Location: Nashville
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Things to do in Nashville, Tennessee (TN): The Best Museums
With live music to be heard all across town, 24/7, 365 days a year, Music City lives up to its name. From honky-tonk bands jamming at Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge to songwriters in the round at the Bluebird Cafe and country music legends rocking the Grand Ole Opry, you never know who you might see. The creative spirit from Nashville's music landscape flows into the area's myriad art galleries, up-and-coming fashion scene, historic landmarks and chef-driven restaurants.
Restaurants in Nashville
1. Amqui Station and Visitors Center
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 7 reviews
About Discover Madison, Inc.-Amqui Station and Visitor's Center: Discover Madison, Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to celebrate, educate, promote, and preserve Madison, Tennessee through the historic Amqui Station, a 1910 L&N Railroad station which was saved from demolition by Johnny Cash.
2. Vanderbilt Dyer Observatory
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 14 reviews
3. Glen Campbell Museum
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 18 reviews
Located at the highly-trafficked corner of Broadway and 2nd Avenue, The Glen Campbell Museum will feature more than four thousand square feet of never-before-seen artifacts from Glen's early years.
Reviewed By Sherrid112 - Salem, United States
My family (all adults) and I were scheduled to visit on December 31st. Due to streets being closed (from Christmas day)we weren't sure if we were going to get to go. Kevin contacted us from the museum in the morning and said they were cleard to open; so we went and are we glad we did! This is a beautifully done tribute to Glen's life. He's undeniably one of the greatest country music performers ever! The museum is a touching and fitting tribute to his life and music. Some of my favorites in the museum included The Glen Campbell Goodtime Theatre. It was fun to see legends of County Music. We sang along to the songs. The Greatest Guitarist to ever play section included stories behind some of Glen's biggest hits. My favorite story was on the song Southern Nights! If you're in Nashville, do not miss this museum!
4. Historic Travellers Rest
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 258 reviews
Historic Travellers Rest is the oldest historic house museum open to the public in Nashville. Our primary mission is history education and we serve more than 12,000 children and adult visitors each year. Our programs and events cover 1000 years of history, from Mississippian settlement through the 19th century using the cultural resources at the 1799 home built by John Overton. Self-guided grounds tours and guided house tours are available Tuesday-Saturdays. House tours last about an hour and are offered on the hour starting at 11:00 am. Last tour at 3:00 pm. During this time tour sizes will be limited to 8 people. Tour availability is first-come first-serve so reservations are suggested. Please call to make a reservation.
Reviewed By 866TaylorB - Chicago, United States
I suppose most people visit Andrew Jackson's Hermitage to get a perspective on the history of Nashville, Tennessee. Well, that certainly is an important part of it. But don't pass up an opportunity to visit Travellers Rest Plantation and Museum to get another perspective. Located at 636 Farrell Parkway, the two-story structure with four rooms was built in 1799 by Judge John Overton, who was an advisor and close friend of Andrew Jackson. In fact, he was a co-founder of Memphis, Tennessee. An addition was made to the house in 1812 to accommodate more members of the Overton family and a long ell was added in 1820 when Overton married a widow with five children. He died at Travellers Rest in 1833. A final addition was added in 1887. At one time, the plantation covered 1,050 ares and was worked by 80 slaves. Historically, it is significant because Overton discovered a large number of prehistoric skulls on his property. Today, archaeologists know that the remains were part of a large Mississippian village site. The house was saved from demolition and restored in 1954 to become a museum when construction of a visitors center uncovered additional human remains from a prehistoric period. During a one-hour guided toour, visitors can view exhibits that document the life and work of John Overton, his relationship with Andrew Jackson and the history of the Overton plantation and Nashville during the Civil War, then explore the lavish gardens that surround the plantation. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969.
5. RCA Studio B
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3,349 reviews
Historic RCA Studio B--once the recording home of popular music titans such as Elvis Presley, Chet Atkins, Eddy Arnold, and The Everly Brothers--is both a classroom for Nashville area students and a popular cultural attraction. First made available to Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum visitors in 1977, RCA Studio B was donated to the Museum in 1992. Studio B tours are available as part of the Museum's platinum ticket package, which also includes Museum admission and audio tour, and depart from the Museum hourly between 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. daily. Transportation provided.
Reviewed By PamThuer - Middletown, United States
By far a must see! Definitely worth the extra money to tour Studio B. Our tour guide was amazing and extremely kind, very knowledgeable on artists. Loved this tour!
6. Local Color Gallery
7. Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 14,476 reviews
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is the home of this popular American art form, safeguarding over 2.5 million artifacts, with two expansive floors of gallery space featuring permanent- and limited- engagement exhibits. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is also home to Historic RCA Studio B and Hatch Show Print. It offers three dining and four retail options, all open to the public. Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day.
Reviewed By 866TaylorB - Chicago, United States
If you are visiting Nashville, Tennessee, chances are you are here to see what makes Music City tick, from the Grand Ole Opry to Ryman Auditorium to the many museums dedicated to country music and its legendary recording artists from Jimmie Rodgers to Hank Williams to Roy Acuff to Patsy Cline to Johnny Cash. Located at 222 Fifth Avenue South, the 350,000-square-foot Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is one of the world's largest and most active and popular music research centers and the world's largest repository of country music artifacts, more than 2.5 million. Chartered in 1964, the museum houses 200,000 sound recordings, 500,000 photographs, more than 30,000 moving images on film, video and digital formats, hundreds of musical instruments, thousands of items of clothing, oral histories and iconic vehicles, including Elvis Presley's 1960 "Solid Gold" Cadillac and Jerry Reed's 1980 Pontiac Trans Am from Smokey and the Bandit II. The museum attracts more than 1.1 million visitors a year. So what do you want to see? Historic RCA Studio B, Nashville's oldest surviving recording studio, where recordings by Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton and Waylon Jennings were made. The bronze plaques of the Hall of Famers that are displayed in the museum's 70-foot-high rotunda. Glen Campbell narrating the history of country music. Maybelle Carter's Gibson L-5. Earl Scruggs' banjo. Bill Monroe's mandolin. Patsy Cline's cocktail dress. Johnny Cash's black suit. Reba McEntire's red dress. Start with the museum's core exhibit, "Sing Me Back Home: A Journey Through Country Music," which immerses visitors in the history and sounds of country music, its origins and traditions, and the stories and voices of many of its architects, then take a tour of the museum to experience what country music is all about.
8. Nashville Parthenon
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 4,714 reviews
Standing as the centerpiece in Nashville's Centennial Park, the Parthenon is a full scale replica of the Parthenon in Athens, Greece. Come inside to see the 42-foot gilded sculpture of Athena, the permanent display of American paintings from the Cowan Collection, the history of the Nashville Parthenon dating back to the 1897 Tennessee Centennial Exposition, and a variety of temporary shows and exhibitions! The entrance is located on the ground level of the East side of the building.
Reviewed By rishumishu9 - Jodhpur, India
Yes it’s an exact replica of The Parthenon at Greece!... Made with the same Patience, Artistic Excellence and knowledge about the the then History and Cultural expertise, Parthenon is a treat to Watch and adds to the many Attractions to the Beutiful City Of Nashville.A very Green, Calm and Picturesque Location at Centennial Park the Parthenon houses the Greek Goddess Of Victory and other Replicas Of Ancient Greek times. It also houses a good Sovenighr Shop.
9. Carl Van Vechten Gallery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 20 reviews
The Carl Van Vechten Gallery was established in 1949, when the acclaimed American painter Georgia O'Keeffe donated to Fisk the extraordinary group of works that form The Alfred Stieglitz Collection.The collection was given in honor of O'Keeffe's husband, Alfred Stieglitz, the pioneering American photographer and art impresario. The gallery was named in honor of Carl Van Vechten, an American novelist, critic, photographer and philanthropist, who played an important role in securing The Stieglitz Collection for Fisk. The Carl Van Vechten Gallery houses a changing schedule of traveling exhibitions and temporary installations from Fisk University's permanent art collections. Every two years, the gallery features The Alfred Stieglitz Collection of Modern American and European Art, which includes works by Pablo Picasso, Paul Cezanne, Auguste-Pierre Renoir, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Georgia O'Keeffe, Charles Demuth, Marsden Hartley, and Arthur Dove.
Reviewed By 212ellisb
It was a small gallery, but they have painting by Aaron Douglas AND they have the original printing plates used to produce WEB DuBois's seminal work, The Souls of Black Folks! We were given a tour by an outstanding Fisk student who also took us over to see the Douglas murals painted on the wall of their administration building.
10. Andrew Jackson's Hermitage
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 5,595 reviews
The Hermitage, Home of President Andrew Jackson, is one of the largest and most visited presidential homes in the United States, and recently named the #1 historic house in Tennessee. Today, The Hermitage is a 1,120-acre National Historic Landmark with over 30 historic buildings, that welcomes some 200,000 annual visitors, including 30,000 schoolchildren, from all 50 states and many foreign countries. Visit Andrew Jackson's Hermitage to witness "The Duel: The Art of the Southern Gentleman." This 30-minute visitor experience will answer questions about dueling followed by an ACTUAL demonstration by our historic re-enactors. “The Duel” takes place every Thursday through Sunday throughout the day, free with paid admission.
Reviewed By 866TaylorB - Chicago, United States
The Hermitage, Andrew Jackson's home from 1804 until his death in 1845, has been acclaimed the fourth best Presidential site in the nation by USA Today, behind the White House, Thomas Jefferson's Monticello and George Washington's Mount Vernon. Located at 4580 Rachels Lane in Davidson County, 10 miles east of downtown Nashville, the Greek Revival structure has a rectangular layout, about 104 feet from east to west and 54 feet from north to south. The main entrance includes a central block with a five-bay, two-story structure with a portico supported by six modified Corinthian style, wooden columns. Within the portico is a two-story balcony. One-story wings flank the mansion. Inside, the main block of the house consists of four large rooms separated by a center hall. At the far end of the hall is the elliptical cantilevered staircase with mahogany handrail that leads to the second level. Notice the crystal chandeliers and Italian marble mantels and the entry hall with plank flooring painted dark and decorated with block-printed wallpaper made in Paris, France. To the right of the entrance hall are two bedrooms that were occupied by Jackson and his son. On the second level are four bedrooms that once were occupied by guests such as Sam Houston, the Marquis de Lafayette, James K. Polk and Martin Van Buren. Perhaps the most interesting feature in the house is a rustic mantelpiece called the "Eighth of January" that was carved by a veteran of the Battle of New Orleans, who worked on the mantelpiece on each anniversary of the battle until he finished on January 8, 1839. The Hermitage, which was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966, can be viewed in via a two to four-hour self-guided tour, a 90-minute guided tour of the mansion and grounds and access to the mansion's balcony, a tour of the grounds via a horse-drawn wagon allowing a glimpse of what life was like on the 1,000-acre cotton plantation and two tours that include access to the mansion, grounds and exhibit gallery, an interpreter-led tour of the mansion, a self-guided auto tour of the gardens, grounds and the other historic buildings, a self-guided tour of the farmland that used to be the Heritage Planation and viewing a film, "Andrew Jackson: Born From A Star," at the visitors center. Also of interest is the large brick smokehouse at the rear of the kitchen that was built in 1831 and cured 20,000 pounds of pork a year and a nearby slave cabin known as Uncle Alfred's Cabin, named for Alfred Jackson, who was born into slavery on the property in 1812 and worked as a freedman after Emancipation and stayed on as a caretaker following the purchase of the estate in 1889 by the Ladies' Hermitage Association. He died in 1901 and was buried near the tomb of the seventh President of the United States and his wife, Rachel, who died in 1828. There is so much to see at the Hermitage, so much history and so many stories.
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