Travel

It’s earned its stripes – and stars – as Music City U.S.A., one of the nation’s top recording and music publishing centers, but for visitors, Nashville is much more than just music.
The capital of Tennessee, and a city rich in history and culture, Nashville is home to sparkling entertainment, beautiful public spaces, museums, professional sports, outstanding restaurants, great shopping and, of course, Music Row, where much of America’s country and pop music originates. It’s well worth the trip any time of the year, but a summer visit adds extra excitement.

1/No Summertime Blues Here

When the weather is warm, head to Nashville Shores, which offers white sandy beaches, pools and seven water slides along the shore of Percy Priest Lake, perfect for sunning, swimming and splashing. Or, take a picnic lunch to Centennial Park, where you can visit a life-size replica of the Parthenon, kids can pretend on a ship or a jet airplane, or you can kick back and just feed the ducks on the lake.

Speaking of ducks, no visit to Nashville is complete without a visit to the Nashville Zoo, an amazing 200-acre oasis within the city limits. More than 125 species of critters – from fish and snakes to giraffes, meerkats, snow leopards and tigers – live here in habitats that replicate their natural homes. Be sure to ride the Wild Animal Carousel.

Over the Fourth of July holiday, downtown Nashville hosts a spectacular fireworks display and musical entertainment along the banks of the Cumberland River.
For a fun sports experience, enjoy a Nashville Sounds minor-league baseball game at historic Greer Stadium, where balls and strikes are displayed on a giant guitar-shaped score board.

If motor sports are more your thing, check out the Nashville Superspeedway, 30 minutes east of town, for a little vroom-vroom.

2/Visit Nashville Treasures

Regardless of when you visit, a trip to the Grand Ole Opry is a must.

Started in 1925, and America’s longest-running radio show, the Grand Ole Opry is headquartered today at the Opry Entertainment Complex adjacent to the Opryland Hotel. The Ryman Auditorium, downtown, was home to the Opry for many years and is now a popular concert venue; tour the building to get a sense of its history.

Don’t miss the Country Music Hall of Fame. Even if your tastes run to Debussy rather than Dolly, you’ll be fascinated by this world-class museum. At the Adventure Science Center, kids can pilot a screaming jet aircraft (simulated), discover the “impolite side” of the human body in Grossology Live and ponder a 10-foot-tall beating heart. Relive old-timey life on the river as the General Jackson showboat cruises the Cumberland River from Opry Mills to downtown. After your boat ride, check out the massive shopping center and try lunch at the Aquarium, where you can dine next to a 200,000-gallon fish tank.

Want to get ‘em down on the farm? Try the Tennessee Agricultural Museum at the Ellington Agricultural Center for a peek at farm life in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Antique farm vehicles and machinery, log cabins, a farm house, gardens and more.

The Hermitage, home of President Andrew Jackson, is one of the city’s preeminent historic sites, where the family can enjoy a fascinating look at one of American history’s most fascinating figures.

Tennessee’s tradition as a pre-eminent breeder of championship race horses is celebrated at Belle Meade Mansion, where you can tour an historic home and accompanying stables.

3/Finding Good Eats

When in Nashville, a meat ‘n’ three is essential comfort food. That means your choice of a meat entrée, coupled with three vegetables (macaroni and cheese and Jell-O both count), and nowhere in town does it better than the Sylvan Park Restaurant.

The kids will want to try the Hard Rock Café on Broadway, or the Wild Horse, where you can find ponies galloping across the ceiling. For huge portions from a staggering menu, head out to the Cheesecake Factory.

For more upscale dining, try Café Margot in East Nashville, where inventive cuisine shines in a funky, fun old building, or Sunset Grille, where you’re likely to spot any number of celebrities.

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