The best things to do in Nashville can found here at http://bestthingstodoinnashville.com/ . Basically the same information as this page but I split the information in easier to view format.

Won 2nd place in the Mayor Skyline Challenge with this photo of the Andrew Jackson Steamboat
Since I live in Nashville, I went all out for a comprehensive run down of what Nashville has to offer. For the self-guided folks, here are a lot of “Tour” options I compiled for those with different interests.
- Nashville Music Tour
- Nashville Art Tour
- Nashville Performing Art & Comedy
- Nashville History Tour
- Nashville Civil War Tour
- Nashville Food Tour
- Nashville Nature Tour
- Nashville Waterfall Tour
- Nashville Ghost Tour
- Nashville Cemetery Tour
- Nashville Religion / Faith Tour
- Recommended Nashville Sightseeing Tours / Movie Theaters / Malls / LGBTQ Places
- Nashville Annual Events & Sports
For current concerts and events in Nashville check out of the following pages. http://www.nowplayingnashville.com/ and http://do615.com/
Downtown Nashville Hotels: The most central lodging downtown is Hilton, Hyatt Place, Renaissance Hotel, Courtyard Nashville, Sheraton Nashville, Omni Hotel, Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Express, The Capitol Hotel, Hilton Garden Inn
For those looking for a budget stay, check out Nashville Downtown Hostel. Hostels are small and less luxurious but I will stay at them for the money savings and location. FYI: I’ve stayed 3 nights at a hostel for the price of one hotel night.
Tourist Tips
For a visit to Nashville, I think you can see and experience most of the city highlights in a 2.5 day weekend but a 7-9 day visit is recommended to take a lot in at a relaxing pace. Nashville has been my hometown since 2002 when I moved here from the corn fields of Northwest Ohio. Nashville, appropriately named “Music City”, has live music everywhere, I’ve seen live music and singing at CeCe Yogurt and even McDonalds.
Welcome to the Third Coast, one of Nashville’s nicknames, based on the media and entertainment industry here, and the number of New York/Los Angeles transplants. There are a lot of neighborhoods in Nashville but assuming you are a tourist then Downtown, Sobro, Gulch, Demonbreun, West End, Green Hills and maybe 12th South will be your primary hangout locations.
Be careful when you drive, the interstates have lots of merging areas which can get confusing, the downtown loop is a cluster you know what during weekday rush hour. 7-9am and 3:30-6pm. Downtown is where 3 interstates come together, I40, I24, I65. 440 is a good way to get from one side of Nashville while avoiding downtown. I24 has the worst traffic jams in my opinion. Drivers are either very slow or insanely fast with an epidemic of broken blinkers. Some transplants claim we are one of the worst drivers in the country. I don’t know about worst but we are not good. Especially in Winter. Local Drivers don’t have traditional Drivers Ed like some states have so they don’t know how to drive in snow. Add in the fact that finding a Nashville native is actually a rarity so everyone around the country brings their driving styles to Nashville and you get a lot of entertainment.
When I first moved here, it was before the smart phone era and I didn’t have a GPS and I got lost everywhere I went. Old Hickory Blvd will confuse a newbie easily, it circles the whole city and so no matter what direction you go, you are likely to see the same street twice making you think you got turned around. Also many streets change their name. Harding Place will become Battery Lane, 21st Ave becomes Hillsboro and Old Hickory even has a Bell Road section, though technically the OHB goes south for a bit.
Demonbreun street (an exit and street near Music Row) Tourist says: dee’-mun-broo’-in Local says: da-mun’-bree-un.
(In case you want to visit my world, I live in what is called Nippers Corner. Basically the corner of Old Hickory Blvd and Edmondson Pike area in South Nashville.)
Fun Entertainment Facts
The following famous movies were filmed in Nashville either in full or had parts.
- Robin Williams last movie ‘Boulevard’ was filmed in Nashville
- Ernest P. Worrell movies aka Jim Varney lived just north of Nashville in Whitehouse, TN and almost all his movies and ads were filmed in and around Nashville (Ernest Goes to Camp, Ernest Goes to Jail, Ernest Scared Stupid, etc)
- CMT is based here
- ‘Nashville’ the movie (Imagine that)
- Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief (battle between a wizard and Hydra taking place inside the Parthenon in Nashville)
- The Matrix (The Nashville skyline is used as the darkened backdrop of the opening chase sequence.)
- The Green Mile with Tom Hanks
- Head of State with Chris Rock
- Walk The Line with Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon
- Country Strong
- Hannah Montana because it is Miley Cyrus hometown (Franklin, TN)
Reality Shows Filmed in Nashville
- ‘Nashville’ the TV Show now on CMT (Filmed mostly at 444 Brick Church Park Dr)
- A&E Crazy Hearts: Nashville
- Thicker Than Water on Bravo
- Private Lives of Nashville Wives on TNT
- Chasing Nashville on Lifetime
- Junior Doctors a BBC documentary
Other interesting facts
- Oprah Winfrey’s pop culture began in Nashville TV when she turned into the primary female and African American news anchor while going to Tennessee State University.
- Within the Nashville Parthenon, there is a statue of Athena Parthenos standing at 42-feet-tall. She is the biggest indoor statue in the Western Hemisphere.
- Nashville local Bill Monroe is noted similar to the Father of Bluegrass.
- Nashville Zoo has two remarkable displays, Gibbon Island and Meerkat Habitats that the Animal Planet system perceived as the best in the nation.
- Segregation in the city was genuine, however when John Lewis proposed a sit-in development in February 1960 he effectively changed history. The dedicatory black and white stools in Bicentennial Mall serve as an indication of this courageous demonstration to shield human rights.
About Modern Nashville
Nashville has grown very rapidly over the last decade with 80-100 people moving here A DAY, Metro population with the surrounding small cities combined has a population of 1,830,345 with the city itself having 660,388 people in 2016. It is the largest city in Tennessee and in the top 25 in the country, about to over take Boston in population size. A lot of good information on Nashville can be found on the Nashville Wikipedia page.
If you are wearing a cowboy outfit or hat then you are probably a tourist. Although Nashville is renowned as a music recording center and tourist destination, its largest industry is health care. Nashville is home to more than 300 health care companies, including Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), the world’s largest private operator of hospitals. The automotive industry is large in the Middle Tennessee region. Nissan North America moved its corporate headquarters in 2006 from Gardena, California (Los Angeles County) to Franklin, southwest of Nashville. Nissan also has its largest North American manufacturing plant in Smyrna, Tennessee. GM has a plant in Spring Hill, TN as well.
Politically it always comes as a surprise to people that a Republican has not represented a significant portion of Nashville since 1874. Most country music fans identify as Republicans but Nashville is a Democrat stronghold in a very Red State. The following Country artist are considered Liberal / Democrat. Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw & Faith Hill, Willie Nelson, Toby Keith (Conservative Democrat to Independent), Dixie Chicks, Loretta Lynn, LeeAnn Rimes, Sheryl Crow, Brandy Clark, Kacey Musgrave and Reba McEntire. Dolly Parton supports gay and trans rights, along with Rascal Flatts.
The Top employers in Nashville are mostly Government and Education (Nashville area is home to 24 post-secondary educational institutions), the State of Tennessee has less than 40,000 full-time employees, Vanderbilt University is the largest private employer with about 25,000 full employees, the Federal Government with 12,000 full-time employees, Nissan with 10,000 full-time employees and then Metro Public Schools with about 10,000 full-time employees.
Bridgestone has their North American headquarters located in Nashville, with manufacturing plants and a distribution center in nearby counties. Amazon has two distribution centers nearby as well as one of the few cities in America to offer Amazon Prime Now where you get items within an hour.
Food Industry is popular as Cracker Barrel, O’Charley’s, Logan’s Roadhouse, J. Alexander’s, Captain D’s, Back Yard Burger’s, Shoney’s and CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc the parent company of the Carl’s Jr., Hardee’s, Green Burrito, and Red Burrito quick-service restaurant are some of the chain restaurants headquartered in the Nashville region.
Other major industries in Nashville include insurance, finance, and publishing (especially religious publishing). The city hosts headquarters operations for several Protestant denominations, including the United Methodist Church, Southern Baptist Convention, National Baptist Convention USA, and the National Association of Free Will Baptists.
Fortune 500 companies with offices within Nashville include Dell, HCA, Bridgestone, Community Health Systems, Nissan North America, Tractor Supply Company, UBS and Dollar General.
In 2013, the city ranked No. 5 on Forbes‘ list of the Best Places for Business and Careers. In 2015, Forbes put Nashville as the 4th Best City for White Collar Jobs. In 2015, Business Facilities’ 11th Annual Rankings report named Nashville the number one city for Economic Growth Potential. Real estate is becoming a major driver for the city’s economy. Nashville ranked 7th nationally in terms of attractiveness to real estate investors for 2016.
Williamson County had the highest percentage of job growth compared to other large counties in the nation in 2015, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Department of Labor.

Downtown Nashville
For photos of Nashville I’ve taken check out my photography website.
[sta_anchor id=”Music”] Nashville Music Tour
- Music Museums: Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Go downtown and visit the world’s largest music museum geared towards country music. Also nearby is the Johnny Cash Museum on 3rd Ave Featuring the most comprehensive collection of Johnny Cash artifacts and memorabilia in the world, this is THE Cash venue to visit for all ages. Then stroll up to the George Jones Museum on 2nd Avenue, which offers visitors a never-before-seen look into the life and career of the musical icon. Honoring musicians from stars to studio players that represent all genres of music, the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum is housed in the Nashville Municipal Auditorium. From Hank Williams, Sr. to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Motown to Southern Rock – there is truly something of interest to everyone.
- Take a tour of Music Row (around 16th and 17th Avenues South) and see where many music labels and recording studios are based at. Visit historic RCA Studio B, the famous recording studio where Elvis recorded over 200 songs. Roy Orbison, Dolly Parton, Chet Atkins, Eddy Arnold and many more recorded classic hits here.
- Songwriters-In-the-Round Show, In the round or a writers night are popular terms in Nashville, what you may not know is your favorite artist may have bought the song you love from a songwriter, here you can hear the lesser known people who may have created that #1 hit. Bluebird Cafe is probably the most popular spot, it is a small location so you want to get there early. The Listening Room Cafe is popular as well.
Lower Broadway aka Honky Tonk Hwy aka where the party is at.
- Located downtown The Ryman Auditorium, also called the “Mother Church of Country Music,” has had artists as diverse as Jon Bon Jovi and Patsy Cline perform on its legendary stage since 1892. You can take a backstage tour and record your own song in the Ryman recording studio. This a must see for a tour but also a great place to catch a concert during your visit.Grand Ole Opry out beside the Opry Mall, The stars of the Grand Ole Opry perform every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday night (at the Ryman Auditorium November-January; at the Grand Ole Opry House February-October) with guest appearances by the biggest names in music. With 90 years under its belt, it’s the world’s longest-running radio broadcast and shows no signs of slowing down.
- Visit Honky Tonk Highway (Lower Broadway) A multitude of music clubs and honky-tonk bars can be found in downtown Nashville, particularly the area encompassing Lower Broadway, Second Avenue, and Printer’s Alley, which is often referred to as “the District”. Many big names have been discovered on Broadway and 2nd ave and from time to time they come back and play a surprise show such as Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Gretchen Wilson, Dierks Bentley and other stars began their careers on Lower Broadway.The following honkytonks are full of energy and you will rarely see a cover charge, Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, Legends Corner, Second Fiddle, The Stage, Layla’s Bluegrass Inn and Robert’s Western World, ACME Feed & Seed, Bootleggers Inn, Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, Paradise Park Trailer Resort, Tequila Cowboy, Tin Roof Broadway are all experts at serving up cool longnecks and hot country music.
- Wildhorse Saloon on Second Ave has Southern food, live-music acts, multiple bars & free nightly line dance lessons in a 3-story space.
- Take a walk on Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge and take in the views of Downtown Nashville
- Like Blues music? BB King’s Blues Club also on Second Ave has some great Blues Music and Southern Food and on Printer’s Alley is Bourbon Street Blues & Boogie Bar has Cajun cuisine & blues presented 7 nights per week in Mardi Gras-themed surroundings.
- The Station Inn (402 12th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203) has the best bluegrass music in Nashville, Seats are first-come, first-served at this intimate venue, where live bluegrass plays every night.
- Popular venues for ticketed concerts is Bridgestone Arena, Ascend Amphitheater (warmer months), Ryman Auditorium, Schermerhorn Symphony Center, Grand Ole Opry, Marathon Music Works, 3rd and Lindsley, Exit Inn and Mercy Lounge.

Music City Center
[sta_anchor id=”Art”] Nashville Art Tour
Nashville area has a vibrant arts community with art galleries, festivals and art crawls. Nashville region was listed #2 in the country for Arts Vibrancy from SMU.
- The Frist Center for the Visual Arts, The family-friendly Frist Center, located in downtown Nashville, is a world-class art center dedicated to presenting an ever-changing schedule of exhibitions from local, regional, national and international sources. The Frist features the award-winning Martin ArtQuest Gallery with 30 interactive art-making stations; educational programs; free live music on Thursday and Friday evenings; a gift shop full of hand-crafted merchandise; and a full-service cafe — all surrounded by gorgeous architecture. It’s a great place to explore, learn, and enjoy great art! They give an Architecture Tour at 4:30pm every First Saturday of the Month. Every inch of the building offers a piece of history to discover. Constructed between 1933 and 1934, during the Great Depression, the former post office is a prominent Nashville architectural treasure from the Art Deco period.
- Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art: Often ranked in the top 10 in the country. Art aficionados and nature lovers alike should plan on making a stop at the Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art. With its greenhouses, sculpture trail and chromatic flower display, the 55-acre Botanical Garden offers sanctuary from downtown’s bustle. The art museum is just as beautiful: Housed in the original Georgian-style Cheek family mansion at the heart of the grounds, the museum boasts an impressive collection of 19th- and 20th-century American art, as well as antique furniture, temporary world-class art exhibitions and artifacts from around the world.
The Frist Center for the Visual Arts with Union Station in the Background
- Step inside Music City’s art world with First Saturday Art Crawl. The first Saturday of every month, from 6pm to 9pm, art galleries around Nashville offer free admission to view their latest exhibits. Over 20 art venues participate, presenting local and world-renowned artists and artwork, offering the opportunity to meet and discuss art with like-minded individuals. Every genre of art can be seen bringing a truly amazing artistic experience. The Downtown First Saturday Art Crawl spans across all of downtown, allowing you to see everything at 5th Avenue of the Arts, 5th Avenue South, and in The Historic Arcade. Feel free to browse below to see what each gallery offers, and what they might feature on the next First Saturday Art Crawl. Arts & Music at Wedgewood/Houston is a new addition to this celebration of arts, welcoming guests into the WeHo neighborhood for a night of art and music.
- The 5th Avenue of the Arts is the location of several visual art galleries on one historic block including The Arts Company, The Rymer Gallery, and Tinney Contemporary. The Arts Company is known as a prime destination for fresh, original, and contemporary artwork in photography, painting, and sculpture, by emerging and legendary artists. The Arts Company offers a distinctive Nashville experience in a welcoming environment of over 6,000 square feet in a historic building. The largest contemporary gallery in the heart of Nashville arts district is none other than The Rymer Gallery. Their goal is to foster artwork that entices, engages, and lures artists, collectors, and enthusiasts to Nashville’s expanding art scene. Tinney Contemporary also focuses on presenting cutting-edge contemporary artwork from a large portfolio of internationally known artists. Make sure to stop by the Tennessee Art League an organization dedicated to promoting visual arts through changing exhibitions, and workshops.
- 5th Avenue South holds two galleries that are an absolute must when attending the First Saturday Art Crawl. Arts in the Music City Marketplace takes place right inside the Nashville Visitors Center at Bridgestone Arena and offers the chance to view some amazing art. Just down the way is the legendary Hatch Show Print. Owned and operated by the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum, Hatch Show Print Haley Gallery showcases historic restrikes of original posters from the Hatch collection, as well as Master Printer Jim Sherraden’s monoprints. The appreciation, and contemporary interpretations found in the Haley Gallery, celebrates the classic wood blocks of the legendary Hatch Show Print. A sight to see, and a unique artistic experience in Music City during the First Saturday Art Crawl.There is a shuttle made available to take you back and forth between 5th Avenue of the Arts and 5th Avenue South. Click here to view the shuttle map.
- The majority of the art galleries can be found in the historic Arcade of Music City right across from 5th Avenue of the Arts. Built in 1902 the arcade is filled with different genres of art. Check out Corvidae Collective that focuses on local artisans, handmade goods, and curated antiques. Next, see the Hannah Lane Gallery showing Hannah Lane’s vibrant contemporary paintings inspired by the world around her. For a diverse range of contemporary art and the opportunity for artists to merge with the community stop by Blend Studio. You cannot forget about Watkins Arcade Gallery (WAG). Witness the art from the many students who attend Watkins College of Art here in Nashville, as they put their work on display for all to see.Also in the Arcade is The Coop, a curatorial collective made up of artists, curators, thinkers, and professors who are committed to expanding Nashville’s dialogue with contemporary art by presenting challenging, new or under-represented artists/artworks in the community. Visual art lovers will need to pay homage to Carol Saffell’s studio L Gallery. Another unique spot is the O Gallery featuring the work of Olga Alexeeva who specializes in contemporary fine art.Photography buffs will need to experience Craig Brabson Fine Art Photography. Craig Brabson is a twenty year veteran in the photography business, and his work has been on display in many galleries and museums throughout the Southeast United States. Also, check out UltraViolet Gallery & Photography, a photography and art gallery home to Amiee Stubbs. The gallery space can be rented by artists and photographers who are interested in exhibiting their work during the Nashville Art Crawl.The Arcade has so much to offer for the First Saturday Art Crawl. Here are a few more that you must see before you leave: 40AU, Andy Anh Ha Gallery, BelArt Studio, Studio 66, OPEN, Nostos Gallery, and Space.
- Wedgewood/Houston To coincide with the Downtown First Saturday Art Crawl, there is also free art and music walk in the WeHo neighborhood of Nashville. Dozens of venues, commercial galleries, artist-run studios, and co-working spaces exhibit groundbreaking art each month.Make sure you stop by contemporary art galleries like David Lusk Gallery and Zeitgeist Gallery, and creative, co-working facility Fort Houston on your art and music stroll. Arts & Music at Wedgewood/Houston is a 100% local event that takes you behind closed doors for a chance to experience new art, see live music and have a fun night out.
- East Nashville, some people call it “Little Portland, Oregon” others say “Keep East Nashville Wierd” like Austin, Texas. Formally a rough side of town, East Nashville is a unique neighboorhood that has been gentrified over recent years with great eateries, bars and art galleries. The East Side Art Stumble is a monthly event produced through the partnership of galleries, businesses, and artists to bring people to East Nashville and showcase the neighborhood’s remarkable pool of creative talent. ESAS happens the second Saturday of each month from 7-10 rain or shine. The galleries, businesses, and studios stretch across the neighborhoods of East Nashville and Inglewood. The Art Stumble is a great way to meet local artists, buy and support their work, and be part of the art scene in East Nashville.
- The Parthenon also serves as Nashville’s art museum. The focus of the Parthenon’s permanent collection is a group of 63 paintings by 19th and 20th century American artists donated by James M. Cowan. Additional gallery spaces provide a venue for a variety of temporary shows and exhibits.
[sta_anchor id=”Performing”]Nashville Performing Arts
- Nashville has a vibrant music and entertainment scene spanning a variety of genres. The Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC) is the major performing arts center of the city. It is the
Downtown Nashville from I-65 and Chestnut St.
home of the Tennessee Repertory Theatre, the Nashville Opera, the Music City Drum and Bugle Corps, and the Nashville Ballet. In September 2006, the Schermerhorn Symphony Center opened as the home of the Nashville Symphony.
- Nashville has an active theatre scene, and is home to several professional and community theatre companies. Nashville Children’s Theatre, Tennessee Repertory Theatre, the Nashville Shakespeare Festival, the Dance Theatre of Tennessee and the Tennessee Women’s Theater Project are among the most prominent professional companies. One community theatre, Circle Players, has been in operation for over 60 years.
Nashville Comedy
- Third Coast Comedy Club is the only venue in Music City dedicated to local based Nashville comedy showcasing sketch, improv, and stand-up. I’m personally a huge improv comedy fan and highly recommend a improv show. Music City Improv is the longest running Improv Troupe in Nashville and has shows on the 3rd Friday of each month and has my highest recommendation, other local improvgroups include LOL Nashville, Yes and, Sprocket, Off Broads, Delayed Gratification, Belmont’s Follies, and Vanderbilt’s Tongue & Cheek (TNC).
- Zanies Comedy Club is Nashville’s oldest comedy spot and popular with National aka Big Name acts.
- The Big Bang Bar with Dueling Pianos, though not a comedy club per say, there is a lot of laughs and energy at the The Big Bang Bar
[sta_anchor id=”History”] Nashville History Tour
The town of Nashville was founded by James Robertson, John Donelson, and a party of Overmountain Men in 1779, near the original Cumberland settlement of Fort Nashborough. It was named for Francis Nash, the American Revolutionary War hero. Nashville quickly grew because of its strategic location, accessibility as a port on the Cumberland River, a tributary of the Ohio River; and its later status as a major railroad center. By 1800, the city had 345 residents, including 136 African American slaves and 14 free blacks. In 1806, Nashville was incorporated as a city and became the county seat of Davidson County, Tennessee. In 1843, the city was named the permanent capital of the state of Tennessee.
By 1860, when the first rumblings of secession began to be heard across the South, antebellum Nashville was a very prosperous city. The city’s significance as a shipping port made it a desirable prize as a means of controlling important river and railroad transportation routes. In February 1862, Nashville became the first state capital to fall to Union troops. The state was occupied by Union troops for the duration of the war. The Battle of Nashville (December 15–16, 1864) was a significant Union victory and perhaps the most decisive tactical victory gained by either side in the war; it was also the final major military action of the war, which afterwards became almost entirely a war of attrition consisting largely of guerrilla raids and small skirmishes, with the Confederate forces in the Deep South almost constantly in retreat.
The city had reclaimed its important shipping and trading position and also developed a solid manufacturing base. The post–Civil War years of the late 19th century brought new prosperity to Nashville and Davidson County. These healthy economic times left the city with a legacy of grand classical-style buildings, which can still be seen around the downtown area. Today, the city along the Cumberland River is a crossroads of American culture, and one of the fastest-growing areas of the Upland South.
- Tennessee State Museum (505 Deaderick Street Nashville, TN 37243-1120) is a free museum occupying three floors, covering approximately 120,000 square feet with more than 60,000 square feet devoted to exhibits. It has excellent Tennessee war history especially the Civil war. There are temporary exhibts all the time with the permanent exhibits being First Tennesseans, Frontier, The Age of Jackson, Antebellum, The Civil War and Reconstruction, The New South
- Visit The Hermitage, Home of President Andrew Jackson, in Nashville, Tennessee. Experience the historical mansion, museum and grounds of The Hermitage. President Polk is buried on the grounds of the historic
- State Capitol building in downtown Nashville The Tennessee State Capitol stands today much as it did when it first opened in 1859, and is a magnificent tribute to the people of Tennessee. This graceful structure was designed by noted architect William Strickland who considered it his crowning achievement. When Strickland died suddenly during construction in 1854, he was buried in the north facade of the Capitol. The cornerstone for the building was laid on July 4, 1845, and construction finished in 1859. The grounds of the State Capitol contain statues honoring Sam Davis, Sgt. Alvin York, and Presidents Andrew Jackson and Andrew Johnson. The tombs of President and Mrs. James K. Polk are also located on the Capitol grounds.
- The Parthenon stands proudly as the centerpiece of Centennial Park, Nashville’s moniker, the “Athens of the South” influenced the choice of the building as the centerpiece of the 1897 Centennial Exposition. A number of buildings at the Exposition were based on ancient originals, however the Parthenon was the only one that was an exact reproduction.The re-creation of the 42-foot statue Athena is the focus of the Parthenon just as it was in ancient Greece. The building and the Athena statue are both full-scale replicas of the Athenian originals.
Parthenon in Centennial Park
- Belle Meade Plantation, located in Belle Meade, Tennessee, is a historic mansion whose grounds now function as a museum. Belle Meade Plantation consists of 30 remaining acres and includes a winery, visitor’s center, original outbuildings including the Harding cabin, dairy, carriage house, stable, mausoleum and a reconstructed slave quarters.
- Historic Travellers Rest Plantation & Museum is the 1799 home of Judge John Overton. John Overton served as a lawyer, politician, businessman and an adviser to U.S. President Andrew Jackson. His plantation home, Travellers Rest, was constructed in 1799 and today stands as the earliest example of Tennessee period residential architecture open to the public.
- Fort Nashborough was the stockade established in early 1779 in the French Lick area of the Cumberland River valley, as a forerunner to the settlement that would become the city of Nashville, Tennessee. On January 1, 1780, James Robertson founded Nashville when he led his group of pioneers across the frozen Cumberland river to a place called The Cedar Bluffs. These men built a fort here called Nashborough, which would shelter the first families until Indian attacks ended in 1792.
- “Dutchman’s Curve” in West Nashville ( 5 Richland Creek Greenway, Nashville, TN 37205 36.12721666 -86.85038333 ), site of the worst train wreck in US history occurring on July 9, 1918 while the US was involved in the “Great War” in France. Two trains collided head-on at 50 mph. Over 100 died, including many African-American workers journeying to work at the munitions plant near Old Hickory.
- Union Station Hotel (1001 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203) Occupying a landmark neo-Romanesque train station, this upmarket hotel features a majestic lobby with a 65-ft high stained glass ceiling. Nashville’s Union Station is a former railroad terminal, now hotel, opened in 1900 to serve the passenger operations of the eight railroads then providing passenger service to Nashville, Tennessee.
- Marathon Motor Works From 1907 to 1914, the company manufactured the Marathon automobile. These early gas-powered vehicles are extremely rare. Housed within what was the original showroom at 1305 Clinton Street are four complete Marathons and one additional body. In addition to the showroom, the lobby at 1305 Clinton Street, which was built in 1912 as the new Administration building, has displays and pictures related to the engineer William Collier and the history of the Marathon Motor Works company. The hallways of the factory complex, amidst retail shops and private businesses of all types, is a living industrial museum full of vintage machines from the pre-1914 era. They were powered by line shafts that ran the length of the factory and are the exact types used to build these early automobiles.
- Nashville City Cemetery (1001 4th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203) is the oldest public cemetery in Nashville, Tennessee. Many of Nashville’s prominent historical figures are buried there.
- Rock Castle (139 Rockcastle Ln, Hendersonville, TN 37075) Construction began in 1784; its completion was delayed by Indian attacks until 1791. In 1784 a Virginian surveyor named Daniel Smith moved with his family to the Cumberland Settlement in present-day Middle Tennessee and began construction on a limestone, Federal-Style building that would house generations of the Smith family for almost 200 years. Located next to a Cumberland River tributary called Drake’s Creek, the house was built on part of the 3,140 acres that Daniel Smith received in land grants for his service in the Revolutionary War and his surveying work. Over the course of a decade, the Smiths constructed their home in three phases resulting in the story-filled, multi-cultural historic house that stands today.
- Two Rivers Mansion (3130 McGavock Pike, Nashville, TN 37214 ) Two Rivers, one of the earliest and best preserved of the early Italianate houses in Middle Tennessee, was part of an 1100-acre plantation located on fertile, rolling land between the Stones and Cumberland Rivers. The junction of the two rivers suggested the name given to the place by an early owner, William Harding.The mansion, built by David McGavock in 1859, was inhabited by the McGavock family for three generations until 1965. The property was purchased by the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County in 1966. The fourteen-acre tract, which includes the mansion and a small brick house built in 1802, is listed in the National Register.

Stones River National Battlefield
[sta_anchor id=”Civil”]Nashville Civil War Sites pertaining to the Battle of Nashville and the nearby Battle of Franklin and Battle of Stones River are around the Nashville area.
- Stones River National Battlefield: The Battle of Stones River in Mufreesboro, TN began on the last day of 1862 and was one of the bloodiest conflicts of the Civil War. The battle produced important military and political gains for the Union, and it changed forever the people who lived and fought here.
- Lotz House Civil War Museum: The house, which has been on the National Historic Register since 1976 is located in the heart of downtown historic Franklin, Tennessee at “ground zero” of the Battle of Franklin which was a pivotal battle in the American Civil War.
- The Carter House & Carnton Plantation: Beginning at 4 p.m. on November 30, 1864, Carnton was witness to one of the bloodiest battles of the entire Civil War.The resulting battle, believed to be the bloodiest hours of the Civil War, involved a massive frontal assault larger than Pickett’s Charge at Gettysburg. The majority of the combat occurred in the dark and at close quarters. The Battle of Franklin lasted barely five hours and led to some 9,500 soldiers being killed, wounded, captured, or counted as missing. Nearly 7,000 of that number were Confederate troops. Carnton served as the largest field hospital in the area for hundreds of wounded and dying Confederate soldiers. McGavock Confederate Cemetery, not far from the house, contains the bodies of 1,481 Confederate soldiers and is the largest private Confederate Cemetery.Fort Negley was a fortification built for the American Civil War, located approximately 2 miles south of downtown Nashville, Tennessee. It was the largest inland fort built in the United States during the war.
- Fort Negley was a fortification built for the American Civil War, located approximately 2 miles south of downtown Nashville, Tennessee. It was the largest inland fort built in the United States during the war.
- Mount Olivet Cemetery (1101 Lebanon Pike, Nashville, TN 37210) serves as the final resting place for many of Middle Tennessee’s political and business leaders, as well as a Confederate Circle that has about 1,500 soldiers buried there.
- Belmont Mansion at nearly 20,000 square feet, Belmont Mansion today it is the largest house museum in the state. Sixteen of the rooms are restored and on display during the tour. Mansion tours, conducted during opening hours seven days a week, take visitors on a guided tour of the home and gardens, where the largest U.S. collection of cast iron period statuary and gazebos are on display. Adelicia, a widow during the Civil War, met with military commanders from both sides to save the house and cotton crops from destruction, although the home and grounds were occupied by Union General Thomas J. Wood before the Battle of Nashville.
- Sam Davis Home and Plantation (1399 Sam Davis Road Smyrna, TN 37167) now a house museum, was built around 1810 but was restored completely in 1850. Sam Davis himself lived here until 1860 and in 1863 he was hanged by the Union Army as a spy. The court charged Sam with being a courier of mails and of being a spy. Sam admitted to being a courier, but pled not guilty to the charge of spying. The military court convicted Samuel Davis on both charges, and sentenced him to hang. On the gallows, General Dodge offered Sam one last chance to save his life by revealing the source of the papers he carried. Sam stated with his last words that “I would die a thousand deaths before I would betray a friend or my country” and was hanged on November 27, 1863.
- Battle of Nashville Monument Park ( approx 3381 Granny White Pike Nashville, TN between Battlefield Dr and Clifton Lane on Granny White) The Battle of Nashville pitted troops under Union Army Major General George H. Thomas and the soldiers supporting the Confederate side directed by General John Bell Hood. The fighting took place in 1864 on Dec. 15 and 16 on Montgomery and Overton’s Hills, but the battle was won by the Union troops on Shy’s Hill when Confederate troops fled the battlefield.
- Battle of Hartsville (240 Broadway Hartsville, TN 37074) This was considered one of the most successful cavalry raids of the entire war. A driving tour is available.
[sta_anchor id=”Food”] Nashville Food Tour
Some of the more popular types of local cuisine include hot chicken, hot fish, barbecue, and meat and three. Thanks in part to Nashville’s foodie culture, the city was ranked as the 13th “snobbiest” city in America according to Travel + Leisure magazine. We have won best BBQ in America as well for having a mix of all three styles of BBQ.
Cracker Barrel, O’Charley’s, Logan’s Roadhouse, J. Alexander’s, Captain D’s, Back Yard Burger’s, Shoney’s and CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc the parent company of the Carl’s Jr., Hardee’s, Green Burrito, and Red Burrito quick-service restaurant are some of the chain restaurants headquartered in the Nashville region.
Coffee (I personally don’t drink coffee but these places are all of the rave of people who do)
- CREMA (15 Hermitage Ave, Nashville, TN 37204) Artisanal coffeehouse/roaster serving drinks, pastries & snacks in a wood-paneled, industrial space.
- Bongo Java (2007 Belmont Blvd, Nashville, TN 37212) Snug coffeehouse with all-day breakfast menu plus an intimate concert & comedy venue upstairs.
- Cafe Coco (210 Louise Ave, Nashville, TN 37203) This funky coffeehouse is open around the clock & features live music, munchies & patio seating.
- Frothy Monkey (2509 12th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37204) Local coffeehouse chain serving breakfast, sandwiches & Southern comfort food in a hip space.
- Pinewood Social (33 Peabody St, Nashville, TN 37210) is a very popular spot with bowling even. Pinewood is a space that is based on the idea of creating a social gathering place that can accommodate your needs morning, noon and night. Coffee, food and more.
- Barista Parlor (519 Gallatin Ave, Nashville, TN 37206) Hip coffeehouse serves artisanal espresso & local, seasonal cafe eats in an open, industrial venue where famous people have been spotted at getting their fill
- FIDO (1812 21st Ave. S., Nashville, TN 37212) Fido blurs the line between upscale coffeehouse and casual restaurant with an emphasis on organic and local foods served in an inviting atmosphere.
Hot Chicken
Nashville has additionally earned the moniker “The Hot Chicken Capital”, becoming known for the local specialty cuisine hot chicken. The Music City Hot Chicken Festival is hosted annually in Nashville and several restaurants make this spicy version of southern fried chicken. Nashville hot chicken is a type of fried chicken that has spread nationwide thanks to Kentucky Fried Chicken In its typical preparation, it is a portion of breast, thigh, or wing that has been marinated in a water-based blend of seasoning, floured, fried, and finally sauced using a paste that has been spiced with cayenne pepper.
It is generally accepted that the originator of hot chicken is the family of Andre Prince Jeffries, owner of Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack (123 Ewing Dr, Nashville, TN 37207 and one location just a few minutes from my place at 5814 Nolensville Pike #110, Nashville, TN 37211). She has operated the restaurant since 1980; before that time, it was owned by her great-uncle, Thornton Prince III. Although impossible to verify, Jeffries says the development of hot chicken was an accident. Her great-uncle Thornton was purportedly a womanizer, and after a particularly late night out his girlfriend at the time cooked him a fried chicken breakfast with extra pepper as revenge. Instead, Thornton decided he liked it so much that, by the mid-1930s, he and his brothers had created their own recipe and opened the BBQ Chicken Shack café
Hattie B’s is one of the most popular spots for Nashville Hot Chicken 112 19TH AVE S NASHVILLE, TN 37203 and 5209 CHARLOTTE AVE NASHVILLE, TN 37209
BBQ
Nashville’s ’cue is less dogmatic than other cities’. With no strict style to adhere to, Music City’s offerings are more varied. Like Memphis, pork ribs and pulled pork sandwiches are popular, but so is Texas-influenced brisket and even smoked chicken and turkey. Tomato-based sauces run the gamut from XXX hot to tangy and mild, so there really is something for everyone in this town. Jack’s Bar-B-Que has everything from St. Louis ribs to Texas brisket, with half a dozen different kinds of sauces
Three major interstates run within a mile of each other in Nashville’s downtown, so it’s no surprise that the city is also a crossroads of barbecue styles, such as the West Tennessee whole hog at Martin’s Bar-b-que Joint, the Memphis-style dry ribs at Peg Leg Porker, or Edley’s BBQ’s notable smoked chicken with Alabama white sauce. One of my favorite places for BBQ is Jim ‘N Nicks (7004 Charlotte Pike, Nashville, TN 37209) with multiple locations around town.
Meat & 3 / Meat and Three
A meat and three type of cuisine has its roots right here in Nashville. The phrase has been described as implying “glorious vittles served with utmost informality.” It is style in which the customer picks one meat from a daily selection of 3–6 choices (such as fried chicken, country ham, beef, country-fried steak, meatloaf, or pork chop) and three side dishes from a list that may include up to a dozen other options (usually vegetables, potatoes, corn, green or lima beans, but also other selections such as gelatin, creamed corn, macaroni and cheese, and spaghetti). A meat-and-three meal is often served with cornbread and sweet tea.
- Arnold’s Country Kitchen (605 8th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37203) and in Green Hills (2209 Abbott Martin Road, Nashville, TN 37215)
- Corner Pub They have multiple locations but you will often find me here at least once a week at the Brentwood location, 710 Old Hickory BLVD
Brentwood, TN 37027. I personally go between the Meatloaf and Country Fried Chicken & Gravy Meat ‘N 3 - B McNeel’s (215 N Church St, Murfreesboro, TN 37130 )
- Katie’s Meat & Three (10 Arcade, Nashville, TN 37219)
- Copper Kettle Green Hills (4004 Granny White Pike, Nashville, TN 37204) Casual, cafeteria-style eatery offering a selection of homemade Southern staples that rotate daily along with a Brunch buffet on Sunday.
Loveless Cafe – A Nashville Classic
My Favorite Restaurants in Nashville across all flavors
- Texas De Brazil – All you can eat Brazillian Steak and an excellent Salad bar. The meats are better at Texas De Brazil but Rodizio Grill The Brazilian Steakhouse (166 2nd Ave N, Nashville, TN 37201) has a better salad bar.
- Monell’s – Great Southern Food (It is community dining so its one large table full of strangers, it feels odd at first but a fun way to experience great southern food.)
- Jonathan’s Grill – Upscale Sports Bar, my favorite food is the Carson’s egg rolls, the California Club sandwich and the Alfredo with chicken. The Prime Rib are great. The Fajita Nachos is the best in town.
- Burger Republic – An awarding burger location not just locally but internationally even. It can have long lines on weekend evenings. I enjoy their spiked milk shakes too.
- O’Charleys – Yes it is a chain restaurant but I love Chicken Harvest soup and the combo appetizer with the pepper jack cheesewedges.
- Loveless Cafe (8400 Tennessee Highway 100, Nashville, TN 37221) Excellent southern food, it really is a landmark destination, if you are visiting Nashville then you must go to Loveless Cafe. I personally love the Southern Sampler for dinner, it is alot of food just so you know. The biscuits and peach preserves are my favorite but I can’t knock the strawberry. So freaking good. The problem is the wait. I will put in a to-go order an hour ahead and be told it will be ready at such time and I get there and still have to wait 30-45 minutes. Weekends can be up to a 2 hour wait in my experience. Go early when they open or an hour before they close to have no or little wait but lunch and dinner time in the spring through to fall you will be waiting. Is it worth it? yep it sure is.
- The Pharmacy Burger Parlor & Beer Garden – (731 Mcferrin Ave, Nashville, TN 37206)- One of the best places in Nashville for burgers & sausages along with an old-time soda fountain & outdoor seating. The chili burger and a milk shake does me well. This is a very popular spot so prepare for a wait.
- Batter’d & Fried Boston Seafood House (1008 Woodland St A, Nashville, TN 37206) I love the clam chowder here, one of my favorites in the whole country in fact, I get a bowl of that and a Boston Burger and I’m set.
- Puckett’s Grocery & Restaurant (500 Church St, Nashville, TN 37219) different locations around town, excellent burgers and prime rib in my experience.
- Mafiaozas (2400 12th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37204) Excellent Italian food and pizza. I tend to select the Lasagna when I’m there.
- Cool Springs Brewery (600A Frazier Dr #135, Franklin, TN 37067) Laid-back brewpub featuring housemade beers, as well as a menu of hearty British & American grub with my favorite being the Tortellini Pesto Alfredo
- Jacksons Bar and Bistro (1800 21st Ave S. Nashville, TN 37212) A bustling corner bistro in Hillsboro Village near Vanderbilt University, Jackson’s offers lunch, dinner and late-night dining along with Saturday and Sunday brunch in an eclectic, upbeat, come-as-you-are atmosphere.
- San Antonio Taco Co (416 21st Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203) Low-key joint serving up Tex-Mex fare & buckets of beer
Pizza is a big thing in Nashville, these are my favorite spots

2nd Ave Downtown
- Five Points Pizza (1012 Woodland St, Nashville, TN 37206) Simple spot with craft beers on tap & New York-style pizzas made to order or by the slice, very popular and very likely a wait.
- 312 Pizza Company (371 Monroe St, Nashville, TN 37208) Authentic Chicago Pizza and Cuisine with the best Chicago deep dish pizza in Nashville in my opinion.
- Pie In the Sky Pizza (6917 Lenox Village Dr, Nashville, TN 37211) They have nice pasta and pizza plus it is just a few minutes away from me.
- Soulshine Pizza Factory – Lively local pizzeria chain featuring a menu of creative pies, po’ boys & more, plus live music.
- Two Boots Nashville (1925 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203) Offbeat NYC chain serving cornmeal-crusted pizzas with quirky Cajun toppings in a kid-friendly space.
- Mellow Mushroom – multiple locations serving up some pretty fine pizza options.
- Jets Pizza may be a chain but they have some pretty good pan pizza and I really enjoy their Triple Cheese Turbo Bread sticks
- Little Chicago (1524a Demonbreun St Nashville TN, 37203) is one of the few places I know where I can get a deep dish pizza and my favorite Grape Leaf Rolls at the same place.
Sunday Brunch Buffets
- Sopapilla’s | A taste of New Mexico with Franklin and Hendersonville locations, a different Brunch buffet every weekend. One of my top Brunches for sure.
- Mazatlan Mexican Restaurant (839 Briley Pkwy, Nashville, TN 37217), a nice buffet with lots of good options
- Garden Brunch Cafe (924 Jefferson St, Nashville, TN 37208) Banana Foster Pancakes, wow, this is a great location for Brunch. Open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 9AM – 2PM
- Copper Kettle Green Hills (4004 Granny White Pike, Nashville, TN 37204) Casual, cafeteria-style eatery offering a selection of homemade Southern staples that rotate daily along with a Brunch buffet on Sunday.
Breakfast
- FIDO (1812 21st Ave. S., Nashville, TN 37212) Fido blurs the line between upscale coffeehouse and casual restaurant with an emphasis on organic and local foods served in an inviting atmosphere.
- Frothy Monkey (2509 12th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37204) Local coffeehouse chain serving breakfast, sandwiches & Southern comfort food in a hip space.
- Whole Foods Market in Green Hills (4021 Hillsboro Pike, Nashville, TN 37215) has one of my favorite breakfast bars in town with service until 8-10:30 on weekdays (longer on weekends) followed by lunch / dinner food for the rest of the day. I tend to get the breakfast pizza, biscuits and gravy, their french toast is really good too.
Craft Beer and Bars (I don’t personally drink beer but I know craft beer is a big deal in Nashville, my roommate drinks the beer and I eat the food at many of these places if they have food)
- Yazoo Brewing Company (910 Division St, Nashville, TN 37203) Brewery & taproom offering twice-weekly tours where visitors learn about Yazoo & sample beer.
- Jackalope Brewing Company (701 8th ave. South, Nashville TN, 37203)
- Corsair Brewstillery Taproom & Tasting Room (1200 Clinton St #110, Nashville, TN 37203)
- The Black Abbey Brewing Company (2952 Sidco Drive Nashville, TN 37204)
- Tennessee Brew Works (809 Ewing Avenue Nashville, TN 37203)
- Blackstone Brewery (1918 West End Avenue Nashville, TN 37203)
- Big River Grille & Brewing Works (111 Broadway Nashville, TN 37201)
- Cool Springs Brewery (600A Frazier Drive No.135 Franklin TN 37067)
- Boscos (2000 Meridian Blvd. Suite 110 Franklin, TN 37067)
- Czann’s Brewing Company (505 Lea Ave, Nashville, Tennessee)
- Fat Bottom Brewing (900 Main Street, Nashville TN, 37206)
Feel like International Food or just variety? check out the Nashville Farmers’ Market (900 Rosa L Parks Blvd, Nashville, TN 37208), a lot of locally grown food and shops.
Nashville has excellent food trucks around town, one of my favorites is The Grilled Cheeserie Food Truck
[sta_anchor id=”Nature”] Nashville Nature Tour

Radnor Lake
- Centennial Park (2500 West End Ave, Nashville, TN 37203) is near Vanderbilt and has the famous Parthenon
- Radnor Lake (1160 Otter Creek Rd, Nashville, TN 37220)
- Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park (600 James Robertson Pkwy, Nashville, TN 37243) right next to the Farmers Market and a great view of the State Capital building. A neat place to walk around.
- Percy Warner Park (7311 Highway 100 Nashville, TN 37221) a pretty park to walk in and has a nature center
- Shelby Park (Shelby Ave at S. 20th Nashville, TN 37206) a popular park and the with the very popular Shelby Bottoms Nature Center & Greenway attached to it. It has a Nature Center to visit.
Places of Interest
- Adventure Science Center / Sudekum Planetarium (800 Fort Negley Blvd, Nashville, TN 37203) a neat place to visit if you are into astronomy and general science.
- Dyer Observatory – Vanderbilt University (1000 Oman Drive, Brentwood, TN 37027)
- Nashville Zoo (3777 Nolensville Pike, Nashville, TN 37211)
Caves
- Cumberland Caverns (1437 Cumberland Caverns Rd, McMinnville, TN 37110) 1 hour 30 minutes from Nashville is Cumberland Caverns is a national natural landmark, the second longest cave in Tennessee and makes the list of longest caves in the United States and in the world.
- Bell Witch Cave (430 Keysburg Rd, Adams, TN 37010) 1 hour from Nashville. The Bell Witch Cave is a karst cave located in Adams, Tennessee near where the Bell Farm once stood. The cave is approximately 490 feet long. The cave is privately owned, and tours are given during the summer months and in October. Haunted cave too, pretty interesting place to visit.
- Dunbar Cave State Park (401 Dunbar Cave Rd, Clarksville, TN 37043) 1 hour from Nashville. Dunbar Cave is the 280th largest cave complex in the world, stretching 8.067 miles inward.
- Mammoth Cave National Park (1 Mammoth Cave Pkwy, Mammoth Cave, KY 42259) 1 hour 30 minutes from Nashville. This is the world’s longest known and most popular cave system, with more than 400 miles explored.
- Lost River Cave (2818 Nashville Road, Bowling Green, KY 42101) 1 hour from Nashville is a seven-mile cave system located in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The Lost River originates outside of the cave and flows into it. Lost River Cave contains one of the largest natural entrances in the Eastern U.S. Boat tours are available during the summer in the cave. The river is listed by Ripley’s Believe it or Not as the “Shortest, deepest river in the world” because the blue hole is over 427 feet deep, while the river itself is only 350 feet long.
[sta_anchor id=”Waterfall”] Middle Tennessee Waterfall Tour

Burgess Falls
Thanks to the Cumberland Plateau, Tennessee has approximately 808 waterfalls, some of the most iconic waterfalls and swimming holes in the country are relatively near each other and around 1.5 hour to 2 hour drive from Nashville. I feel they are totally worth the visit if you have the time and enjoy nature. Start early in the morning and you should be able to visit at least 3 main waterfalls in a day. I’ve seen a lot of waterfalls and Middle TN has some of the prettiest on the East Coast. Many waterfalls have swimming holes below them as well. Check out this website for information on all of TN’s waterfalls.
Waterfalls East of Nashville on 40 towards Cookeville
Burgess Falls (4000 Burgess Falls Dr, Sparta, TN 38583) 1 hour 35 minutes from Nashville. At Burgess Falls State Park about eight miles south of Cookeville, Falling Water River drops some 250 feet forming 20-foot cascades, 30-foot upper falls, 80-foot middle falls, and the dramatic 136-foot lower falls.
Cummins Falls (1081 Cummins Mill Rd, Cookeville, TN 38501) 1 hour 45 minutes from Nashville. One of the best popular swimming holes / Waterfall in the South. Cummins Falls is the eighth tallest waterfall in Tennessee by volume. A wide gravel road leads 0.4 miles from the parking lot to an awesome bird’s eye view of Blackburn Fork State Scenic River plunging 75 feet into a deep, wide pool at the base. If you’re up to the challenge of hiking down to the terminal cascade, you’ll be taking on some steep spots and switchbacks along a loop trail that drops 200 feet into the gorge. Before you reach the swimming hole there are some ankle-to-knee deep wading through portions of Blackburn Fork River. The key to this hike is to use extreme caution when hiking to the falls.
Evins Mill and Carmac Falls (1535 Evins Mill Road, Smithville, TN 37166) 1 hour 20 minutes from Nashville. This 90 foot cascade is the 10th highest waterfall in the state and is located just a

Carmac Falls Near Evins Mill in Smithville, TN
short distance from the main lodge at the Evins Mill Resort. Located near the town of Smithville and Interstate 40, Evins Mill offers a lodge, fine dining and spectacular views. Only a quarter mile walk from the Evins Mill Pond Dam, Carmac Falls creates a cozy setting for this wonderful retreat. This is a private lodge setting and owners ask that you to seek permission to take in the falls area.
Virgin Falls (Virgin Falls Parking lot Sparta, TN 38583 35.854229, -85.282074) Virgin Falls is located south off of US Hwy 70 between Sparta, and Crossville. From Sparta head east through town out Hwy 70, approximately 11 miles. Turn right on Eastland Road (at the Headstart building, and the turn has signs), proceed 6 miles to the junction of Scotts Gulf road (also signed), then on 2 miles to the parking lot on the right side (west side) of the road.
The going gets tougher on the way to the centerpiece of the 1,157-acre Virgin Falls Pocket Wilderness Area. Virgin Falls drops over a 110-foot high cliff before disappearing into another cave at the bottom of the sink. Virgin Falls is one of the most interesting falls in Tennessee. Reaching it requires a rugged 8 mile round trip hike that passes by three other waterfalls will take most of a day.
Big Branch Falls 10′
Big Laurel Falls 30′
Sheep Cave Falls, Wildcat Falls and Polly Branch Falls are near by.
Waterfalls to the SouthEast of Nashville

Fall Creeks Falls – Tallest Falls on the East Coast
Fall Creeks Falls (10821 Park Road Spencer, Tennessee 38585) – 2 hours from Nashville. This waterfall is the most famous waterfall in the area, which cascades down 256 feet, which is the largest waterfall on the east coast. The park also offers Cane Creek Falls, Cane Creek Cascades, Piney Falls and several other impressive falls. The base and overlook views are amazing.
There are many waterfalls of significant size within a 40 mile radius of the Fall Creeks Falls.
Fall Creek Falls 256’
Coon Creek Falls 250’
Rockhouse Falls 125’
Cane Creek Falls 85’
Cane Creek Cascades 45′
Piney Creek Falls 40’ (down onto a 45′ cascade)
Rock Island’s Twin Falls (82 Beach Rd, Rock Island, TN 38581) – 1 hour 20 minutes from Nashville. What is interesting is the water doesn’t flow over rocks but it comes through the rock cliff at 80 feet up the cliffs. The park contains numerous waterfalls. Many flow year-round, while some are more dependent on water flow from TVA. Some waterfalls are located on trails and some are easily viewed from overlooks. Two of the park’s largest waterfalls (Twin Falls 80’ and Great Falls 30’) can be easily seen from adjoining parking area overlooks.

Rock Island State Park – Twin Falls
Twin Falls 80’
Badger Falls 30’
Badger Flat Falls 20’
Great Falls 20’
Lower Great Falls 10’
Old Stone Fort State Park (732 Stone Fort Dr, Manchester, TN 37355) 1 hour 20 minutes from Nashville. This state park is home to nearly 10 waterfalls. Step Falls, along the Little Duck River, has a series of tiered waterfalls cascading along the perimeter of the prehistoric site. Along the Duck River, there are two larger waterfalls. Bluehole Falls, which is a short hike from the park museum, plunges into a magnificent blue pool and stands at nearly 30 feet in height. Big Falls, the largest of the falls at Old Stone Fort, is the most iconic falls on the property standing at over 30 feet in height.

Machine Falls at Short Springs State Natural Area
Big Falls 30’
Bluehole Falls 30’
Machine Falls at Short Springs State Natural Area (park beside the Water Tower 1-, 99 Powell Rd, Tullahoma, TN 37388, 35.407233, -86.174492) 1 hour 20 minutes from Nashville. One of the least known waterfalls in the area but I think it is the one of the prettiest to photograph.
Close to Machine Falls is another pretty waterfall Rutledge Falls (1398 Rutledge Falls Rd, Tullahoma, TN 37388 35.420567, -86.137345) 1 hour 15 minutes from Nashville both can be a tad tricky to find but that helps with crowd control too.
South Cumberland State Park (11745 US-41, Monteagle, TN 37356) 1 hour and 30 minutes from Nashville
Breathtaking waterfalls form at the head of many gorges, where streams drop off over hard sandstone cap rock. Greeter Falls drops over a 15-foot upper ledge and then plummets over a 50-foot lower ledge into a cold, clear plunge pool. Savage Creek enters its gorge over cascades and drops 30-foot at Savage Falls. Collins River and Ranger Creek have waterfalls that drop over limestone ledges and flow into sinks where they disappear. Foster Falls is the easiest waterfall to visit.
Horsehair Falls 80’
Foster Falls 60’
Greeter Falls 50’
Suter Falls 50’
Boardtree Falls 30’
Ranger Creek Falls 30’
Savage Falls 30’
Horsepound Falls 25’
Laurel Falls 25’
Yellow Pine Falls 15’
Sycamore Falls 12’
Hanes Hole Falls 10’
Blue Hole Falls 9’
[sta_anchor id=”Ghost”] Nashville Haunted / Ghost Tour
(For many more places and the back story to them I would recommend the Nashville Haunted Handbook)

Union Station
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- Union Station Hotel (1001 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203) There are many rumors regarding the hauntings of the Union Station. Some claim that a train derailment and the subsequent deaths have caused ghosts to linger at what was their last boarding stop. Others tell of a spooky woman seen jumping from the building to her death, and her death is almost always associated with the reports of Room 711 being haunted.First off is a jilted young woman is rumored to haunt the Union Station Hotel. She is said to have thrown herself on the tracks, forever chaining herself to the opulent downtown rest.Second is of course you have the requisite loud bangs, lights and tv sets turning on and off. There’s also the phantom train which rolls into the station on full moons, and the occasional sound of a steam locomotive. Though only a hotel since the 1980’s, perhaps the most gruesome story involves a young woman who used to meet her married lover there. When he didn’t arrive for a scheduled tryst, she turned a revolver on herself in Room 711 but others have said she jumped from the building. She’s made her presence known both in that room, as well as adjacent rooms and the hall outside.Click here for more information on the haunted history of Union Station Hotel
- Tennessee State Capital – Legend has it that at State Capitol, you may still hear the phantom arguing of two rivals who were both buried in a vault here. Architect William Strickland and Samuel Morgan, head of the Capitol Commission, although they were both respected men, they did not get along.
- Tennessee State Prison ( 6404 Centennial Boulevard, Nashville, TN 37209)(Currently boarded up due to unsafe conditions and on state owned grounds) – Opened in 1898, the prison has been closed since 1992. It has been the location for the films Nashville, Marie, Ernest Goes to Jail, Against the Wall, The Green Mile, The Last Castle, two of Eric Church’s music videos “Lightning” and “Homeboy”, and Pillar’s “Bring Me Down” music video. Most recently VH1’s Celebrity Paranormal Project filmed there for the third episode of the series (titled “The Warden”) as well as the last episode of the first season (titled “Dead Man Walking”). The prison was referred to as “The Walls Maximum Security Prison” in both episodes to protect the location’s privacy. After its many fires, prison breaks and riots, the prison may well be a spot for paranormal activity. Folks have reported unexplained sounds, voices and footsteps.
- Ghost of Music Row (1111 16th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37212) – In the early 1900s, Jacob Schnell built the grandest mansion in Nashville at, on what would come to be known as Music Row. Schnell was a successful grain merchant, but was reputed to have made his real money bootlegging.
He desired his daughters, Bertha and Lena, to be accepted into the elite society in Nashville and prepared to throw a party in their honor. Only no one attended. They were snubbed by the elite. Schnell vowed to never contribute anything to Nashville. He moved to live above one of his businesses and he instructed his daughters to never repair a thing to the house. And after his death, his daughters stayed on in the mansion, allowing it to fall in total disrepair and crumble.When Lena died in the house, her body was left to decay for more than a week. Bertha died in the 1970s, living in the neglected mansion with no running water. Some say it was the family’s way of getting revenge on the townspeople who snubbed them, by allowing their fine home to rot amongst other fine homes in the area.Capitol Records purchased the property and tore down the mansion in order to build their new building. Since then, apparitions of the girls have been seen and things move on their own.
According to Nashville Ghosts and Legends by Ken Traylor and Delas M. House, Jr. “employees started noticing strange events in the Capital Records building: objects moving on their own, doors being locked from the inside, lights being turned on and off, windows found open that had been closed and locked. For a long time Capital found it difficult to keep employees, telling their supervisors they could not get used to the strange events, including posthumous visits by the Schnell daughters.” Capital Records moved locations and have seen struggled to sell their former building. Certain second-floor rooms would remain icy cold, even when controlled by a common heating system. Computers and printers would misbehave in bizarre ways. Unexplained minor fires and pipe breaks occurred and even locks would lock on their own and keys wouldn’t work.
Today, cold spots are commonplace and phone lines from unused internal offices often ring. Images of Bertha and her sister Lena have been seen and noises like sounds falling have been heard. Sometimes the ghosts do not want to be on TV. When Ann Heywood was terrorized by a ghost that she called “The Lady ” back in the Seventies, the ghost also threatened two reporters from “The Tennessean” newspaper and a WSM-TV news reporter who came to document the case. The whole story was featured in Winer’s follow-up book, More Haunted Houses.
- Carnton Mansion (1345 Eastern Flank Cir, Franklin, TN 37064) You can see blood stains on the floors. A graveyard where 1700 Confederate soldiers, who had died in the fields near this mansion were hastily buried after this bloody conflict, is located close to Carnton Mansion. After the horrible battle was over, Carnton Mansion became a hospital, where 4 generals died of their wounds, and their bodies laid in state so the men who were lucky enough to survive could show their respect. A young house servant girl was murdered in the kitchen by a jealous field hand in the 1840s, because she rejected him as a suitor. Out of their five offspring, only 2 of the Cantron children made it into adulthood.For much more information on this Carnton Mansion check out this website.
- Ryman Auditorium is a popular Nashville spot to fans of country music and the paranormal, but don’t believe those crazy tabloid stories of the place being trashed by the ghosts of dead rockers. Staff and tourists have heard the voices of their favorite departed country stars here where those classic stars of yesteryear delighted in entertaining millions. A construction worker who got locked in while exploring the building has seen Hank Williams’s ghost in the structure. Another singer was practicing one of Hank’s songs when all the lights went out in the middle of the song.Employees have also heard footsteps and doors opening and closing under their own power. Doors often slam by themselves and employees have reported odd noises from the stage when the building is empty. Captain Thomas Ryman originally built the place as a church, but it became known locally as the Grand Old Opry. The late Hank Williams has been heard singing backstage and a figure of a man in a Confederate uniform dubbed “The Gray Man” has been seen in the same seat during modern-day rehearsals.
- Sam Davis Home and Plantation (1399 Sam Davis Road Smyrna, TN 37167) now a house museum, was built around 1810 but was restored completely in 1850. Sam Davis himself lived here until 1860 and in 1863 he was hanged by the Union Army as a spy. Apparitions of a young man, believed to be Sam Davis’ brother Oscar, and sounds have been heard, including the sound of a woman crying where Sam Davis’ body was laid in state in the parlor. Footsteps, voices, and electronic voice phenomena, and electrical anomalies have been reported as well.
- Rock Castle (139 Rockcastle Ln, Hendersonville, TN 37075) Rumors were that there were ghosts at the Rock Castle landmark. Old Halloween articles repeated the stories that curators running this museum reported things being moved and displays disturbed after the structure had been locked up tight
- Nashville City Cemetery (1001 4th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203) Boulder tombstone with a lantern on top of the rock is nicknamed Suicide Rock after Ann Sanders who died at 21 years old is rumored to have gotten in a fight with her husband and have jumped to her death in the Cumberland River and the husband took a chunk of the cliff to be over her tomb. Supposedly you see the lantern being lit and sometimes you will hear crying or arguing near the stone. Sometimes a figure of a man in period clothing will be seen near the rock.
- Downtown Haunts off Lower Broadway and 2nd Ave are plentiful most likely because they are the oldest sections of Nashville. For detailed information I would recommend the book Nashville Haunted Handbook which can be partially viewed for free here. Merchants Restaurant (401 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203) Melting Pot (166 2nd Ave N, Nashville, TN 37201) Riverfront Tavern (101 Church St, Nashville, TN 37201) Hard Rock Cafe (100 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37201) Flying Saucer (111 10th Ave S #310, Nashville, TN 37203) These businesses have closed but the addresses are 122 3rd Ave S, Nashville, TN 37201, 117 2nd Ave N; Nashville, Tennessee 37201, 134 2nd Ave N, Nashville, TN 37201
Regional Middle Tennessee Haunted Areas of Interest

Bell Witch Cave
- Bell Witch Cave (430 Keysburg Rd, Adams, TN 37010) about an hour out of town is probably the most famous haunting in the area. It inspired the movie An American Haunting starring Cissy Spacek and Donald Sutherland and Ghost Adventures have investigated there.
The tormenting spirit of America’s best-known poltergeist case
ADAMS, TENNESSEE, in 1817 was the site of one of the most well-known hauntings in American history – so well known that it eventually caught the attention and then the involvement of a future president of the United States Andrew Jackson. The Bell Witch incident is one of the most well-known hauntings in the United States. It’s frequently stated that it’s the only known incident of a ghost legally being responsible for the death of a person, the patriarch of the Bell family, John Bell Sr.
Known as The Bell Witch, the strange and often violent poltergeist activity that provoked fear and curiosity in the small farming community has remained unexplained for nearly 200 years, and is the inspiration for many fictional ghost stories, including the horror classic, The Blair Witch Project.
The facts of The Bell Witch case share little in common with the mythology created for The Blair Witch Project, except they both attracted a great deal of public interest. And because it really happened, The Bell Witch is far scarier.
THE HISTORICAL RECORD
One early account of The Bell Witch haunting was written in 1886 by historian Albert Virgil Goodpasture in his History of Tennessee.
He wrote, in part:
A remarkable occurrence, which attracted wide-spread interest, was connected with the family of John Bell, who settled near what is now Adams Station about 1804. So great was the excitement that people came from hundreds of miles around to witness the manifestations of what was popularly known as the “Bell Witch.” This witch was supposed to be some spiritual being having the voice and attributes of a woman. It was invisible to the eye, yet it would hold conversation and even shake hands with certain individuals. The freaks it performed were wonderful and seemingly designed to annoy the family. It would take the sugar from the bowls, spill the milk, take the quilts from the beds, slap and pinch the children, and then laugh at the discomfiture of its victims. At first it was supposed to be a good spirit, but its subsequent acts, together with the curses with which it supplemented its remarks, proved the contrary. A volume might be written concerning the performance of this wonderful being, as they are now described by contemporaries and their descendants. That all this actually occurred will not be disputed, nor will a rational explanation be attempted.
2. Thomas House Hotel (520 E Main St, Red Boiling Springs, TN 37150) as featured in Paranormal State and Ghost Hunters (TAPS) has moving Beds, Dark Figures, Cold Spots, Disembodied Voices and Feelings of Terror are experienced regularly here. Built in 1880’s as a Mineral Spring Resort, this historic and haunted location has seen it’s share of hauntings including sitting on top of an Ancient Indian Trail, A Lay Line, Solid Limestone, Underground Springs, A stopping point for the Union Troops for the Civil War, Fires, Deaths, Disappearances and even a one time home for a Cult!

Thomas House Hotel
3. Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Hurricane Mills, TN (8000 Highway 13 South Hurricane Mills, Tennessee 37078)
Ghost Adventures aired a special on the Haunted Plantation in October of 2003. The woman in white is Beula Anderson who, after the death of her newborn son, died twelve days later from grief. Sightings of her crying and wringing her hands have been witnessed at the Plantation Home and Anderson Cemetery.
After moving to Hurricane Mills in 1966, the Lynn Family heard stories of the Plantation Home being haunted. The Lynns, visitors and employees have experienced strange occurrences throughout the years. A woman dressed in white and two Civil War Soldiers have been seen on many occasions. Strange sounds and happenings are commonplace in the home.
4. Cragfont (200 Cragfont Road Castalian Springs, TN 37031) The museum curators even sell a pamphlet on the haunted history 0f the place. Witnesses have seen candles burning inside at night, heard loud screams and breathing and had the feeling of being followed. Also known as The Winchester House, it was built from 1798 and completed in 1802. General James Winchester was a hero of the Revolution, a Tennessee pioneer, and one of the founders of Memphis, Tennessee. Cragfont has since reopened as a museum. Visitors attest to strong energy levels in the master bedroom and the nursery, as well as a few other areas of the house. The landmark is registered in the National Directory of Historical Places.

Downtown from i65 and Chestnut St.
[sta_anchor id=”Cemetery”] Nashville Cemetery Tour
Nashville City Cemetery (1001 4th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203) is the oldest public cemetery in Nashville, Tennessee. Many of Nashville’s prominent historical figures are buried there.
Notable buried
Samuel R. Anderson – Confederate brigadier general in the Civil War.
Washington Barrow – U.S. Charges d’Affaires to Portugal; U.S. Congressman from 1847-49.
William Carroll – Governor of Tennessee from 1821 to 1827 and again from 1829 to 1835.
Thomas Claiborne – U.S. Congressional Representative from 1817 to 1819.
William Driver – coined the name Old Glory for the U.S. flag in 1831.
Francis Fogg – developed Nashville’s public school system in 1852.
Harlan Howard (1927–2002), a prolific American songwriter, principally in country music.
Mabel Imes and Ella Sheppard – two of the original Fisk Jubilee Singers.
Lt. Lipscomb Norvell – Revolutionary War Soldier and father of US Senator John Norvell.
John Patton Erwin (1795-1857), Mayor of Nashville from 1821 to 1822, and from 1834 to 1835.
Alexander Porter (1785-1844), U.S. Senator who represented Louisiana.
Felix Robertson (1781–1865), Mayor of Nashville from 1818 to 1819, and from 1827–1829.
Anne Robertson Johnson Cockrill (1757-1821), pioneer.
James Robertson and his wife, Charlotte Robertson – two of the founders of Nashville (then called Fort Nashborough)
Wilkins F. Tannehill (1787-1858), Mayor of Nashville from 1825 to 1827.
Charles Clay Trabue (1798-1851), member of the Missouri House of Representatives from 1824 to 1828 and Mayor of Nashville from 1839 to 1841.
Mount Olivet Cemetery (1101 Lebanon Pike, Nashville, TN 37210) serves as the final resting place for many of Middle Tennessee’s political and business leaders, as well as a Confederate Circle that has about 1,500 soldiers buried there
Notable buried

Mount Olivet Cemetery
Adelicia Acklen, wealthy Nashville businesswoman and socialite.
John Meredith Bass, Mayor of Nashville from 1833 to 1834, and again in 1869.[2]
William B. Bate, Governor of Tennessee (1883 to 1887), American Civil War general
John Bell, United States Senator and presidential candidate
Aaron V. Brown, Governor of Tennessee (1845 to 1847), United States Postmaster General from 1857 to 1859
James Stephens Brown, Mayor of Nashville from 1908 to 1909.[2]
George P. Buell, Union Army general
Joseph Wellington Byrns, United States Congressman and Speaker of the House
John Catron, U.S. Supreme Court Justice
Benjamin F. (“Frank”) Cheatham, Confederate general during the American Civil War
Mark R. Cockrill (1788-1872), cattleman, planter, and “Wool King of the World”.
Clarence Kelley Colley (1869-1956), architect.[3]
Washington Bogart Cooper (1802–1888), painter.[4]
George A. Dickel (1818–1894), liquor dealer and wholesaler
Anne Dallas Dudley (1876–1955), women’s suffrage activist
Guilford Dudley, U.S. ambassador to Denmark under the Nixon and Ford presidential administrations, son of Anne Dallas Dudley.
Edward H. East (1830–1904), Tennessee Secretary of State, briefly served as the state’s “acting governor” in 1865
Jesse Babcock Ferguson, onetime minister of the Nashville Church of Christ, later associated with Spiritualism and Universalism
Thomas Frist, co-founder of Hospital Corporation of America and father of the former majority leader of the U.S. Senate, Bill Frist
Francis Furman (1816–1899), Nashville businessman during the Reconstruction Era. A building is named in his honor on the campus of Vanderbilt University, and his tomb, designed by sculptor Johannes Gelert (1852–1923), is the largest one in Mount Olivet Cemetery.
Sidney Clarence Garrison (1885-1945), second President of Peabody College (now part of Vanderbilt University) from 1938 to 1945.[5]
Meredith Poindexter Gentry, United States Congressman
Carl Giers, early photographer
Alvan Cullem Gillem, Civil War Union general and post-bellum Indian fighter
Vern Gosdin 1934–2009 country music legend
William Crane Gray, (1835–1919), First Episcopal Bishop of the Missionary Jurisdiction of Southern Florida
Felix Grundy (1775–1840), U.S. Senator from Tennessee and 13th Attorney General of the United States.
George Blackmore Guild (1834–1917), Mayor of Nashville from 1891 to 1895.[2]
Robert Kennon Hargrove (1829–1905), a Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South
Henry C. Hibbs (1882–1949), architect.
E. Bronson Ingram, founder of Ingram Industries Inc., parent company of Ingram Barge Company; Ingram Book Company, the nation’s largest book distributor; Ingram Micro; and other major companies
Howell Edmunds Jackson, United States Senator and Supreme Court Justice
William Hicks Jackson, Confederate general during the American Civil War
Thomas A. Kercheval, Tennessee State Senator and Mayor of Nashville
David Lipscomb, founder of Nashville Bible School (now Lipscomb University)
William Litterer (1834–1917), Mayor of Nashville from 1890 to 1891.[2]
George Maney, Confederate Civil War general and U.S. Ambassador to Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay
Jack C. Massey, entrepreneur who helped found or take public Hospital Corporation of America, Kentucky Fried Chicken and two other NYSE-listed companies
Hill McAlister, Governor of Tennessee from 1933 to 1937
Randal William McGavock (1826–1863), Mayor of Nashville from 1858 to 1859 and Confederate Lt. Colonel who was killed in the Battle of Raymond.[2]
Eliza Jane McKissack (1828–1900), founding head of music in 1890 to the forerunner of the University of North Texas College of Music
Benton McMillin, Governor of Tennessee (1899 to 1903)
Kindred Jenkins Morris (1819–1884), Mayor of Nashville from 1869 to 1871.[6]
Thomas Owen Morris (1845–1924), Mayor of Nashville from 1906 to 1908.[2]
William Nichol (1800–1878), Mayor of Nashville from 1835 to 1837.[2]
John Overton, friend of Andrew Jackson and one of the founders of Memphis, Tennessee
Bruce Ryburn Payne (1874-1937), founding president of Peabody College (now part of Vanderbilt University) from 1911 to 1937.[7]
Colonel Buckner H. Payne (1799-1889), clergyman, publisher, merchant and racist pamphleteer.[8]
James E. Rains, American Civil War general killed in the 1862 Battle of Murfreesboro
Fred Rose, music publishing executive
William Percy Sharpe (1871–1942), Mayor of Nashville from 1922 to 1924.[2]
John Hugh Smith (1819–1870), Mayor of Nashville, Tennessee three times, from 1845 to 1846, from 1850 to 1853, and from 1862 to 1865.[2]
Ernest Stoneman, country music performer
David K. Wilson (1919-2007), businessman and philanthropist; major donor to Vanderbilt University and the Republican Party.
Spring Hill Cemetery (5110 Gallatin Pike S, Nashville, TN 37216)
In addition to two British Royal Air Force veterans of World War II and circus performer Ella Harper,the cemetery is the final resting place for numerous notable music performers including the following:
Bobby Hebb: soul singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, performer
Earl Scruggs: bluegrass musician
Floyd Cramer: piano legend
George Morgan: singer
Hank Snow: singer
Jimmy Martin: bluegrass singer
John Hartford: singer, fiddler
Keith Whitley: singer
Roy Acuff: singer, songwriter, music publisher
Kitty Wells: singer
Nashville National Cemetery (1420 Gallatin Pike S, Madison, TN 37115)
The original interments were the remains of soldiers removed from temporary burial grounds around Nashville’s general hospitals, as well as the Civil War battlefields at Franklin and Gallatin, TN., and Bowling Green and Cave City, Ky. There are 4,141 unknowns interred at Nashville National Cemetery.
Medal of Honor recipients
Private John Carr, for action during the Indian Wars.[1]
Private Charles P. Cantrell, for action during the Spanish–American War.
Corporal William Franklin Lyell, for action during Korean War.
Others
Chaplain Erastus M. Cravath, one of the founders of Fisk University.
Augustus Herman Pettibone, US Congressman.
Barry A. Sadler, Vietnam War veteran, and writer of the song Ballad of the Green Berets.
Teddy & Doyle Wilburn, brothers and country music stars.
Middle Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery (7931 Mc Crory Ln, Nashville, TN 37221)
[sta_anchor id=”Faith”] Nashville Religion / Faith Tour

I Believe in Nashville (Common after the Great Flood of 2010)
Nashville has been called the Protestant Victian or the buckle of the Bible Belt and depending on the source has 700-1,000 churches. There are several seminaries, and a number of Christian schools, colleges and universities, including Belmont University, Trevecca Nazarene University, Lipscomb University, Free Will Baptist Bible College and American Baptist College. Nashville is the seat of the National Baptist Convention, USA, the National Association of Free Will Baptists, the Gideons International, the Gospel Music Association, and Thomas Nelson, the world’s largest producer of Bibles.
So many churches to list but here a few popular churches
Christian
Cross Point Church (299 Cowan St, Nashville, TN 37213)
HopePark Church (8001 US-70S, Nashville, TN 37221)
GRACEPOINTE Church (1213 Country Rd, Franklin, TN 37069) A Progressive Christian Community
Brentwood Baptist Church (7777 Concord Rd, Brentwood, TN 37027)
Jewish
Congregation Sherith Israel (3600 West End Ave, Nashville, TN 37205)
West End Synagogue (3810 West End Ave, Nashville, TN 37205)
Congregation Micah (2001 Old Hickory Blvd, Brentwood, TN 37027)
Islamic
Islamic Center of Nashville (2515 12th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37204)
Islamic Center of Tennessee (5400 Bell Forge Ln E, Antioch, TN 37013)
Hindu
Sri Ganesha Temple (527 Old Hickory Blvd, Nashville, TN 37209)
Buddhist
The Buddhist Temple (99 Lyle Lane Nashville, TN 37210)
Bahá’í (1556 Bell Road Nashville, TN 37211)
[sta_anchor id=”Recommend”] Recommended Nashville Sightseeing Tours

Downtown Nashville from Nissan Stadium
NashTrash Tours – The funniest, most popular and longest running tour in Nashville.
Gray Line has a variety of tours
Nashville Pedal Tavern is a very popular tour and seems to be a blast for tourist
Many more tours exist for Nashville, for a more complete list of tours visit here.
Recommended Nashville Movie Theaters
- Regal Cinemas Opry Mills 20 IMAX & RPX (Opry Mills Mall, 570 Opry Mills Drive, Nashville, TN 37214) IMAX is awesome, this is the nicest theater in Nashville.
- Regal Cinemas Hollywood 27 & RPX (719 Thompson Lane, Nashville, TN 37204) The nearest one to me and hence the most popular spot to find me.
- Regal Cinemas Green Hills 16 (3815 Green Hills Village Dr, Nashville, TN 37215) Tends to have movies that few places are showing
- Belcourt Theatre (2102 Belcourt Ave, Nashville, TN 37212) A great place for independent and lesser known but award winning movies
- Carmike Hickory 8 (901 Bell Rd, Antioch, TN 37013) The $2.18 theater, a budget place for movies that are out of play at the bigger places. I tend to go here to save money but there is about 20-30 minutes of previews to endure.
Recommended Nashville Malls
Opry Mills (570 Opry Mills Drive, Nashville, TN 37214) One of the largest malls in Tennessee with over 200 stores and largest outlet mall in the region. Very popular with Vistors not just for the mall but everything around the mall. Right next to Opry Mills Mall is the Andrew Jackson Steamboat with a show and goes downtown. (2812 Opryland Dr, Nashville, TN 37214) Grand Ole Opry (2804 Opryland Dr, Nashville, TN 37214). Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center is right next door as well (2800 Opryland Dr, Nashville, TN 37214) is a 5 star giant hotel that is fun to walk around and just explore and enjoy a restaurant or bar inside.
The Mall at Green Hills (2126 Abbott Martin Rd, Nashville, TN 37215) The nicest mall in Nashville. The Center is leased with a strong mix of luxury, unique-to-market brands, and better retailers including Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co., Burberry, Jimmy Choo, David Yurman, Tory Burch, Michael Kors, Stuart Weitzman, BCBGMAXAZRIA, Brooks Brothers, OMEGA, kate spade new york, Eileen Fisher, Lilly Pulitzer, Free People, Madewell, The North Face, Athleta, Restoration Hardware, Williams-Sonoma, TUMI, The Cheesecake Factory, MAC Cosmetics, Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics, 7 For All Mankind, and Hanna Andersson. The Center is anchored by Nordstrom, Dillard’s and Macy’s. For tech folks it has a Apple and Microsoft store.
CoolSprings Galleria (1800 Galleria Blvd, Franklin, TN 37067) is home to all of your favorite stores like Apple, American Girl, The Cheesecake Factory, Starbucks & More!
LGBTQ Places
Church street has most of the spots.
Play Dance Bar (1519 Church St, Nashville, TN 37203) Nashville’s hottest dance bar is Play. This place has everything: female and male impersonators and a dance floor.
Tribe (1517 Church St A, Nashville, TN 37203) Gay-friendly bar with big dance floor & music videos, plus drag & show-tune theme nights.
Canvas Lounge (1707 Church St, Nashville, TN 37203) Upbeat gay bar & dance club with DJs, karaoke nights, Tex-Mex bar bites, beer & wine
Lipstick Lounge (1400 Woodland St, Nashville, TN 37206) Known as the lesbian hangout with fun karaoke. Gay-friendly, all-are-welcome bar with karaoke, trivia & dancing plus pub grub in a bright setting.
Miscellaneous things to do
Nashville area has a large Antique market with many Antique shops
Things to Do in Specific Neighborhoods or Towns
East Nashville
5 Points is the main places for shops, bars and restaurants
Mad Donna’s (1313 Woodland St, Nashville, TN 37206) Great Burgers and Mac ‘n Cheese
Atomic Nashville 1603 Riverside Dr, Nashville, TN 37216
12th South
Franklin

Downtown Nashville at Sunset
[sta_anchor id=”Annual”] Major annual events
Event | Month held and location |
---|---|
Nashville Film Festival | A weeklong festival in April that features hundreds of independent films. It is one of the largest film festivals in the Southern United States. |
Nashville Fashion Week | A citywide event typically held in March or April, this is a celebration of Nashville’s fashion and retail community featuring local, regional and national design talent in fashion events and shows. |
Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Marathon | Marathon, half marathon, and 5k race held in April with runners from around the world. In 2012, participation surpassed 30,000 runners. |
Iroquois Steeplechase | Annual steeplechase horse racing event held in May at Percy Warner Park. |
CMA Music Festival | A four-day event in June featuring performances by country music stars, autograph signings, artist/fan interaction, and other activities for country music fans. |
Nashville Pride | A festival held in June at Public Square Park that fosters awareness of and for the LGBT community and culture in Middle Tennessee. The 2015 festival drew an estimated 15,000-20,000 people, possibly making it the event’s largest gathering since the festival began. |
Let Freedom Sing! | Held every Fourth of July at Riverfront Park, featuring a street festival and live music, and culminating in one of the largest fireworks shows in the country. An estimated 280,000 people attended the 2014 celebration. |
Tomato Art Festival | Held each August in East Nashville, this event celebrates the Tomato as a Unifier. |
African Street Festival | Held in September on the campus of Tennessee State University. It is committed to connecting and celebrating the extensions of Africa to America. |
Live on the Green Music Festival | A free concert series held in August and September at Public Square Park by local radio station Lightning 100. |
Tennessee State Fair | The State Fair held in September at the State Fairgrounds, which lasts nine days and includes rides, exhibits, rodeos, tractor pulls, and numerous other shows and attractions. |
Celebrate Nashville Cultural Festival | A free event held the first Saturday in October at Centennial Park, it is Middle Tennessee’s largest multicultural festival and includes music and dance performances, ethnic food court, children’s area, teen area, and marketplace. |
Nashville Oktoberfest | A free event held in the historic Germantown neighborhood since 1981, it celebrates the culture and customs of Germany. Oktoberfest is Nashville’s oldest annual festival and is one of the largest in the South.In 2015, over 143,000 people attended the three-day event which raised $60,000 for Nashville non-profits. |
Southern Festival of Books | A festival held in October, featuring readings, panels, and book signings. |
Country Music Association Awards | Award ceremony normally held in November at the Bridgestone Arena and televised to a national audience. |
Veterans Day Parade | A parade running down Broadway on 11/11 at 11:11.11 am since 1951. Features include 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Tennessee National Guard, veterans from wars past and present, military plane fly-overs, tanks, motorcycles, first responder vehicles, marching bands and thousands of spectators. |
Nashville has several professional sports teams, of which two, the Nashville Predators of the NHL and the Tennessee Titans of the NFL, play at the highest professional level of their respective sports.
Club | Sport | League | Venue | Established |
---|---|---|---|---|
Tennessee Titans | Football | National Football League | Nissan Stadium | 1960 |
Nashville Predators | Hockey | National Hockey League | Bridgestone Arena | 1997 |
Nashville Sounds | Baseball | Pacific Coast League | First Tennessee Park | 1978 |
Nashville FC | Soccer | National Premier Soccer League | Vanderbilt Soccer Complex | 2013 |
Nicknames
Nashville is a colorful, well-known city in several different arenas. As such, it has earned various nicknames including:
- Music City, USA: WSM-AM announcer David Cobb first used this name during a 1950 broadcast and it stuck. It is now the official nickname used by the Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau. Nashville is the home of the Grand Ole Opry, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and many major record labels. This name also dates back to 1874, where after receiving and hearing a performance by the Fisk Jubilee Singers, Queen Victoria of England is reported as saying that “These young people must surely come from a musical city.”
- Athens of the South: Home to 24 post-secondary educational institutions, Nashville has long been compared to Athens, the ancient city of learning and site of Plato’s Academy. Since 1897, a full-scale replica of the Athenian Parthenon has stood in Nashville, and many examples of classical and neoclassical architecture can be found in the city. The term was popularized by Philip Lindsley (1786–1855), President of the University of Nashville, though it is unclear whether he was the first person to use the phrase.
- The Protestant Vatican or The Buckle of the Bible Belt:Nashville has over 700 churches, several seminaries, a number of Christian music companies, and is the headquarters for the publishing arms of the Southern Baptist Convention (LifeWay Christian Resources), the United Methodist Church (United Methodist Publishing House) and the National Baptist Convention (Sunday School Publishing Board). It is also the seat of the National Baptist Convention, the National Association of Free Will Baptists, the Gideons International, the Gospel Music Association, and Thomas Nelson, the world’s largest producer of Bibles.
- Cashville: Nashville native Young Buck released a successful rap album called Straight Outta Cashville that has popularized the nickname among a new generation.
- Little Kurdistan: Nashville has the United States’ largest population of Kurdish people, estimated to be around 11,000.
- Nash Vegas or Nashvegas is a term given for a few possible reasons one is like Las Vegas many people go with dreams just to leave broke. Many people come to Nashville to make it big and very few people ever make it to the big leagues. Also like Las Vegas, Nashville was run down in many areas and especially downtown but thanks to being the “IT” city the last few years, Nashville is seeing an urban renewal on a scale never seen before.