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Key Attractions Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum The new Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum opened its doors in May 2001, following its re-location from Music Row to its impressive new home in the heart of Nashville’s Downtown entertainment district. Spanning an entire city block and soaring 33m (107ft) above a lush urban park, the new US$37million facility features over 40,000 square feet of exhibition space. The self-guided tour takes the visitor on a chronological journey through the history of country music, from its ‘back porch’ beginnings, through the heyday of the Grand Ole Opry and right up to the present. This fascinating tour takes around three hours, features over one million items of memorabilia – from Elvis Presley’s Gold Cadillac to Patsy Cline’s cowboy boots – and is accompanied by archive recordings from radio, television and many of the country music’s most important recorded works, as well as numerous interactive features. The Country Music Hall of Fame is home to the largest country music archive in the world and the museum’s archivists and restoration experts can be viewed at work through the glass walls of their hi-tech studios. An enormous two-story wall displays every gold and platinum record ever to make the country charts. There is daily live music in the atrium, in the form of live CMT (Country Music Television) broadcasts. The museum also boasts the Ford Theater, a 214-seat state-of-the-art performance venue featuring a digital film presentation on country music from around the world. The 1676sq-metre (5500sq-ft) museum shop offers one of Nashville’s best selections of vintage and current country music CDs, tapes, books, videos, collectibles and apparel. A full-service restaurant features contemporary Southern cuisine and is open for lunch. Fifth Avenue and Demonbreun Street Tel: (615) 416 2001 or (800) 852 6437. Website: www.countrymusichalloffame.org Transport: Nashville Trolley from Downtown. Opening hours: Daily 1000-1800. Admission: US$14.95, concessions available. The Hermitage The home of Andrew Jackson – America’s seventh President – is Nashville’s national treasure, attracting 250,000 visitors every year. Jackson first bought the property in 1804 and some of the original log cabins still survive. Rather more grand is the Greek Revival mansion he built in 1837, which has been fully restored, containing almost all original period furnishings. The gardens are impressive too and there is a museum on the site, as well as a restaurant and gift shop. 4580 Rachel’s Lane, Hermitage Tel: (615) 889 2941. Website: www.thehermitage.com Transport: By car along Interstate 40, exit 221. Opening hours: Daily 0900-1700. Admission: US$10, concessions available. Ryman Auditorium One of Downtown Nashville’s prime attractions is the original home of the Grand Ole Opry, which still puts on all kinds of musical shows in the evening. By day, visitors can tour the auditorium, stand on the stage and hear anecdotes from the tour guides about the country stars who played here. These include Hank Williams, Patsy Cline and even a young Elvis Presley, when he was still regarded as a country singer. Memorabilia is on display, with some stage outfits and guitars. Ryman was a riverboat captain who built the theatre in 1892, as a venue for religious meetings. 116 Fifth Avenue Tel: (615) 254 1445 or 889 3060. Website: www.ryman.com Transport: Nashville Trolley to Downtown. Opening hours: Daily 0900-1600; evening shows vary. Admission: US$8, concessions available. Cheekwood Known as Nashville’s ‘Home of Art and Gardens’ and now also the Museum of Art, after an US$18million restoration, Cheekwood covers a site of 22 hectares (55 acres). The three-storey Georgian-style Cheek Mansion was built in the 1930s, by Leslie and Mabel Cheek – Leslie Cheek being a successful local businessman. The art collection concentrates on local artists, such as the sculptor, Will Edmondson – the first African-American whose work was displayed at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, in 1937. American art and fine art of the 19th and 20th centuries are also covered. Other features include a Botanic Hall, Woodland Sculpture Trail, a restaurant and a gift shop. 1200 Forrest Park Drive Tel: (615) 356 8000. Website: www.cheekwood.org Transport: By car along Belle Meade Boulevard, Page Road and on to Forrest Park Drive. Opening hours: Tues-Sat 0930-0430. Admission: US$10, concessions available. Tennessee State Museum This stimulating collection tells the story of the state, from prehistoric times through to the early 20th century. Special attention is paid to prominent characters, such as Andrew Jackson and Davy Crockett, as well as the Civil War. Historical arts and crafts items are also displayed and, in addition to the permanent collection, there are temporary exhibitions, for which there is usually a small admission charge. Polk Cultural Center, 505 Deaderick Street Tel: (615) 741 2692. Website: www.tnmuseum.org Transport: Nashville Trolley to Downtown. Opening hours: Tues-Sat 1000-1600, Sun 1300-1600. Admission: Free. Tennessee State Capitol The Tennessee State Capitol was built in 1859 and many parts of it, including the library and the Supreme Court chamber, have been restored to their original grandeur. Portraits of local dignitaries gaze down from the walls, while statues of famous Tennesseeans, such as General Andrew Jackson and President James Polk, stand in the Capitol’s grounds. Charlotte Avenue, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues Tel: (615) 741 1621. Transport: Nashville Trolley to Downtown. Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1600. Admission: Free. Belle Meade Plantation The Belle Meade Plantation – huge grounds known as ‘The Queen of Tennessee Plantations’ – contains one of the oldest houses in Tennessee – a log cabin from 1790. The star attraction, however, is the 1853 Greek Revival mansion, which has been lovingly restored to its original elegance. Other original outbuildings survive on the 12-hectare (30-acre) site, including the stables and an 1890 carriage house. Tours are given by guides dressed in period costume. There is also a visitor centre, tea room and gift shop. 5025 Harding Road Tel: (615) 356 0501. Fax: (615) 356 2336. E-mail: information@bellemeadeplantation.com Website: www.bellemeadeplantation.com Transport: MTA trolley bus 3 from Riverfront Park. Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0900-1700, Sun 1100-1700. Admission: US$10, concessions available. Cumberland Science Museum This was formerly the Nashville Children’s Museum and it remains firmly aimed at younger visitors. There are numerous hands-on exhibits and daily displays on scientific subjects. A simulated flight over Nashville is one attraction. Touring exhibitions are also housed here. There are daily shows in the Planetarium too, including a live presentation explaining the ‘Skies over Nashville’. 800 Fort Negley Blvd Tel: (615) 862 5178. Website: www.csmisfun.com Transport: Nashville Trolley from Downtown. Opening hours: Tues-Sat 1000-1700, Sun 1230-1730; planetarium shows 1100, 1300 and 1500. Admission: US$7.95, concessions available; extra US$1 for planetarium. Parthenon Over the years, Nashville has established itself as the one of the foremost seats of learning in the US, with its prominent university (Vanderbilt) and famous medical and film schools. Because of this, Nashville is sometimes referred to as ‘the Athens of the South.’ This replica of Greece’s most famous building was built in 1897, to house the international art exhibition for the Centennial Exposition in recognition of this achievement. West End and 25th Avenues, Centennial Park Tel: (615) 862 8431. Fax: (615) 880 2265. Website: www.parthenon.org E-mail: info@parthenon.org Transport: Nashville Trolley from Downtown. Opening hours: Tues-Sat 0900-1630, Sun 1230-1630 (Apr-Sep); Tues-Sat 0900-1630 (Oct-Mar). Admission: US$3.50, concessions available. |
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