House of travel USA Brochure 2017 | Page 61

Nashville
©Nashville Convention & Visitors Corpoation
Our favourite things to see and do
A perfect day in Nashville
Hop on Hop off Tours – A great way to see the highlights of the city and
to learn about the history of Nashville.
D iscover the capital of country music – Nashville, Tennessee. Live
music can be seen and heard every day and night of the week. With
more than 130 music venues, featuring nearly every genre of music and
a rich history of music since its very beginnings it’s easy to see why they
call themselves ‘Music City’.
A great place to start your stay is the Country Music Hall of Fame. It
has more th an 2.5 million artefacts, including countless recordings and
photographs, costumes, instruments, and more. There is also the hall
of fame, a rotunda where you’ll see brass plaques to those who have
received the highest honour in country music.
From here you can get the shuttle to RCA Studio B to do a guided tour.
Here, from 1957-1977, there was some amazing country and pop music
recorded, they are referred to as the studio of 1000 hits and say that
very few other studios can claim as many hits as them. Some of the
artists who recorded here were The Everly Brothers, Dolly Parton, Elvis
Presley, Roy Orbison & Charley Pride.
After you get the shuttle back to the heart of the city you’re just a block
to Lower Broadway or ‘Honky Tonk Row’. A honky tonk is basically a bar
that has a stage and live music and Honky Tonk Row is jam packed with
them. They have live music day and night and don’t cost a thing, there
are no cover charges to get in, but there are tip jars for the band so you
can show your appreciation that way. Many a famous country music star
started their careers on this amazing street – so you may see the next star
in the making.
Johnny Cash Museum – Full of memorabilia and the story of Johnny
Cash’s life.
Musicians Hall of Fame – This gives a great overview of the history of
music in the southern USA. There is also a whole area on the Grammys
and an interactive area where you can play instruments and sing your
heart out (with the privacy of headphones).
BlueBird Café – You’ll know about this place if you watch the TV show
Nashville. It’s a venue in the suburbs where they have up and coming
artists from all around the U.S. perform their own songs. This is where
Taylor Swift was discovered as a 15 year old. Check their website for
tickets.
Ryman Auditorium – This lovely historic building is where the Grand
Ole Opry started its life. The self-guided tour here includes a movie which
gives you the history of the Ryman which is still a popular venue today.
Puckett’s – A great place to get your fix of southern food with live music
most nights.
Honky Tonks – Tootsies Orchid Lounge and Layla’s are two great ones to
try for live music. If you want to try some line dancing then Wild Horse
Saloon is the place for you.
Jack Daniels – About 1.5 hours from Nashville is the Jack Daniels
Distillery. Here you can do a guided tour and hear the complete story of
their whiskey and their founder Mr Jack.
Bi Centennial Park – This 19 acre park is worth a wander to check out
the 60 metre granite map of the state, the World War II Memorial and the
Pathway of History.
Our favourite places to stay:
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Grand Ole Opry – This famous country music venue has concerts that
are broadcast as a live radio show and is a must! The radio show has been
going for 90 years and each show consists of an Opry member and guest
artists performing – they play about three to four songs each. You can
even do backstage tours.
Clarion Hotel Nashvillle Downtown
Hotel Indigo Nashville
Sheraton Downtown
Nashville TV Show – If you’re a fan of the TV show there is a guided
tour, on selected days, taking you to filming locations and the homes of
characters on the show.
©Tenessee Department of Tourism
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