Ever since I was seventeen years old I wanted to go to Nashville for my 21st birthday; not Vegas as many 21 year olds plan. I wanted to go to Nashville because I LOVE country music and I wanted to immerse myself as deep as I could, in all the music, history, culture, and honky tonks.
This month I was finally able to check that dream off my bucket list as I got to celebrate 21 years in the bright and exciting, Nashville Tennessee. I danced and sang in all the honky tonks along Broadway street, took a trip back intro history and Grand Ole Opry, and saw country music through the years at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
If you love country music as much as I do, then you need to visit Nashville; it’s a country music lovers dream! To get you started here’s my bucket list for country music lovers heading to the city where country lives.
Take a Backstage Tour of the Grand Ole Opry
A trip to Nashville just wouldn’t be complete without visiting the show that made country music famous. The Grand Ole Opry is the most important building in country music history and on the backstage tour, you’ll learn all about the stars that have walked the stage and the hardships the building has overcome. If you’re feeling confident you can even grab the mic and sing a few lines for everyone!
Cost: $26 USD
See a Show at the Ryman Auditorium
The Ryman Auditorium still hosts a wide variety of shows and chances are someone will be playing during your time in Nashville. Be sure to check for tickets in advance, especially if you know there’s going to be a big name star in town that you really want to see, as those tickets tend to sell out quickly. If you’re not up for seeing a show here, you can also do a tour of the Ryman.
Cost: Show prices vary, but a tour of the Ryman costs $26 USD
Visit the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
This is the perfect spot for country music lovers to spend a few hours immersing themselves in decades of country music history. Be sure to allow 2-3 hours in your schedule to really take your time walking through the museum and enjoying the exhibits. The museum showcases guitars, outfits, and even original handwritten lyrics from stars like George Jones and Dolly Parton all the way to Taylor Swift and Luke Bryan.
Cost: $26.95 USD
Take a Stroll Through the Johnny Cash Museum
All you Johnny Cash fans who didn’t get enough at the Country Music Hall of Fame can head on over to the Johnny Cash Museum for an in-depth history of the legend himself. This museum is described as one of the classiest and well put together displays for any music artist and will tell you everything you need to know about Mr. Johnny Cash.
Cost: $20.95 USD
Go on a Tour of the Jack Daniels Distillery
There are very few country music songs that don’t mention our good old friend Jack Daniels. If you’re in Nashville a stop to the famous distillery is definitely in order. This distillery is located a little bit outside of Nashville, but it’s well worth the drive for the samplings you’ll receive at the end of the tour.
Cost: $17 USD
Do Some Honky Tonkin!
As I said in my previous post, a trip to Nashville is not complete without some honky tonks. The heart of Nashville lies in its electric and fun honky tonks with talented, live bands in almost all of them. You can boot scoot n boogie your way up and down Broadway street and maybe even hear a song from a local celebrity.
Cost: Just put it on your tab 😉
To find out where my favourite honky tonk spots are, check out this post.
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Rosie
Oh my goodness, I’m so jealous. I would love to visit Nashville. I’m not really a city visiting kinda person, but Nashville is on my list. I would love to visit the Opry and go to the Bluebird Cafe. It looks like you had an amazing time.