Music City offers something for history enthusiasts of all kinds. Take an exploration tour to uncover Nashville’s past or experience scenic attractions for a great sense of place.
The Hermitage was President Andrew Jackson’s plantation home from 1804-1821; today it stands as a National Historic Landmark and museum.
Fort Nashborough
Fort Nashborough stands as an emblem of early frontier life and westward expansion, serving as a reminder of pioneers who struggled to forge new paths for this bustling city. Additionally, it emphasizes the important interrelation between indigenous populations and settlers that is central to understanding Nashville’s unique culture.
Fort Nash features a reconstructed log stockade dating back to 1779 and honoring General Francis Nash who won fame during the American Revolution while fighting the British forces. Fort Nash served as an important early community in what later became Tennessee.
Visitors to Fort Sumter can explore its reconstructed fort and peek inside cabins to gain an understanding of pioneer life. Additionally, visitors may join seasonal activities and celebrations hosted here that give an enhanced understanding of this historic location, making for an unforgettable experience.
Ryman Auditorium
Country music fans venerate the Ryman Auditorium. Once a church, this iconic venue became known as “the Mother Church of Country Music,” thanks to its world-class acoustics and being home to the Grand Ole Opry’s inaugural performance. Additionally, numerous early country artists like Ernest Tubb and Minnie Pearl got their start performing there, helping create Nashville as an exciting, rowdy honky-tonk destination.
In 1892, Thomas Ryman helped construct the Union Gospel Tabernacle to meet Rev. Sam Jones’ needs as an evangelist. At first used for religious gatherings only, it soon welcomed other performers such as Bob Hope, Charlie Chaplin, and Harry Houdini – eventually becoming one of Nashville’s premier live entertainment venues and historical attractions for music enthusiasts alike. Today visitors are free to experience it either independently or with guided tour.
Germantown
Germantown is one of the city’s premier dining spots, boasting restaurants run by James Beard Award-nominated chefs as well as numerous coffee shops like 5th and Taylor and City House.
Germantown was settled by immigrants from Germany’s Rhine region between 17th and 18th centuries, serving as a center for manufacturing finished products for sale to Philadelphia markets. Large brick townhouses stood alongside more modest workers’ cottages to showcase its economic and social diversity.
History in Germantown features many significant moments in America’s struggle for religious toleration and freedom. Quaker men from Germantown wrote the inaugural petition against slavery for the Society of Friends in 1776, leading to its ban in Pennsylvania by 1780. Furthermore, President George Washington resided temporarily at Deshler Morris House during yellow fever epidemic of 1793 – it later being listed on National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
Downtown
Fort Nashborough stands as a reminder of Nashville’s rich pioneer, antebellum and Victorian-era heritage and offers visitors a self-guided tour around its original town site.
Nashville rose to international prominence as a center of Country music during the 20th century and its Grand Ole Opry made the city well-known. Today, its heritage lives on with the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum carrying on that tradition.
Lower Broadway was once famously known as Honky Tonk Highway due to the lively honky-tonk scene there, boasting bars and music venues which helped launch the careers of singers such as Jimmy Rodgers and Johnny Cash.
The Man in Black had an unorthodox life, yet his talent helped propel him to superstar status. Today he is honored by a museum in Downtown Nashville.
