A stay in the music capital of the US is sure to hit all the right notes. As the Grand Ole Opry marks its centenary, here are some of the best things to do in Tennessee’s capital
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1. Country Music Hall of Fame
This museum – with its curved piano‑key exterior – packs so much in, it’s little wonder it’s been nicknamed the ‘Smithsonian of country music’. Visitors can learn about the genre from its folk roots to commercial success through films, rare recordings, gold and platinum records, instruments and outfits worn by stars onstage – Elvis’s gold Cadillac is even here.
countrymusichalloffame.org
2. Grand Ole Opry
Next year, the Grand Ole Opry – the radio show that made country music famous and has hosted the likes of Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton – celebrates a century since it first broadcast live from downtown Nashville. These days, the two-hour shows celebrate the rising stars and big names up to five times a week in front of a live audience at Opry House.
opry.com
3. Honky Tonk Highway
Pull on a pair of cowboy boots and strut down this lively, neon-lit stretch of Broadway in downtown Nashville, where you’ll find a string of honky-tonks – bars that play live music all day, every day. Countless country stars, including Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson, started their careers here, and the venues range from dive bars and cool cocktail spots to rowdy rooftops.
4. See a songwriter in action
Nashville is home to hundreds of talented songwriters who’ve penned numerous number ones, and they regularly play and talk about their experiences at songwriter nights across the city. The best are at the Listening Room, Station Inn and Bluebird Cafe (pictured), where Taylor Swift and Kings of Leon played when they were starting out.
Guided touring companies can also book experiences with songwriters; Cosmos, for example, offers ‘Dinner with a Nashville Songwriter’ (optional extra, from £51).
bluebirdcafe.com
5. Stay at the Tempo by Hilton Nashville Downtown
This fitness and wellness-focused hotel opened in February, offering in-room Peloton bikes and yoga mats, plus blackout curtains and lighting with a ‘relax’ setting to help guests power down – ideal, given its location just steps from Lower Broadway’s nightlife. Buzzy shared spaces include a rooftop pool and bar serving riffs on classic cocktails, and the New American Lovelorn Lounge
restaurant. Room-only rates start at £213 a night.
hilton.com
Book it…
Prestige Travel’s newly expanded US brochure includes a nine-night Deep South Self-Drive with three nights each in New Orleans, Memphis and Nashville plus seven days’ car rental. Prices start from £2,400 including BA flights from Heathrow to New Orleans and back from Nashville, based on an April 24, 2025, departure.
prestigetravel.co.uk
Pictures: Cosmos/Christopher Ames; Wade Brothers; Chris Hollo
