In today’s American Nomad adventure, we’re continuing our journey in Nashville with a three day itinerary centered around Nashville’s Musical Roots, from its music history, to fun honky tonks and listening rooms…get ready for an adventure.
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I lived in Nashville for over five years, attending Belmont University and working on Music Row. As a singer-songwriter a majority of my time in Nashville was playing out at open-mic nights and immersing myself in the local music scene. You can listen to my Americana/Country sounds on Bandcamp (a purchase helps indie musician), Spotify or your streaming platform of choice.
What I love about Nashville is the diversity of musical genres you’ll discover at the various venues. Nashville is Music City – a gathering place for musicians and music fans of all genres from country and roots to blues to folk to rock to hip-hop and beyond…you will find it in Nashville.
Nashville’s vibrant and vast music scene can get your toes tapping, but it can also be exhausting to figure out where to go and when. Think of this itinerary not as a comprehensive list, but as a guidepost to help you navigate and enjoy your visit.
Day One: History in Song – Travel through Nashville’s Music History
But first coffee…Nashville has a ton of great coffee and breakfast joints to kickstart your day. I recommend starting off at Bongo Java near Belmont University. Parking can be tricky, but this coffeehouse is worth the parallel parking headaches. They roast their own coffee and the lattes are amazing. However my personal favorite is their hot Chai Tea. It’s got the perfect blend of spices. Bongo is a popular hangout for music students and songwriters and publishers, as Music Row is just around the corner. Â
For the first stop of the day we’re heading to the amazing Country Hall of Fame Museum in the heart of downtown Nashville. If you visit one music museum in Nashville this should be it. The large museum is filled with permanent and special exhibitions featuring memorabilia from early country trail blazers like Jimmie Rodgers and Patsy Cline to rockabilly sounds of Elvis (one of his cars is on display) to rocking Wanda Jackson, and the emergence of Outlaw Country with Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson to pop-country stars of the 1990s and early 2000s, including Taylor Swift memorabilia. While I usually take the self-guided tour, because I have a background in music history from Belmont, I would recommend taking a guided tour on your first visit. You’ll learn a ton about different artists and musical styles in museums like Texas Swing of Bob Wills to Americana and 60s California Country-Rock by The Eagles. The guided tour brings the music together in a fun way.
It will take about two hours for the main museum tour, after which you can grab a snack in the gift shop area before taking the bus tour (part of your ticket admission) to RCA Studio B. Buy tickets/Reservations Here
I was fortunate to take a sound engineering class at this historic studio during my time at Belmont, where we recorded a song using the original echo chamber and played music with Elvis’s piano. As you step into the building you truly feel the spirit of music moving through the air.
Built in 1957, serving as the main studio for nearby RCA records, this studio recorded over 1000 hits from legends like Elvis Presley, Chet Atkins, Eddy Arnold, Roy Orbison (he recorded ‘Only the Lonely’ here) and The Everly Brothers. Another famous hit recorded at RCA Studio B was Dolly Parton’s classic ‘Coat of Many Colors.’
If you are a music lover, standing in the same space that played hosts to the best musicians of the 50s and 60s from all genres including R&B to Country will give you chills. As a student in the studio, I loved learning about the sound and recording techniques utilized in the recording process. In the 50s and 60s they didn’t have Protools where you can cut and paste and re-record select parts. It was all recorded in tandem and the mixing done live before the master mix. This meant you had to be on your ‘A-game’ with each take.
It was under the direction of songwriter, producer and musician Chet Atkins that a type of pop-friendly country emerged in the 1950s from recording sessions at Studio B known as The Nashville Sound. This is a subgenre of country characterized by a smoother, more polished sound than the traditional honky-tonk style. It featured elements like lush string arrangements, sophisticated background vocals, and a pop-influenced sound, often incorporating elements of pop and gospel. This style was largely seen as a way to broaden country music’s appeal and compete with the rise of rock and roll.
Another tour addition you can add to your Country Music Hall of Fame ticket is The Hatch Printing Press. Hatch is one of America’s oldest working letterpress print shops, creating creative posters and shaping the visual language of Nashville since 1879. The Hatch Show posters have served as the leading advertising medium for music in Nashville with vintage posters for shows at The Ryman, The Opry and beyond. Even my local Durham Performing Arts Center in NC uses Hatch Print for all their show posters, which are then displayed in the bar next door as wall art! Learn more here.
By now I’m guessing your coffee and muffin has worn off, but no fear Downtown Nashville is filled with dozens of eateries to whet your palette. One of my favorite go-to places is Puckett’s, which has a decent pulled pork sandwich and sweet potato fries. They occasionally have great live music as well. I recently found out that my other favorite coffee haunt, Frothy Monkey now has a location in downtown Nashville as well. In addition to amazing coffee, Frothy has a wide variety of sandwiches and omelets perfect for lunch. Two other spots I recommend are The FRIST Visual Arts Restaurant (not far from Country Music Hall of Fame) and the ever popular Jack’s on Broadway. I like Merchants too – but it is better for a nice sit down dinner and dessert.
Afternoon Adventures:
You have several options for your afternoon Music City History stroll in the heart of downtown. I recommend stopping by The Johnny Cash Museum and African American Music Museum, depending on your time.
After dinner at Merchants or one of the other great Nashville eateries, we’re catching a show at my favorite music venue in the world – The Ryman – aka The Mother Church of Country Music.
Built in 1892 as a church, The Ryman was converted into a concert venue by the early 1900s and became home to The Grand Ole Opry from 1943 to 1974, when it relocated to a larger venue (prior to this it moved to several other local theatres including the beautiful War Memorial Auditorium and Hillsboro Theatre). You can still feel the echoes of country greats like Hank Williams, Tex Ritter, Patsy Cline and others who graced this stage in the heyday of Country Music. Today the Ryman hosts hundreds of events each year and you should be able to book a show at the famed venue during your visit to Music City.
The year 1945 marked a watershed moment when Earl Scruggs, performing with Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys, unveiled a groundbreaking musical genre to a captivated audience. Featuring Monroe on mandolin, Scruggs’ innovative banjo playing, Howard Watts on bass, Lester Flatt’s guitar, and Chubby Wise’s fiddle, the band forged what would become the quintessential Bluegrass sound, instantly captivating listeners. Bluegrass music had arrived.
Plan your Ryman visit here: https://www.ryman.com/
Even if you’re tired after a world-class tour at the Ryman, try to spend an hour or two exploring the honky-tonks on Broadway. For music, I especially recommend Robert’s Western World, Tootsie’s (expect huge crowds, but it’s a classic where legends like Hank Williams performed after the Opry), Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar (historic Printer’s Alley location) and Nudie’s
- Fun Fact did you know before Nashville became a music city it was a major center of publishing and Printer’s Alley used to be one of the busiest publishing streets in the United States
If you are wanting a more laid back post-Ryman experience…you can walk about five blocks (10 minute walk) to The Hermitage Hotel for a drink in their historic bar. This hotel has five star lodging, but even if you aren’t a hotel guest you can eat at the bar and the restaurant. As a history buff I love enjoying a glass of wine or ginger beer in a century old building.
Quick Tip: Every time I return to Nashville I get more frustrated with the cost of downtown parking. Fortunately the Country Music Hall of Fame has a fairly priced deck. You can also check with your hotel to see if they have a downtown shuttle. You can stay downtown, but will still be charged around $50 a day for parking, so I usually stay at Hampton Inn near Vanderbilt or The Green Hills area, or Comfort Inn on Music Row and either pay to park or take an Uber.Â
Day Two:Â
Enjoy Nashville’s world famous pancake house – The Pancake Pantry – Hillsboro location for mouth watering pancakes and hot coffee. I have gluten-intolerance and love that they have gluten free pancakes too. Nearby you can stroll the funky stops of the Belcourt-Hillsboro district, which is popular with local students, songwriters and even Taylor Swift who used to enjoy Fido Coffee in the area when I was in college at Belmont.
A fun and often overlooked museum you can check out is the Musicians Hall of Fame, which pays homage to the talent behind the record – the musicians, songwriters and producers who help bring a record together.
During the day, I recommend grabbing lunch and listening to amazing music at The Listening Room Cafe – https://www.listeningroomcafe.com/nashville-shows
That evening I recommend searching for live music at one of Nashville top singer-songwriter venues…A few of my favorites include:
- The Bluebird – Artists like Faith Hill were discovered at The Bluebird. I was blessed to perform here during their open mic nights. Always fantastic music and good eats.
- 3rd and Lindsley – wonderful mix of music and great bar
- Station Inn – Bluegrass abounds in this musical heaven
Day Three:
Enjoy breakfast or lunch at The Loveless Cafe off Highway 100, where you indulge in their world famous biscuits and jam. I can’t eat the biscuits but I love their blackberry jam! I usually get the pork plate at lunch with a side salad.
After your meal, it’s always fun to listen to your favorite Nashville playlist and drive south on The Natchez Trace National Scenic Parkway down to the historic town of Franklin. In addition to their extensive mix of downtown shops, my favorite Nashville music store for instruments, sheet music, etc…is Shuff’s Music. Franklin has a lot of Civil War History as well, which we’ll detail in our next post.
No trip to Nashville would be complete without a visit to The Grand Ole Opry. The only issue with The Grand Ole Opry is that it’s about twenty minutes outside of Nashville in an area called Opryland off I-40 and The Briley Parkway. The traffic is always bad so make sure to arrive early. The mall is next door and has some fast-casual chains if you want to grab dinner before. During the show, you’ll notice a wooden circle in the middle of the stage that was taken from the original Opry stage at The Ryman. This connects the foundations of country music and the opry’s past with the music of the future.Â
What makes ‘the Opry’ so special:  It was founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as the WSM Barn Dance, taking its current name in 1927. It moved around Nashville in the 20s and 30s before settling in at The Ryman for over thirty years before moving to its current location. They still have Opry nights at The Ryman periodically.
The Grand Ole Opry is a cultural landmark and a cornerstone of American music history, particularly country music. It is the longest-running radio broadcast in the United States and has played a vital role in shaping the genre and elevating it to national and international prominence. The Opry is more than just a venue; it’s a place where country music’s past and future converge, serving as a symbol of authenticity, storytelling, and connection
Purchase your tickets on the Opry website
Up next I’ll share some historic Nashville itineraries. Don’t forget to subscribe for the latest posts.
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Meet Adele Lassiter, the travel enthusiast behind American Nomad Traveler. This blog is where she shares her love for history, cool museums, art, and travel tips. And when she’s not writing, Adele is also a talented singer-songwriter with a passion for Americana music. Her new album is available here: adelelassiter.bandcamp.com
