17 Best Things to Do in Nashville, Tennessee

From country music to contemporary art, Nashville’s got it all. See what the Music City has to offer with these best things to do in Nashville.

Nashville is one of the most exciting destinations in the US. With its hipster vibes and caravans of drunk pedal tavern riders, this city is always ready for a party.

From Civil War history to music history, and from Broadway to the Gulch, these fun things to do in Nashville should top your itinerary.

Top Things to Do in Nashville

1. Go Country at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

When in the Music City, you can’t miss the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The museum is considered the “Smithsonian of country music”. Its permanent exhibit is a walk through country music’s history and traditions, showcasing famous artists’ instruments, stage costumes, and even cars.

Rotating exhibits focus on certain eras and artists in country music. A tour of the museum culminates in the Country Music Hall of Fame, a large circular room containing bronze plaques naming the inductees into the Hall of Fame.

Even if you’re not a fan of country music (which I am not), visiting the museum is still worth while to learn about the music that shaped Nashville.

Get your Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum ticket here.

2. Bar Hop on Lower Broadway

Lower Broadway is Nashville’s Honkey Tonk Highway, a stretch of bars pouring beers and pumping out loud live music.

Some of country music’s biggest stars got their start on Broadway, and musicians today are still trying to catch their big break there.

Broadway is the place to go for Music City bar-hopping and a good mix of the city’s country, bluegrass, and rockabilly roots.

Take an all-inclusive Nashville pub crawl along Broadway here.

3. Catch a Concert at…

The Ryman Auditorium, the Grand Ole Opry, Bridgestone Arena, Ascend Amphitheater, you name it.

Back in my day (wow, I sound old), we would go up to Nashville to see bands play at Rocketown, and that’s the only venue I ever knew because I guess alternative and emo bands only played at venues attached to skate parks back then.

But there are tons of places to see a show in Nashville! They don’t call it Music City for nothing!

Get your ticket to a Grand Ole Opry show here.

4. Tour the Belmont Mansion at Belmont University

Belmont Mansion was once the summer home of Adelicia Acklen, one of the wealthiest women in the antebellum South. Built between 1849 and 1860, it’s the largest house built in in Tennessee prior to the Civil War.

The home is located on the Belmont University campus, which now occupies what was once the Belmont estate.

A tour of the restored house gives you a glimpse into Adelicia’s life, the lives of the enslaved people who lived here, and the house’s transformation from summer home to girls’ academy to private university.

Get your tickets to Belmont Mansion here.

5. Wonder How You Ended Up In Ancient Greece at the Parthenon

In the center of Centennial Park stands the Parthenon. No, you didn’t take a wrong turn and end up in Greece.

The Parthenon is a full-scale replica of the one in Athens, Greece. It was built for Tennessee’s 1897 Centennial Exposition, but now it’s the home of Nashville’s art museum.

The primary collection is American Impressionism donated by James M. Cowan, but the main exhibit is really the full-scale replica of Athena Parthenos. Athena was added to the Parthenon in 1982, though her construction took eight years to complete and she wasn’t gilded until 2002. Now she stands tall at 42 feet.

6. See Something New at Frist Art Museum

Housed in the historic US Post Office building, Frist Art Museum is a contemporary art museum that keeps new art flowing through it every 6 to 8 weeks, so you can see something new with each visit.

Examples of exhibits include Chaos and Awe: Painting for the 21st Century; We Shall Overcome: Civil Rights and the Nashville Press, 1957–1968; The Presence of Your Absence Is Everywhere: Afruz Amighi; and my favorite, Image Building: How Photography Transforms Architecture.

7. Play With the Polar Bear Statues

At the corner of Edgehill Ave. and 12th Ave. S., two polar bears play in a chilling snowball fight at the entrance of a retirement home. The bears have been frozen in this game since the 1930 when they were created to advertise a Polar Bear Frozen Custard shop on West End Ave.

There were multiple bears advertising these shops around the city, and once the businesses shut down the bears were shuffled from home to home and even stood outside a funeral home for a while.

These two bears in particular made their home at the retirement center in 2005 and have played in their plaza there ever since.

8. Watch a Nashville Predators Game

The Predators are Nashville’s NHL ice hockey team, and the fans are loud and crazy when they pack the Bridgestone Arena for the team’s home games.

And seeing a hockey game is the perfect winter activity in Nashville!

If you go, you’ll need to brush up on your heckling and learn all the Predators fan chants so you can really get into the game.

Get tickets to a Nashville Predators game here.

9. Go Shopping at Opry Mills

On the site of the old Opryland theme park is something that’ll probably cause you to spend just as much money — Opry Mills, Tennessee’s largest outlet mall.

Opry Mills has stores like Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH, Forever 21, J.Crew Factory Store, and Vera Bradley Outlet, as well as plenty of restaurants, a movie theater, and a Madame Tussauds.

10. Try to Break Out of an Escape Game

New escape rooms are popping up all over Nashville, but the one that I recommend is The Escape Game Nashville.

Their games are well designed and their clues fun and well thought out. We managed to break out of The Heist with only seconds to spare! I always love feeling like Nancy Drew.

Book your escape room experience here.

11. See Bears and More at the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere

The Nashville Zoo at Grassmere has an Expedition Peru exhibit that has bears! And I’m all about some bear-related travel!

These bears, hailing from Darkest Peru, arrived at Paddington Station with just a battered hat, duffel coat, and battered suitcase with a hidden compartment for extra marmalade — oh, no wait, I’m getting my bears mixed up.

The Nashville Zoo has three Andean Bears, also called Spectacled Bears because the white pattern around their eyes look like glasses, and more than 2,761 other animals like tigers, red pandas, kangaroos (which you can pet), and clouded leopards.

12. Relax at Rockland Recreation Area

If you’re willing to venture a little outside the city, Rockland Recreation Area in Hendersonville is a relaxing spot on the shore of Old Hickory Lake just upstream on Cumberland River.

This is a great spot for picnicking and sitting around catching some rays and enjoying time with friends.

13. Explore Modern Nashville at The Gulch

The Gulch district took Nashville’s neglected railroad yard and turned it into one of the city’s hottest neighborhoods. It has everything that the rest of Nashville has — music, shopping, dining — but with a trendy, rather than country, vibe.

People wait hours in line under the hot sun to pose with the wildly popular What Lifts You mural here. But there are plenty of great places to eat, some with boozy milkshakes, for when you’re done waiting in line!

Take a private walking food tour of The Gulch here.

14. Sing Karaoke at Cross-Eyed Critters Watering Hole

Cross-Eyed Critters Watering Hole is the world’s first animatronic karaoke bar. It opened in 2020 in the Graduate Nashville hotel, which itself is a lavishly decorated work of art. The “Cross-Eyed Critters” refers to the backup band of an animatronic bear, pig, and fox that help you sing your heart out at karaoke.

The name “Cross-Eyed Critters Watering Hole” evokes visions of a dive-bar, but the bar actually felt pretty classy.

There’s an entrance to the bar on West End Avenue, which was closed when we went; instead, we entered through the hotel lobby, where there is little to no signage, and down a long back hallway, giving the bar a speakeasy feel. Inside, the bar’s dark walls are lined with paintings of country western stars and string lights.

15. Have a Mystery Picnic in Franklin

Take a day trip out to Franklin for a fun Mystery Picnic! This Mystery Picnic Date in Franklin puts you on a scavenger hunt to collect picnic items and unlock your perfect picnic location.

You’ll solve clues and riddles that lead you to local restaurants and shops where you’ll pick up items for your picnic (explore a 16-block historic district with everything from brick-and-mortar bookshops and restored homes to quaint antique shops and fine dining). Then, you’ll unlock your mystery picnic destination.

This is a great way to get off the beaten track and uncover hidden gems. You’ll be able to enjoy a unique day out and support local small businesses in the process.

Book your Franklin Mystery Picnic Date here.

16. Book a Nashville Photoshoot with Flytographer

Explore Nashville with a fun and talented photographer, learn local tips, and capture priceless memories with photogenic backdrops. It’s a win all around!

With Flytographer, you can hire an amazing local photographer for a fun vacation photoshoot. Get wall-worthy photos that allow you to relive your trip as the perfect souvenir.

You can use my link here for $25 off your first Flytographer photoshoot.

Book your Nashville Flytographer photoshoot here, and get $25 off your first photoshoot.

17. Use the Tinggly Bucketlist box to find top experiences in Nashville

Valentine’s Day Sale: Get 20% off all experience gift boxes using code PaigeMTG from February 3, 2025 through February 17, 2025.

Treat yourself to an unforgettable adventure in Nashville with the Tinggly Bucketlist box.

Tinggly boxes are essentially gift vouchers for experiences all around the world. But you can give yourself the gift of adventure, too. Especially because Tinggly has some Nashville experiences you can’t find anywhere else!

With the Bucketlist box, you can treat yourself to unique Nashville experiences like a Murals & Mimosas Tour or a Walking Tour Along Broadway.

Get yourself the Bucketlist box here, or check out other Nashville experiences from Tinggly here.

Nashville Things to Do Map

Ready to explore Nashville’s top attractions and hidden gems? Use the map below to help plan out your itinerary exploring Nashville, Tennessee.

I hope you have an incredible top visiting all the best things to do in Nashville!

More Things to Do in Tennessee

Make the most out of your Tennessee vacation! Check out these other Tennessee travel guides to plan your perfect trip:

• 10 Must-Try Nashville Restaurants That Foodies Will Love
• 8 Best Things to Do in Dickson, TN
• Romantic Weekend in Dickson, TN Itinerary
• 8 Incredibly Fun Things To Do in Chattanooga, TN
• 10 Spookiest Chattanooga Ghost Tours
• Ultimate Guide: Perfect Girls’ Weekend in Chattanooga, TN
• 3 Restaurants to Try in Chattanooga, TN
• The Lost Sea: America’s Largest Underground Lake in Tennessee
• How to Spend One Day in Chattanooga, TN
• An Unforgettable Visit to Elvis Presley’s Graceland in Memphis, TN

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Ready to visit Nashville, Tennessee? Plan your trip with these tips.

• Book Your Flight: Find the cheapest flights using Skyscanner, my favorite flight search engine.
• Find Accommodation: You can find top hotels in Nashville using Hotels.com.
• Start Packing: Check out my packing list resources so you’re prepared for your trip.
• Explore Nashville in a New Way: Enjoy a Mystery Picnic in Nashville to discover more of the city.
• Save on Attractions: Save big on admission to Nashville’s top attractions using the Nashville Sightseeing Pass.

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Cheers!

Paige

What are your favorite fun things to do in Nashville, Tennessee? Let me know in the comments!