Tennessee
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Tennessee - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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1. Belcourt Theatre
Hillsboro VillageThe Belcourt Theatre is Nashville's only independent movie theater, first established in 1925 as the Hillsboro Theater. Reopened after extensive renovations in 2016, the newly updated and expanded Belcourt plays host to new films, old classics, special events, speakers, concerts, and more. The Belcourt has all kinds of snacks and drinks (including alcoholic beverages) available, so come hungry.
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2. Dolly Parton's Stampede
This is dinner theater on steroids—you (and several thousand other people) get to eat a finger-lickin' good (silverware is optional) four-course meal while animals kick up the dust on the arena floor to the accompaniment of dramatic music, lighting, and pyrotechnics. The pace is quick, and the service is quicker. In a sequence timed as tight as a traffic signal on a four-lane highway, you'll watch rodeo clowns picking on cute girls in the audience, kids chasing chickens running in all different directions, knights jousting on horseback, and a chorus of costumed singers belting out rousing patriotic songs. Vegetarian and gluten-free meals are available by advance request.
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3. Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage
Each year in mid-to-late April, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Great Smoky Mountains Association host the Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage. It attracts wildflower enthusiasts from all over the country for five days of wildflower and natural-history walks, seminars, classes, photography tours, and other events. Instructors include National Park Service staff, along with outside experts. Most of the activities are at various locations in the park, both on the North Carolina and Tennessee sides, but registration is in Gatlinburg at the W. L. Mills Conference Center adjoining the Gatlinburg Convention Center. Begun in 1951, the pilgrimage has grown to more than 150 different walks, classes, and events. Advance registration online begins in February of the year of the conference, and some events quickly sell out. Check the website for current details and dates.
303 Reagan Dr., Gatlinburg, Tennessee, 37882, USA865-436–7318-Great Smoky Mountains AssociationArts/Entertainment Details
Rate Includes: Registration fee $75 for 1 day, $100 for 2 or more days; some events free -
4. The 5 Spot
East NashvilleFive Points favorite the 5 Spot is a great place to grab a quick drink and an even better spot to catch a show or cut a rug. The venue/bar hosts a bevy of local musical talent as well as a number of weekly dance nights, including the wildly popular Motown Mondays, which features, you guessed it, a danceable selection of soul and R&B classics. Keep an eye out for Two Dollar Tuesdays, too, a regular concert series hosted by local musician Derek Hoke.
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5. The Bluebird Cafe
Hillsboro VillageYou can't get the full Nashville experience without a visit to the Bluebird Cafe, one of the city's most famous music venues. Catch a show on any given night and you're bound to see some of the world's best songwriters performing new and old material in a truly intimate setting. Be mindful of the Bluebird's admission policy, and do your research before you visit.
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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6. CMA Music Festival
In the second week of June, the CMA Music Festival hosts big-name country music stars at Nissan Stadium, Riverfront Park, and Bridgestone Arena. Over the long weekend lower Broadway also hosts many free concerts.
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7. Darkhorse Theater
Sylvan Park | TheaterDarkhorse Theater is Nashville’s answer to independent, alternative theater. Housed in a former church, it's comprised of resident companies who share the performance space, with varied productions ranging from Shakespeare to the work of local playwrights, to politically driven shows.
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8. Fall Heritage Festival and Old Timers' Day at Cades Cove
Visitors are invited to bring lawn chairs and a picnic along to Old Timers' Day at Cades Cove. Held in late September at the Cable Mill area of Cades Cove, Old Timers' Day allows former residents of Cades Cove and their descendants, along with the general public, to reminisce about the old days in the valley. The Cades Cove event is now part of a two-day Fall Heritage Festival at the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center in Townsend, just outside the park. At Townsend you can enjoy bluegrass music, clogging and square dancing, arts and crafts demonstrations, and mountain food. Both events are free, though there's a park fee at Townsend.
7906 E. Lamar Alexander Pkwy., Townsend, Tennessee, 37882, USA865-436–1200-park information lineArts/Entertainment Details
Rate Includes: Old Timers\' Day free, Fall Heritage Festival free but $10 parking fee -
9. Full Moon Cineplex
HermitageHorror, beer, and popcorn all under one roof—what more could you want? Full Moon Cineplex offers dinner and a movie every Friday and Saturday night, with a rotating lineup of classics and cult classics. The lobby is a wall-to-wall spectacle of vintage movie memorabilia: lunchboxes, action figures, movie posters—even a full replica of the house from Beetlejuice. The theater is also home to Lone Wolf Tattoo, so you can view and then permanently commemorate your favorite '80s horror movie all in one stop.
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10. Gallery of Iconic Guitars
Hillsboro VillageGuitars are a dime a dozen in Nashville, but the axes on display at the Gallery of Iconic Guitars on Belmont University's campus are truly one-of-a-kind. From vintage instruments to guitars owned by legendary musicians, the guitars in Belmont's collection live up to their "iconic" name. The gallery sits within the heart of Belmont University, internationally renowned for its various music programs.
1907 Belmont Blvd., Nashville, Tennessee, 37212, USA615-460–6984Arts/Entertainment Details
Rate Includes: $5 -
11. Memphis in May International Festival
Cultural FestivalsThe Memphis in May International Festival salutes the cuisine, crafts, and other cultural offerings of a different country each year over four consecutive weekends. This festival—Memphis's largest—galvanizes the city each year.
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12. Nashville Ballet
DanceLike their neighbors the Nashville Opera, the Nashville Ballet holds performances downtown and at their Sylvan Park location. They frequently hold classes and community events in the space as well.
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13. Nashville Children's Theatre
DowntownPerforming classic shows for children since the 1930s, this theater company touts the title of the oldest continually running children’s theater company. They also host drama workshops.
25 Middleton St., Nashville, Tennessee, 37210, USA615-254–9103-main office -
14. Nashville Jazz Workshop
Germantown | MusicIf jazz is your thing, be sure to check the calendar of the Nashville Jazz Workshop, which offers classes, performances, and various special events throughout the year. There are typically a couple of events taking place each day, with proceeds benefiting the nonprofit Workshop's mission of keeping jazz in Music City.
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15. Nashville Opera
Sylvan Heights | OperaNashville’s Opera company aims to celebrate a lesser-represented genre in Music City, and to make it accessible and interesting to all audience members, including opera newbies. Shows are held at the Noah Liff Opera Center black box theater on multiple weekends each opera season. The company also performs downtown at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center.
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16. Nashville Symphony
DowntownNashville’s Symphony orchestra performs around 140 concerts a year, typically at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, and often collaborates with visiting artists or other members of the Nashville arts community.
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17. Orpheum Theatre
Downtown | TheaterThe Orpheum Theatre is a restored 1920s movie house that hosts touring Broadway shows as well as performances by Opera Memphis and Ballet Memphis.
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18. Oz Arts
West NashvilleThis converted cigar warehouse is now the prime destination for contemporary arts in Nashville. The grounds are dotted with outrageous sculptures, and the hallways are full of display cases with rotating exhibits of envelope-pushing visual art. But, of course, the primary function of Oz Arts is a venue for unique performances. From dance to theater to music to puppetry, nothing appears to be off-limits at Oz. If you crave something more than a tame ballet, let Oz inspire you with their modern lineup of boundary-crossing, discipline-bending art.
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19. Pull-Tight Players Theater
The Pull-Tight Players formed in 1968 and set up shop in their current location in 1985. They produce six main-stage shows each year in their intimate theater on 2nd Avenue, which in years past has been everything from a church to a grocery store. Between the small size of the theater and the popularity of the productions, it’s best to get tickets in advance.
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20. Tennessee Performing Arts Center
DowntownThis multicultural center with elegant concert halls is the home of the Nashville Ballet, Nashville Opera, Tennessee Repertory Theatre, and various touring performers. The center's Andrew Jackson Hall also hosts touring Broadway shows, and the building also houses the Tennessee State Museum.
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