Have you ever visited Nashville, Tennessee?
For most of us, when we think of Nashville, country music is the first thing that comes to mind. As someone who does not like country music at all, Nashville wasn’t somewhere I’d really ever thought of visiting. But then last year Mom 2.0 (a conference for parent entrepreneurs and creators) happened to be held in Nashville and it gave me the opportunity to visit.
Now, I must admit, that before I really looked into Nashville I honestly didn’t think that the city would offer much to visitors like me, but the more I looked into it, the more excited I got about exploring. It turns out that whether you like country music or not, Nashville is a vibrant and colorful city with a ton of fun for tourists of all ages.
Today I’m sharing everything I did during my visit to Nashville. If you’re planning a visit and want to know what to do in Nashville that doesn’t focus too much on country music, then read on…
Tour the Grand Ole Opry
Ok, so I mentioned above that I’m not a fan of country music yet here I am including the most iconic country music venue in my Nashville round up. But hear me out… I may not like country music but I am a total history geek, so I couldn’t visit Nashville and not take a tour of one of the most important buildings in the city’s recent history. I took the Backstage Tour, which led our group, you guessed it, backstage at the theater. We learned about the 100 year plus history of the Grand Ole Opry and the radio station on which all of the shows are broadcast nightly. We visited the family room where performers spend time relaxing before the shows, and we got to check out the dressing rooms, all of which are decorated in a different theme. We saw costumes from iconic country musicians including one of Dolly Parton's jumpsuits. We got to see how all of the shows are run which was really interesting, especially if you were a theater kid! Our last stop was the stage itself where we took it in turns standing in the iconic wooden circle where pretty much every country musician you can think of has ever has stood.
Grand Ole Opry is located at 600 Opry Mills Drive, Nashville.
Backstage tours are held every 30 minutes from 9:30am - 4pm daily. Tours take approximately 45 minutes.
For more information and to book tickets click here.
Ride an Indoor Riverboat at Gaylord Opryland
Just a short drive (or even walk) from the Grand Ole Opry is the stunning Gaylord Opryland resort. I wish I could say that this is where I stayed when I visited Nashville, but it was a little out of my price range so I stayed at a nearby hotel also run by Gaylord. Luckily, you don't need to be a staying guest at Gaylord Opryland to enjoy much of what the resort has to offer. And boy, does it have a lot to offer!
The resort features nine acres of indoor gardens and winding water ways, that meander through giant glass atriums. Southern style buildings are located on islands in the waterways giving the impression of a small town inside the resort. These buildings are home to shops, cafes, restaurant and meeting spaces. The garden conservatory features stunning tropical gardens with viewing platforms, waterfalls, plenty of seating for taking in the views, and giant guitar sculptures suspended from the ceiling. Visitors can take a self guided tour with sign posted information along the way as well as an augmented reality tour that brings endangered animals to life through smart phones.
The highlight of my visit was the Delta Riverboat cruise. This 14 minute boat ride takes visitors through the water ways of the Delta atrium past waterfalls and tropical plants. The boat captain provides commentary about the resort's history as well as botanical information about the plants that line the river.
Gaylord Opryland is located at 2800 Opryland Drive, Nashville.
For more information click here.
Learn the art of Letterpress at Hatch Show Print
Visiting Hatch Show Print was one of my favorite things about my time in Nashville. I'm a big fan of letterpress printing so getting to go behind the scenes at such an iconic printmaker was a dream come true. The artists at Hatch Show Print have been designing and printing letterpress posters since 1879. The printing techniques haven't changed much in that time and much of what is created today is still made with vintage type, hand carved print block, etched metal photo plates, and old fashioned printing presses. I took an hour long tour at Hatch Show Print which included a history of the company and letterpress in general, a look at hundreds (maybe thousands?) of event posters created for musicians across every genre, a behind the scenes look at the working studio, and the chance to print my very own letterpress posters on one of their smaller presses. The Hatch Show Print shop features posters, cards, books, household goods, t-shirts and so much more. It's the perfect place to pick up a few Nashville souviners.
Hatch Show Print is located at 224 Rep. John Lewis Way S, Nashville.
Tours take place daily from 10am to 4pm.
For more information and to book a tour click here.
Make your own custom Goo Goo Cluster
Have you ever had a Goo Goo Cluster before? These delicious chocolate bars have been a fan favorite since 1912 and are Nashville's official candy. Filled with peanuts, caramel and marshmallow nougat, they are a delight for the taste buds. I knew I had to stop by the Goo Goo Cluster store to stock up while I was in Nashville, but what I didn't expect was that I'd be able to design my very own custom Goo Go Clusters there. Now, the original is pretty hard to beat, but designing your own Goo Goo Cluster is a must! The process involves choosing different chocolate and filling choices on a digital kiosk, and then you get to watch the in house chocolatiers create magic. The custom Goo Goo Clusters are a little pricey at $16, but they are gigantic. The Goo Goo Clusters store also features history about the iconic chocolate bar as well as a gift shop. Candy making classes are also available, and I had hoped to take part in one but they were sold out the day I visited. Definitely book in advance if you'd like to take a class.
Goo Goo Chocolate Co Storefront is located at 116 3rd Avenue S, Nashville.
The store is open daily from 10am to 6pm.
For more information and to book classes click here.
Pose with fun murals
If you know me, then you know I love a good mural and Nashville is full of them!
Colorful street art can be found all over Nashville, but the main neighborhoods where you'll find murals galore are Downtown, Gulch, SoBro and 12th South. The Downtown, Gulch and SoBro neighborhoods are all within easy walking distance of each other, but visiting 12th South will require a 20 minute drive. It's definitely worth adding in though as this neighborhood has the most murals of them all, plus it's a great place to shop and eat.
You can see all the murals I checked out plus their locations in this blog post I shared earlier:
Party the night away on Broadway
Country music may be the main thing that Nashville is known for, but its nightlife is a very close second. Nashville is definitely a party city and the nightlife is alive and kicking no matter which day of the week you visit. Or, to be honest, no matter the time of day either! Lower Broadway, also known as Honky Tonk Highway, is Nashville's nightlife center and it's busier than I could've ever imagined. Music venues, clubs and restaurants line the iconic street, each one decked out with neon lights and full of revelers. Most venues feature live music and many have several stages over different floors. There's obviously a lot of country music, but you'll find plenty of other styles too. I went to Tootsie's Orchid Lounge with friends and we were greeted by a guitarist performing on top of the bar while a band mate poured beer into his mouth via a funnel! I think that kind of says it all about the nightlife on Broadway!
If you're not into partying, Broadway is still definitely worth checking out for the atmosphere, the music, the people watching, and all of the fabulous neon signs. You don't even need to venture into a club or bar to experience it. Many of the clubs have stages set up in their street level windows which means you can watch and listen from the street. I visited during the day on the Sunday I had in Nashville by myself, and Broadway was still abuzz with people enjoying the live music, so if you don't get a chance to visit in the evening, you can still check out the action during the day.
Take in the city sights around Downtown
Whenever I visit a new city I love to go for walks around the downtown area and take in all of the architecture, street art, and just general city life. Nashville's downtown area is a great place to explore on foot. As I mentioned above, Broadway is fun to explore during the day, and from here it's an easy walk down to the riverfront and to John Seigenthaler pedestrian bridge. From the bridge you'll get stunning views over downtown Nashville and the Cumberland River. Apart from a sports arena, there's not really an awful lot across the bridge so I just walked across and back for the views. I also really enjoyed walking around the Gulch and 12th South neighborhoods. As I mentioned earlier, these are both great neighborhoods for street art, and they also both have lively restaurant scenes as well as a lot of great shopping. While I was more than happy to explore Nashville on foot, I did notice a LOT of tour buses, pedal powered party buses, and bike tours doing the rounds, so if walking isn't your thing, there are plenty of other options for exploring Nashville.
As a bonus, I thought I'd include a few other places that I didn't check out, that I'm sure that plenty of you would enjoy, especially if you're a fan of country music or 80s sitcoms:
Cooter's Dukes of Hazzard Museum
Country Music Hall of Fame
Madame Tussaud's Nashville
Have you been to Nashville before? I'd love to hear what your favorite places to visit were.
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