Frist Art Museum

The building alone is worth the visit: a former U.S. post office finished in 1934, all zigzag Art Deco limestone and aluminum detailing outside, marble and terrazzo inside. The Frist has no permanent collection of its own to speak of — it operates as a kunsthalle, meaning every gallery is given over to major touring exhibitions, which is why the shows here regularly punch above what a city Nashville's size usually gets: photography retrospectives, design surveys, and contemporary art exhibitions that would otherwise only stop in New York, Chicago, or LA.

That model means the current show is always the reason to go, not a fallback if something else is closed. Recent programming has run from historical photography surveys to exhibitions built specifically around Indigenous artists and regional student work, and the calendar turns over several times a year, so a repeat visit rarely repeats the experience. Check what's on before you go rather than assuming — the Frist is genuinely not the same museum twice.

Martin ArtQuest, the Frist's interactive gallery on the upper level, is one of the better family additions to any Nashville museum: roughly 30 hands-on stations for drawing, animation, printmaking, and painting, staffed by volunteers who'll show kids (and adults) how to use them. It's included with regular admission and turns what could be a look-don't-touch art museum trip into something a restless eight-year-old will actually enjoy.

Admission is always free for visitors 18 and under, which makes this an easy add to a family day downtown, and the Thursday evening hours (until 8pm) are a good option for travelers who've spent the day on Broadway and want something quieter before dinner.