area and enjoy a bit of history, you should definitely plan a stop at the Tennessee State Museum.  The initial version of this museum began in 1817 when an artist of the time began displaying works in the Nashville public square.  In 1937, the museum was given an official home in the War Memorial Building and later moved to the James K. Polk Center in 1981. Permanent exhibits at the museum take you all the way back to prehistoric times when mastodons roamed what are now the streets of Nashville.  The settlement and defeat of the British are chronicled in the Frontier exhibit, which even has a sword that was surrendered by the British during the Revolutionary War at the Battle of King’s Mountain.  Other permanent exhibits take visitors through the antebellum period and the Civil War, all the way to current times in The New South displays. » Read The Rest

Learn the history of Music City and explore the impact the industry has made on Nashville. The city earns its name with historical sites like a studio where legends like Elvis recorded hit songs, streets of music-related businesses and a western wear store-turned honky tonk. So if you’re a country music buff, or just in town, we’ve got 10 sites that will pique your interest.

1. Ryman Auditorium: The Mother Church of Country Music housed the Grand Ole Opry from 1943-74 and was named the “Birthplace of Bluegrass” by Tennessee in 2006. Tours of the national historic landmark and working theater are available daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
2. Grand Ole Opry: Catch a show at the world’s longest-running radio show in its permanent home at the Opry House. See a calendar of events to catch country classics and current hits. Ticket prices will vary by event and seat location.
3. RCA Studio B: See the historic studio where more than 1,000 top 10 American hits and 150 songs by Elvis were recorded. Artists like Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, and Roy Orbison also recorded there and it played an important part in establishing the Nashville Sound in the ‘60s. Tours depart from the Country Music Hall of Fame and cost about $11-13. » Read The Rest

A place called Music City would, of course, have a vast array of performance venues. Whether you’re looking to catch something at the last minute, or dance away to the legend who tours through the city every few years, there are plenty of live music options. So put on your dancing boots and get ready to boogie down at these top 10 music venues.

1. Ryman Auditorium: See where the beloved Grand Ole Opry reigned from 1943-74 and the “Birthplace of Bluegrass” according to the state of Tennessee as of 2006. Although it’s now only home to the occasional Opry-affiliated concert, it keeps a full schedule of events in addition to tours.
2. Opry House: Catch the Grand Ole Opry, the world’s longest-running radio show in its permanent home from a perch on an old-time church pew-style bench. See a calendar of events to catch country classics and current hits. Ticket prices will vary by event and seat location.
3. Texas Troubadour Theatre: Visit Ernest Tubb’s namesake theater and attend the long-running Midnite Jamboree for free on Saturday nights at midnight that the Texas Troubadour started himself. It also hosts the Nasvhille Cowboy Church on Sundays at 10 a.m. and a Tribute to the King with an Elvis impersonator on Mondays and Thursdays. » Read The Rest

Some of these restaurants may not have been around as long as some of the area’s sprawling plantations, but they have become historic classics in their own right. From ganache-filled crepes to deep-fried chocolate chip cookie dough egg rolls to real southern-fried chicken, get a taste of Nashville in this top 10 historic restaurants list.

1. Pancake Pantry: The Nashville breakfast and lunch tradition has been run by the same family since its 1961 opening. The menu offers almost any imaginable kind of pancake, including Caribbean Pancakes with bananas, pecans and coconut, and Chocolate Sin, chocolate ganache-filled crepes.
2. Sunset Grill: Hillsboro Village’s 20-year-old dining fixture was the area trend starter for late-night half-price menus. Try the voodoo pasta with its spicy chicken, shrimp and sausage, and frog legs. While in the lobby, check out the display of the oldest-known bottle of wine in the country, circa 1776.
3. Jackson’s Bar & Bistro: Adjacent to the Pancake Pantry in Hillsboro Village near Vanderbilt University’s campus, the bistro offers a variety of menu options, from paninis and pastas to pumpkin spice sangria. But the ultimate goal is to make it to the end with their signature dessert, the chocolate chip cookie dough egg roll topped with chocolate syrup and ice cream. » Read The Rest

See how people lived in and around Nashville throughout various periods of time, especially during the Civil War. Tour grand estates that were homes to presidents, survived through bloody battles and the living quarters of slaves on sprawling plantations.  Prepare to step back in time and check out the 10 top historical Nashville area houses and estates.

1. The Hermitage: President Andrew Jackson’s 1,000-acre property first opened as a museum in 1889 and has since run on only profit from tickets, sales, donations and grants. Learn how the land turned from a thriving cotton farm, became Jackson’s plantation home, then upon the president’s death his adopted son’s inheritance that drove him into debt and prompted a proposal to make it an expansion of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
2. Belle Meade Plantation: Located six miles west of Nashville, this example of southern Greek revival Antebellum architecture, was the site of a Civil War skirmish during the Battle of Nashville and bullet holes can still be seen in its front porch’s columns. The site’s original cabin, a carriage house, stable and restored slave cabin is also open on the property.
3. Belmont Mansion: The largest house museum in Tennessee was commissioned by Adelecia Ackelen, turned into a women’s school and turned into a co-ed four-year institution called Belmont College in 1951 and opened as a museum in 1976. Tours are scheduled around visitors’ arrival. » Read The Rest

Nashville has more to boast than just its role in music history. Browse the city landscape and free attractions available to tourists, from a full-scale replica of the Parthenon in Greece to the first settlers’ fort to an Egyptian mummy shipped to the state during Antebellum.  Put on some walking shoes, leave your wallet behind and get ready to explore these top 10 historic attractions, all for free.

1. The Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park: Nashville’s biggest park has open spaces for relaxing and picnicking, and plenty of monuments to see including a river wall that represents the state’s waterways, a history wall and standing columns remaining from the former state Capitol. But the centerpiece is a full-sized replica of the Parthenon in Athens, Greece, originally built for the state’s centennial exposition in 1897. Admission inside, where a re-creation of an Athena statue stands, costs $4-6 but feel free to explore the outside of the structure.
2. Music Row: Offices of numerous record labels populate this area in downtown, concentrated around 16th and 17th Avenues South (Music Square East and Music Square West). Represented musical genres include country, gospel and contemporary Christian.
3. Printer’s Alley: A few blocks away from Broadway Street in downtown, the area was known as the Men’s Quarter in the late 19th century and later boasted publishing and printing businesses that became important to the growing music industry. Now it’s best known for its current night clubs, along with famous performers like Waylon Jennings, Chet Atkins and Hank Williams whom performed in the location’s past night clubs. » Read The Rest