Tune In to Nashville: Complete Trip Planning Guide for Music Lovers

Miami Herald

08-07-2025

Nashville is known for its beats, bites and booze, so it's a popular destination for adult group trips. Planning your getaway can be overwhelming, so I suggest using a concert as your core activity and building your itinerary around the show.
Concert travel didn't start with Taylor Swift. I've been gig-tripping for years, traveling to Dublin for Springsteen, Tulsa to see Bob Seeger and Pasadena's iconic Rose Bowl for an Ed Sheeran concert.
If your destination is Music City, a concert trip just feels right. When in Rome, as the saying goes.
So, pack your Stetson, sequins and boots. Or not. There's a Nashville for everyone. Here's how to discover yours.
The trip was hosted. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
If there's no big concert in town during your visit, book the Grand Ole Opry. The show, celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2025, has multiple weekly performances and there's always a Saturday show. Featured performers on any given night vary. On my recent visit, there were seven different sets, including traditional bluegrass, teen Maddox Batson making his Opry debut and comedian Henry Cho.
Combine the performance with a backstage tour pre- or post-show to learn about the history of the Opry. You'll see the artist entrance, performer dressing rooms and Opry member mailboxes.
SheBuysTravel Tip: Send your fan letter to your favorite country singer if they're an Opry member:
Grand Ole Opry[Performer's Name]2804 Opryland Dr.,Nashville, TN 37214
Following are the large and mid-size Nashville concert venues. I've noted artists performing in 2025 to give you a feel for the type of acts each venue hosts.
Nashville's Top Music Venues
Nissan Stadium (Coldplay, CMA Fest)Bridgestone Arena (Mary J. Blige, Kane Brown)Grand Ole Opry (Vince Gill, The Gatlin Brothers)The Pinnacle (Eric Church, Alessia Cara)Ryman Auditorium (Kacey Musgraves, Amos Lee)Nashville Symphony Hall (Lyle Lovett, Indigo Girls)Ascend Amphitheater (Halsey, Teddy Swims)
Once you've locked in your main event, add in attractions to flesh out your trip. I highly recommend a visit to one or more of the city's music museums. Although there's a heavy emphasis on country music, I found many exhibits appealing to a broad range of musical tastes.
Country Music Hall of Fame
The largest museum and a must-see in my opinion, is the Country Music Hall of Fame. Start your visit with the third-floor timeline tracing the development of country music from the Appalachian hills to the world stage.
Guided tours are available before and after museum opening hours. Other add-ons include a tour of the on-site Hatch Show Print presses and a round-trip visit from the Hall of Fame to tour RCA Studio B, where music legends, including Dolly Parton and Elvis Presley, recorded their hits.
Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum
Detour off Broadway to the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum to see an outstanding cache of collectibles. Superstars from Jimi Hendrix to Glen Campbell to Bruce Springsteen are represented. I was jazzed to see the Steinway piano Elton John played at the Caribou Ranch recording studio.
Exhibits also pay tribute to legendary session musicians, including Garth Brooks' G-Men, who have supported the country star on all of his recordings. Admission to the museum includes the GRAMMY Museum Gallery, an interactive facility where you can try songwriting, singing, playing the drums and mixing tracks to experience the record-making process.
National Museum of African American Music
The National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) is an immersive celebration of the Black artists who inspired and created more than 50 genres in the American soundtrack.
Begin your visit to the museum in the Roots Theater. The introductory film provides an overview of the history of Black music. Then, weave through the six galleries to learn more about the genesis of different music forms, popular artists and music's social impact.
Step into a booth to don a gown and sing a gospel hymn with a choir. Or show off your best dance moves in the One Nation Under a Groove gallery. Throughout the space are listening stations equipped with headphones. Take time to discover new music and artists, and when you find tunes you'd like to save, tap your RFID-enabled bracelet to email yourself the playlists.
Schedule time in your itinerary to sample an activity or attraction that's not music-related. I'm a huge fan of taking a bus tour in a new city, so consider starting your Nashville trip with a Gray Line open-air double-decker sightseeing tour. Then, check out some other fun Music City things to do.
Discover an Art Deco Delight
The Frist Art Museum does not have a permanent collection. Instead, the museum hosts rotating temporary exhibits. The building, a showcase example of Art Deco design, was the city's main post office. Free Architecture Tours are held on Saturdays and Sundays at 3:30 pm.
SheBuysTravel Tip: Love Art Deco? Consider trips to New York City and Miami Beach to see examples of the popular design style.
Make a Music City Souvenir
A fun group activity is candle-making at Paddywax. Anthropologie fans will recognize the brand. Step-by-step instructions guide you through the assembly process, which takes about 30-45 minutes. Feel free to BYOB.
Leave your candles to cure and return to pick them up later in the day – shipping is also available. And, if you live near a Candle Bar, you can refill your candle when it's spent or repurpose the empty container. They make cute vases.
SheBuysTravel Tip: If you're flying out of BNA, don't pack your candle deep in your suitcase. I was flagged by TSA for additional screening. So were 3 other people in my line carrying candles. They're okay to transport, but they need to be inspected so keep them readily available.
Take a Shoppable Stroll
If a trip isn't a trip until you shop 'till you drop, head to The Gulch or 12 South, two of Nashville's neighborhoods with boutiques worth browsing, including celebrity retailers:
Reese Witherspoon's Draper JamesCraig Conover's Sewing Down SouthKristin Cavallari's Uncommon James
Got GAS?
I gasped when I entered Carter's massive showroom. Rows of acoustic and electric guitars sit, waiting to be strummed. The inventory of used and new instruments at Carter Vintage Guitars is lovingly maintained by owner Ben Montague and a talented crew of authentication and restoration specialists.
Montague retained the Carter name after acquiring the company; the relocated showroom opened in 2024. The consignment inventory is ever-evolving as Carter absorbs private collections from individuals afflicted with GAS, or, as Montague explained, "Guitar Acquisition Syndrome."
There are two smaller showrooms for rare instruments that include performance spaces. Musicians are filmed during weekly drop-in shows; check out the Carter social sites for these micro concerts.
SheBuysTravel Tip: Carter's has an awesome selection of merch, including Strings for Hope jewelry fashioned from recycled instrument strings. Proceeds '…support work development opportunities for survivors of substance use disorder, human trafficking or domestic violence.'
Check Out Cheekwood
Located in West Nashville, Cheekwood Estate & Gardens is a complete 180 from Broadway's honky tonks. The 55-acre property includes the grand 1930s mansion, 13 different gardens and a 1.5-mile walking trail.
Seasonal garden highlights include 250,000 blooming spring bulbs, summer concerts on the lawn and an illuminated holiday lights trail. Swing by the children's garden to meet the resident rescue turtles.
Cheer for the Home Team
Nashville is sports heaven.
On NFL game days, you can stroll across a pedestrian bridge to Nissan Stadium to see the Tennessee Titans.The Nashville Predators play their National Hockey League games at Bridgestone Arena. The team was named for the prehistoric saber tooth tiger remains found during stadium site excavation.And the Nashville Sounds, the Milwaukee Brewers' Triple-A team, play their games at First Horizon Park in Germantown. You can't miss the guitar-shaped scoreboard in the outfield.
Cocktails. Mocktails. Booze, bourbon or wine. Whatever your pleasure, you can find a place to have a drink in Nashville. Here are some fun options.
Monday Night Preservation Co.
Housed in a former meat-packing facility, Monday Night Preservation Co. is a taproom featuring 24 draft beers, cocktails, wine, snacks and indoor and outdoor seating. Check the event schedule. They host trivia, food trucks and song bingo on different evenings.
I tried the very refreshing Taco Tuesday lager with a slice of lime. A tempting zero-proof cocktail was The Other Pink Drink featuring blackberries, lime, ginger, coconut water and ginger beer.
Belle Meade Historic Site & Winery
Head to Belle Meade, a 30-acre site that was once a premier thoroughbred horse stud farm. Many of today's champions can trace their bloodlines back to Bonnie Scotland and Enquirer, two of Belle Meade's most successful sires.
Ticketing options include three guided tour choices or a grounds pass. Every ticket also includes a complimentary wine tasting. Of the four wines I tried, the Red Muscadine, made with local grapes, was my favorite. The grape flavor was pleasantly jammy. Not surprisingly, its suggested pairing is with peanut butter.
If you're in town with a group, look into private wine and bourbon tastings and food pairings on property. They're held in the historic circular stone icehouse and the chic carriage house.
Corsair Distillery
Nashville is home to several stops on the Tennessee Whiskey Trail, a promotional campaign by 30 participating distilleries. Corsair Distillery is located in Marathon Village, a unique renovation of Nashville's historic Marathon Motor Works automobile factory.
Take Corsair's 30-minute tour that includes a tasting of five spirits. The Spiced Rum is a winner. Then, wander around the complex. The halls are lined with historic tools and machine parts used in the car manufacturing process.
The dining scene in Nashville is popping. Music City was recently rated the most underrated food city in the US by Resy. During my latest visit, dining rooms were filled on weekday nights and lines formed at popular brunch spots by 9 am. Gather your restaurant choices and make reservations to avoid disappointment.
Recommended hot spots include:
Husk: Acclaimed American chef Sean Brock sources local ingredients to create modern Southern dishes at this fine-dining restaurant. My first-course featuring bull's blood beet, blood orange, mint and orange blossom cream was delicious.Pelato: Shareable Italian plates that taste like they danced right out of Nonna's kitchen. A new menu addition – campanelle pasta with shrimp in a creamy lemon sauce – was my fave.5th & Taylor: This upscale restaurant occupies a grand space dominated by a floating statue of General Francis Nash, the city's namesake. I chose scallops served with butternut squash and radicchio. They were good, but there was audible purring coming from my tablemates as they consumed their beef entrees.The Southern Steak & Oyster: A great spot for lunch in SoBro (South Broadway) if you don't want to eat on Broadway.
Fast Casual Options
If you can't secure a reservation, you still have options. Assembly Food Hall is a massive food court with more than 30 eateries and bars, including Prince's Hot Chicken, the originator of Nashville's spicy signature fowl. Assembly is open from 9 am – 10 pm daily and features one of the best views of Broadway from its rooftop.
Pitmaster Carey Bringle lost his leg to cancer but not his sense of humor. You'll find meats smoked daily and homemade sides at Peg Leg Porker, a come-hungry, leave-stuffed outpost in The Gulch. The mac and cheese is killer and don't skip the Kool-Aid pickles.
You can wash down your award-winning BBQ with Bringle's smoky bourbon named the best at the 2023 Tasting Alliance World Championship. The bourbon's available in 13 states and you can have the ribs, pulled pork and sauces delivered to your door.
Another fast bite option is Joyland. Husk's Sean Brock created this ode to hamburger joints. It's colorful, quick and the curly fries rock.
If you've still got some giddyup, head to one of Nashville's small clubs for intimate performances and a nightcap. You might have heard of The Bluebird Cafe. It's where a teen named Swift got her start.
You can sample these tiny venues during the annual Tin Pan South songwriters' festival. It's a 5-day event with twice-daily shows at 11 different clubs. The slate of scheduled performers take the stage together and perform song rounds interspersed with stories about themselves and their music.
Broadway or Bust
You might be tempted to skip the noisy, crowded honky-tonks on Lower Broadway. Don't. They're fun, even mid-day. Most are multi-level with rooftops to catch cool breezes and great views. Be on the lookout for famous musicians who pop in for pop-up performances.
And, if you need a giggle, park yourself by the mechanical bull at Whiskey River Saloon. My nephew tried riding. His 20 seconds of fame were priceless.
Choose a downtown hotel if your activities are based in and around Broadway. Or, If you don't mind driving or using rideshare, check out Nashville's 21 neighborhoods. You might discover a better fit for your trip.
Four Seasons Hotel Nashville
The Nashville skyline dramatically changed with the 2022 opening of the 40-story Four Seasons skyscraper. The luxury hotel has 235 rooms and suites, plus private residences on the upper floors. The SoBro location is ideal for exploring downtown on foot.
After touring, escape to the 7th-floor infinity pool and hot tub overlooking the Cumberland River and Nissan Stadium. Or book a massage or facial at the in-house spa. Rooms feature small touches that make the brand a standout. Returning from a long first day in town, I was happy to find a chocolate '45 record and a trio of macarons left as part of the evening turndown service.
Thompson Nashville
World of Hyatt members can use or earn points at The Thompson, a 224-room boutique hotel located in The Gulch. Trendy shops and restaurants line the streets and the rooftop restaurant serves up city views, cocktails, bites and brunch. It's serene during the day and clubby at night.
Rooms at The Thompson have a "Mad Men" mid-century vibe with walnut furniture and brushed bronze accents. The bar has a retro Bluetooth speaker that's easy to pair to blast your Nashville playlist. There are two taps in each hallway dispensing still and sparkling water. Fill the glass carafe in your room or your personal water bottle and grab individually packaged ice pouches from the refrigerated drawers. It's a nice sustainability touch.
Additional SheBuysTravel Music City Recommended Stays:
Union Station Hotel: Marriott property across the street from the Frist MuseumHyatt Centric: Downtown property with a rooftop poolGaylord Opryland: Destination resort with a waterpark, known for its extravagant holiday decor
The Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. maintains a robust website for pre-trip information. When you're in town, swing by the downtown Music City Visitor's Center. It's hard to miss. Look for the semi-circular glass building attached to the Bridgestone Arena with a radio tower springing from the roof.
Friendly staff are available seven days a week from 9 am to 5 pm to answer questions and give advice about where to eat, stay and play. There's great merch too, and restrooms.
SheBuysTravel Tip: If you plan to visit several paid attractions, ask about discount pricing offers. Nashville retired its Total Access Pass in 2024.
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