Things to Do in Nashville

Paul Whitten
Founder of Nashville Adventures

A Local's Guide to Nashville (2026)

I have lived and worked in this city for years, and I still get people asking me the same question the second they land: what should we actually do here? Nashville is a lot more than a bachelorette party on Broadway, though we do that well too. This is a real local guide to the best things to do in Nashville, the stuff I send my own friends and family to when they visit. Some of it we sell as tours. Most of it we do not. I put the honest picks in here because that is what makes a guide worth reading. Whether you have one day or five, live music or history, kids in tow or a night out planned, here is how to spend your time in Music City and actually enjoy it.

Live Music and Honky Tonks

You cannot come to Nashville and skip the music. It is the whole reason the city has the reputation it has, and the good news is a lot of it is free.

Robert's Western World is my honest number one on Lower Broadway. Real traditional country, a fried bologna sandwich, and no cover. It still feels like the Nashville that existed before the crowds showed up.

Tootsie's Orchid Lounge is the famous purple one behind the Ryman. Loud, packed, and iconic. Go once, stand shoulder to shoulder, and soak it in.

The Station Inn in The Gulch is where you go for bluegrass. It is a cinder block room that looks like nothing from the outside and sounds like heaven on the inside.

The Bluebird Cafe out in Green Hills is the songwriter's room you have seen on TV. Tiny, quiet, and the real deal. Reservations go fast, so plan ahead.

The Ryman Auditorium is the Mother Church of Country Music. Even if you do not catch a show, tour it during the day. The history in that building is worth the ticket.

If you want the stories behind the honky tonks and the bars most tourists walk right past, that is exactly what we built our Nashville Pub Crawl around.

History and Landmarks

Nashville has a deeper history than most visitors expect, and it is not all music.

The Hermitage is Andrew Jackson's home, about a twenty minute drive east. Beautiful grounds and an honest look at a complicated president, including the story of the people who were enslaved there.

The Tennessee State Capitol sits on the hill downtown and is free to walk through. William Strickland, the architect, is actually buried in the walls of the building he designed.

The Parthenon in Centennial Park is a full scale replica of the original in Athens, complete with a towering statue of Athena inside. There is nothing else like it in the country.

Fort Nashborough on the riverfront is a reconstruction of the original 1779 stockade where the city started. Small, free, and a good five minute history lesson.

The Country Music Hall of Fame downtown is the big one, and it earns the price of admission. Give yourself a couple of hours.

History is my personal hill to die on, so I will say it plain. The best way to understand this city is to walk it with someone who knows the stories. That is what our Nashville Walking Tour does, and for anyone who wants to go deeper on the 1860s, our Civil War Tour covers ground most people never hear about.

Food and Drink

Come hungry. This is a food town now, and it is not just hot chicken, though we will start there.

Hattie B's is the hot chicken most visitors try first, and for good reason. Order the medium unless you have something to prove.

Prince's Hot Chicken is the original. This is the family that invented the dish. If you only eat hot chicken once, make it here.

Arnold's Country Kitchen is a classic meat and three, cafeteria style, and it is the kind of Southern lunch that people fly in for. It runs on weekday lunch hours, so time it right.

Biscuit Love in The Gulch does breakfast and brunch that lives up to the line out front.

Tennessee whiskey is its own reason to visit. There are distilleries and tasting rooms all over town, and the story of how whiskey and moonshine shaped this state is a good one.

If bourbon and moonshine are your thing, we go behind the scenes of it on our Nashville Distillery Tour.

Nashville neons signs advertising hot chicken and other businesses

Free Things to Do in Nashville

You do not have to spend a dime to have a great day here. Some of my favorite spots are free.

Centennial Park and the Parthenon grounds are perfect for a walk, a picnic, or just killing an afternoon.

The John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge gives you the best free view of the downtown skyline, day or night. Bring a camera.

The Music City Walk of Fame downtown is a quick, free stroll past the names that built this city's sound.

Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park has a 200 foot granite map of Tennessee and a wall of state history worth reading.

Parking is the one thing that is not free, and it trips everyone up. I wrote up the local trick for it here: Local's Secret to Free Parking in Downtown Nashville.

Want to see what Broadway looks like right now before you head down? There are live cameras pointed right at it. I rounded up the best live streams of Broadway in Nashville so you can check the crowd and the weather before you go.

Things to Do in Nashville with Kids

Nashville is a better family town than people give it credit for.

The Adventure Science Center is hands on, high energy, and has a planetarium. Easy half day with kids.

The Nashville Zoo at Grassmere is one of the best midsize zoos in the South, with a huge unfenced playground the kids will not want to leave.

Cheekwood is an estate, botanical garden, and art museum rolled into one. Beautiful any season and especially at the holidays.

Centennial Park again, because the Parthenon looks like a castle to a seven year old and there is plenty of room to run.

a close up of a flamingo near a body of water

Things to Do in Nashville at Night

Once the sun goes down, the city changes character.

Lower Broadway lights up and the music spills into the street. Walk it at least once after dark.

Rooftop bars are a Nashville specialty. You will find skyline views all over downtown and The Gulch. Go for the view, stay for a drink.

Ghost tours are how I would spend a night here, and not just because we run one. Nashville has a genuinely dark and interesting past, and it hits different after dark. Ours is the highest rated in the city: Nashville Ghost Tour.

The Bluebird Cafe for a late songwriter round is a quieter, more memorable way to end a night.

Downtown Nashville

Downtown is where most visitors spend the bulk of their trip, so here is the honest lay of the land. Lower Broadway is the neon strip of honky tonks, and it is a spectacle worth seeing even if it is not your scene. Just north and east you have the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Johnny Cash Museum, and the National Museum of African American Music, all within a few blocks of each other. The riverfront and the pedestrian bridge are right there when you need a break from the noise. Downtown is very walkable, which is the good news. The bad news is parking, so read the parking guide above before you drive in. If you would rather let someone else handle the logistics and just tell you the stories, that is the whole point of our downtown walking tours.

Nashville Neighborhoods Worth Your Time

Get off Broadway for at least half a day. The neighborhoods are where the city actually lives.

The Gulch is walkable, modern, and home to the famous "What Lifts You" angel wings mural. It is one of the most photographed spots in the city.

East Nashville is the creative, funky side of the river. Great restaurants, dive bars, and vintage shops around the Five Points area.

Germantown is the historic district turned foodie destination, with some of the best restaurants in town and the Nashville Farmers Market right next door.

Music Row is where the record labels and studios sit, including the legendary RCA Studio B where Elvis recorded.

12South is a trendy strip of shops, coffee, and the "I Believe in Nashville" mural that ends up on half the postcards.

Broadway you already know, but it counts as its own neighborhood by now.

Speaking of murals, Nashville has become a full on street art city, and photographing them is a trip highlight for a lot of people. We turned that into its own experience: the Nashville Mural Photo Tour.

Nashville What Lifts You Angel Wings Mural

Your First Time in Nashville: What to Do in One, Two, or Three Days

One day. Start with breakfast at Biscuit Love in The Gulch, grab a photo at the angel wings, then head downtown. Walk Lower Broadway, duck into Robert's Western World for a song, and tour the Ryman. Hot chicken for dinner, then the pedestrian bridge at sunset for the skyline.

Two days. Add the Country Music Hall of Fame in the morning and a proper walking tour of downtown so the history actually clicks. Spend the afternoon in a neighborhood, East Nashville or 12South, and end with a ghost tour after dark.

Three days. Use day three to get out of town. Drive down to Franklin for the morning, walk Main Street, and dig into the Civil War history. Come back for a distillery tour and one more night of live music. If you have a fourth or fifth day, that is when Chattanooga or Lynchburg becomes worth the drive.

FAQS

How many days do you need in Nashville?

Two full days covers the highlights. Three lets you add a neighborhood and a day trip without rushing. If you are into music and history, you could easily fill four or five.

What is the best time of year to visit Nashville?

Spring, from April to early June, and fall, from September to early November, are the sweet spots for weather and events. Summer is hot and busy, and the holidays are beautiful if you do not mind the cold.

Is downtown Nashville walkable?

Yes. Downtown and the areas around Broadway are very walkable, and most of the big attractions sit within a few blocks of each other. The catch is parking, so read our parking guide before you drive in.

What is there to do in Nashville besides Broadway?

Plenty. Tour the Hermitage or the Parthenon, spend an afternoon in East Nashville or 12South, take a day trip to Franklin, catch bluegrass at the Station Inn, or photograph the murals across the city. Broadway is one street. The rest of Nashville is where locals actually spend their time.