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The Nashville outpost of Mike Wolfe's American Pickers shop, stocked with vintage finds, rusted-and-restored oddities, and a heavy dose of the show's merch — set inside the same brick-and-timber factory floor where Marathon cars were once assembled.

(615) 810-9906

A working craft distillery inside the old Marathon Motor Works factory, pairing a 30-minute production tour with a taproom pouring house-made spirits, local beer, and wood-fired pizza. Nashville's original grain-to-glass distillery, still running its 1920s pot still daily.

The mixed-use district that replaced Nashville's old convention center downtown — a city block of retail, apartments, offices, and two of the block's real draws: Assembly Food Hall and the National Museum of African American Music. Built to give visitors a reason to stop between Broadway's honky-tonks and the Country Music Hall of Fame.

A 300-foot paddle wheeler that cruises the Cumberland River with a live orchestra, dancers, and a Southern-style meal — the closest thing Nashville has to old-fashioned riverboat spectacle. Docks behind Opry Mills, a few minutes from Gaylord Opryland.

Germantown

A century-old car factory turned creative complex in Germantown, where the brick-and-timber halls that once assembled the South's first automobile now hold a distillery, a vintage shop made famous by American Pickers, a free automotive museum, and a rotating cast of local makers.

A two-hour musical comedy tour aboard the Big Pink Bus, roasting Nashville's music-industry mythology as much as celebrating it. Founded in 1997 by sisters Brenda Kay Jugg and Sheri Lynn, it's less a sightseeing tour than a show that happens to move.

(615) 226-7300

Lantern-lit walking tours through downtown's darker back-history, run by AmeriGhost since 2003 — the city's first locally owned ghost tour operator. Ninety minutes of Victorian-costumed storytelling past the Ryman, the Capitol, and Printer's Alley.

(615) 884-3999

The only museum in the country built entirely around the genres African Americans created — from spirituals and blues through jazz, gospel, R&B, and hip-hop. Six interactive galleries, a wristband that builds you a custom playlist as you go, and a 190-seat theater inside Fifth + Broadway.

A warehouse-sized entertainment bar in the Gulch built around duckpin bowling, free arcade games, and a patio full of yard games and fire pits. Loud, all-ages until 8pm, and one of the easier ways to fill a few hours in Nashville that has nothing to do with live music or barbecue.

A short, closely guarded look inside Jack White's Nashville headquarters — label offices, the world's only direct-to-acetate live venue, and the 1947 Voice-o-Graph booth. Fridays only, tickets go fast.

(615) 891-4393

A three-hour walking food tour through downtown Nashville, stopping at five restaurants and food shops between landmarks like the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Ryman. Small groups, local guides, running since 2014.

Green Hills

Nashville's most beloved listening room. The Bluebird seats 90 people in a strip mall in Green Hills, and on any given night you might hear the next Taylor Swift or a songwriter who wrote ten #1 hits. The in-the-round format puts you inches from the artists. Reserve early — it sells out.

(615) 383-1461

Downtown

Home of the Nashville Predators and the anchor of Lower Broadway's entertainment district. With crowds that top 17,000 for hockey and some of the loudest arenas in the NHL, a Preds game here is a full-volume introduction to Smashville.

(615) 770-2000

Belle Meade

A 55-acre botanical garden and art museum set on the former Cheek family estate. The seasonal exhibitions are spectacular — Cheekwood in bloom during spring is one of Nashville's most beautiful sights. Holiday LIGHTS in winter draws massive crowds for good reason.

(615) 356-8000

Downtown

The world's premier country music research center, and genuinely one of the best music museums anywhere. The rotating exhibitions are always fresh, and the Hatch Show Print Gallery next door is a must-visit for design lovers.

(615) 416-2001

Midtown

Nashville's scrappiest rock club, open since 1971. Jimmy Buffett, Emmylou Harris, and Drive-By Truckers all called this stage home. The sound is loud, the crowd is real, and the history on these walls is priceless.

(615) 321-4400

Downtown

Nashville's premier art museum, housed in a stunning 1934 Art Deco post office. The Frist hosts major touring exhibitions year-round — Frida Kahlo, Cartier-Bresson, Ansel Adams — alongside a world-class permanent collection. The Martin ArtQuest gallery makes it a great family stop too.

(615) 244-3340

South Nashville

The largest soccer-specific stadium in the United States, home to Nashville SC. Opened in 2022 with 30,000 seats and an atmosphere — thanks to a supporters' section that never sits down — that's made it one of MLS's best gamedays almost overnight.

(615) 750-8800

Music Valley

The show that made Nashville. Broadcasting live since 1927, the Grand Ole Opry is the longest-running radio broadcast in American history. Catch a Tuesday, Friday, or Saturday show — standing in that circle of fame still gives chills.

(800) 733-6779

East Bank

Home of the Tennessee Titans and CMA Fest's legendary stadium concerts, sitting right on the Cumberland River with a skyline view that's uniquely Nashville. The 2026 season is the Titans' last here before the team moves into the $2.2 billion New Nissan Stadium rising next door, opening in 2027.

(615) 565-4200

Downtown

The Mother Church of Country Music. Built in 1892, the Ryman's legendary acoustics and intimate horseshoe balconies make every seat feel front row. From Hank Williams to Jack White, more history has been made on this stage than any other in Nashville.

(615) 889-3060

The Gulch

The best bluegrass club in America. Cash only, BYO beer from the cooler up front, and some of the tightest picking you'll ever hear. A Nashville institution since 1974 that somehow hasn't changed a bit despite everything around it turning to condos.

(615) 255-3307

Midtown

A full-scale replica of the Athenian Parthenon, sitting in Centennial Park. Built for Tennessee's 1897 Centennial Exposition and never torn down, it houses a 42-foot gilded statue of Athena — the largest indoor sculpture in the Western Hemisphere. Weird, wonderful, and completely Nashville.

(615) 862-8431