10 Best Things to Do in Nashville

Food alone is reason enough to keep coming back to Nashville. Going on a BBQ tour or a walking food tour is one of the best things to do in Nashville.

Edley's Bar-B-Que, Peg Leg Porker, and Martin's Bar-B-Que are some of the most popular BBQ joints in Tennessee. For more comfort food, Hattie B's is famous for its hot chicken, and you can't leave Nashville without a slice from Five Points Pizza. For fine dining, try Husk, 5th & Taylor, Capitol Grille at The Hermitage Hotel, and City House.

And for breakfast, don't miss Pancake Pantry (go later in the day for a shorter wait), Biscuit Love, Loveless Cafe, Frothy Monkey, Fido, and Dose.

There's nothing quite like Broadway Street in downtown Nashville. With its giant neon cowboy boot signs and triple decker bars, it's no wonder the city is known as "Nashvegas." But, even if country music isn't your thing, Nashville's honky tonks are some of the most exciting and fun things to do in Nashville. Famous bars include Rippy's, Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, Robert's Western World, Legends Corner, Honky Tonk Central, and The Stage.

Nashville prides itself on its music, and not just the country kind. The likes of Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Kings of Leon, and The Black Keys have all recorded songs in Nashville. And today you can find all types of live music—it's one of the best things to do in Music City.

Beyond the honky tonks on Broadway, you'll find other venues like ACME Feed & Seed, Exit/In, The End, The 5 Spot, The Basement, The Mercy Lounge, Station Inn, and Bluebird Cafe. You can also book a seat for a recording session, like Sirius XM's "Heroes Behind the Hits," which features country music songwriters. If you don't know where to go, just look for the Nashville guitar picks posted around the city—they designate live music venues.

Nashville has a strong Southern history and culture. Taking a tour of the Ryman Auditorium is one of the best things to do downtown to get a sense of how Nashville's music culture started. The venue is known as the "Carnegie Hall of the South," and it hosted the Grand Ole Opry until it moved to the Opry House in 1974.

Nashville also has some interesting historical landmarks, like the full-scale replica of the Parthenon in Centennial Park, which was built for the 1897 Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition. Other sights include Belmont Mansion, Fontanel Mansion, Cheekwood Botanical Gardens & Art Museum, Carnton Plantation, and Belle Meade Plantation.

You can explore most of Nashville's museums in one day. They're not traditional museums like you'd find in New York City, but their uniqueness makes them one of the best things to do in Nashville. Plus, many of them offer free admission for children, so they're also great free things to do.

The Frist Center for the Visual Arts is a non-collecting museum located in the historic U.S. Post Office Building, which has hosted exhibits with works from Frank Lloyd Wright and Michelangelo. The Adventure Science Center and Nashville Zoo at Grassmere are great activities to do with kids.

For music-related museums, visit The Johnny Cash Museum, RCA Studio B (where Elvis recorded the majority of his songs), United Record Pressing, Music City Walk of Fame, Hatch Show Print, OZ Arts, Musicians Hall of Fame, and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

Taking a tour of the Jack Daniel Distillery is one of the most popular things to do in Nashville (or technically just outside the city). It's worth making the day trip out to the tiny town of Lynchburg, about one-and-a-half hours beyond Nashville city limits. The tour of the distillery is both unique and informative, providing a behind-the-scenes look at one of the world's most popular liquor labels. You'll learn all sorts of interesting tidbits—from the secret ingredient in the water used for distilling to Jack Daniel's real name.

And, don't leave Lynchburg without a meal at Miss Mary BoBo's Boarding House—served family style at a proper dinner table with other guests—and make sure to walk around downtown Lynchburg for some fun souvenirs. Don't worry, everything's within walking distance from the distillery.

From up-and-coming East Nashville to the trendy area dubbed The Gulch, taking in the neighborhoods on foot is one of the best things to do in Nashville. Check out Midtown, Hillsboro Village, 12South, The Gulch, East Nashville, Germantown, Wedgewood-Houston, and Marathon Village for endless shopping, food, cafes, and galleries. 

Visiting the Grand Ole Opry is the most Nashville thing you can do on a trip to Nashville. If you're unfamiliar with it, the Opry is a country radio show broadcast featuring eight or more artists. Even if country music isn't your thing, seeing the Opry is one of the best things to do in Nashville for a sense of the city's culture and history.

From February to October, shows are held at the Grand Ole Opry House near Opryland. For the holidays (November to January), shows are at the historic Ryman Auditorium. Both venues host other events and concerts as well.

You'll find dozens of local beers on tap at many restaurants and bars, so why not see where they come from? Brewery tours are one of the more popular things to do in Nashville as local breweries have emerged into the larger U.S. craft brewery scene.

Yazoo Brewing Company is the most well-known, and you'll likely see their beers at most restaurants and bars. Tennessee Brew Works, Black Abbey Brewing Company, and Jackalope Brewing Company also offer tours, have taprooms, and are most definitely worth a stop on any Nashville trip.

Some of the best things to do in Nashville are best experienced outdoors, especially given the city's relatively temperate fall and winter weather.

The wine tastings, picnics, and vineyard tours at Arrington Vineyards are some of the best things to do in Nashville, particularly if you are traveling with a group of friends. For families and hikers, Warner Parks in Bellevue and Shelby Bottoms Greenway and Nature Park in East Nashville offer hiking trails and bike paths. And, to beat the head, head to Nashville Shores, a waterpark complex with cabins, a beach, lazy river, and lake cruises—it's also one of the best things to do in Nashville with kids.

If you don't want to leave downtown Nashville, Centennial Park, Cumberland River Pedestrian Bridge, Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, and Cumberland Park along the Riverfront are great outdoor city spaces worth exploring, too.