Exploring Nashville, TN
Note: This post has been updated on February 5, 2024
Time needed in this town/city: A weekend (2 nights)
Nashville has long been a place of country music stars and good ol’ southern charm. Though, these days, it’s become notorious for Bachelorette parties, birthdays, and other events that have changed the culture, somewhat. Despite that, it still merits exploration.
The below information is a complete guide of the best places to stay, the top rated places to dine and drink, and all there is to see and do. We’ve also included a summary of the history of this city!
Jump To:
Where to Stay
Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center
Hands down, this is my favorite Gaylord to stay at. Outside of the city, but close enough that it’s a short ride, there are so many things to see and do in the resort itself (not to mention it’s across the parking lot from the Gran Ole’ Opry)!
Check out some of the things to see and do there:
Riverboat Ride
The Riverboat ride takes you through 4.5 acres of river to give you an incredible tour of what feels like an indoor city. It's a MUST-DO.
Wandering Around the Property
While you can wander the indoor atrium at any time, I found nighttime to be the best time to experience it. It’s like a magical oasis in any direction, including hidden waterfalls, streams, ponds, etc.
Other Places to Stay
The Hermitage Hotel (note, the men’s restroom has been consistently named “Restroom of the Year” for its design)
Where to Dine & Drink
5th & Taylor
Refined American fare served in lofty, rustic-industrial surrounds with a tree-lined patio.
Attaboy (Speakeasy)
Innovative, creative cocktails & classic concoctions mixed up in a trendy industrial-style space.
Bar Sovreign
At this intimate, late-night SoBro gastropub and craft cocktail bar, the small plates, cocktails, beer, and artwork are all in constant rotation. They also have a secret ramen bar located in the back.
Bastion
Creative cocktails, draft beer & wine offered in warehouse-style digs with trendy, restored decor.
Cafe Roze
Hip, all-day cafe for elevated American classics, plus coffee & drinks in airy surroundings.
Culture + Co.
While London is home to the first cheese conveyor-belt eatery (Pick & Cheese in Covent Garden), Culture and Co. is the first stateside version. Opened in 2020 by a mother-and-daughter duo, diners sit on stools at a counter, while two conveyor belts carry plates of cheese and other snacks back and forth.
Each plate is composed like a tiny charcuterie board, with an extra item or two that compliments the cheese. A plate of hot-honey goat cheese, for example, comes with a ramekin of smoked honey and pickles as a palate cleanser. A serving of salami, on the other hand, might arrive with a dab of fennel honey butter. There is even vegan cheese and charcuterie available, with options like seitan salami and milk-free gouda.
Dino’s
Dolly Parton presides over the disco ball-bedecked interior of East Nashville’s oldest dive bar and is everywhere, between the graffiti-plastered walls and under the strings of Christmas tree lights. One especially large cardboard cutout, a gift from local artist, Brett Douglas Hunter, has been repeatedly stolen and returned with great drama to the bar.
In 2015, Nashville restaurant duo, Miranda Whitcomb Pontes and Alex Wendkos, stepped in to run the place and from what it’s rumored, the cheeseburger is as good as when Anthony Bourdain lauded it.
FOOD TIP: Order yours “Animal Style,” with plenty of mustard, pickles, sauce, and onions, plus a fried egg or bacon.
WHEN TO GET THERE: Dino’s is noted for its East Nashville industry types getting off their shifts until 3 a.m., seven nights a week. OR during the day, stop by Dolly’s Lemonade Stand - a giant lemon, crowned by a sculptural rendition Dolly that serves as a satellite bar Thursday through Saturday.
FUN FACT: In 2022, not long after her namesake lemonade stand opened, Parton herself swung by. She left a signed photograph that says, “Dino’s, I will always love you. Love, Dolly.”
etch
Open-kitchen setting for eclectic, upscale dining, plus a rich cocktail & wine list.
Hidden Bar at Noelle (speakeasy)
Tucked inside Noelle is one of Nashville’s top speakeasies. You'll find the entrance in the back of Makeready Libations & Liberation. Make your way to the two-way mirrors at the end of the hall and turn left. A trip through the Storage Closet will get you where you want to go. Bring an open mind and an active imagination – when in doubt, look for the red light.
Five Daughters Bakery | 12 South
Airy, counter-serve family bakery known for its 100-layer donuts & classic pastries.
TIP: The 12South store might be the most picturesque. Once you’ve acquired a donut or two, you can take an Instagram-worthy photo in front of the iconic “I Heart Donuts” mural.
Gannons
They offer a wide variety of dishes, including fresh oysters and highly curated cocktails designed by their experienced team of mixologists.
Green Hour Cocktail and Absinthe Lounge (Speakeasy)
Take a step back into the Belle Époque era of Paris, France when poets, artists, and dreamers consumed this elusive libation in hopes of meeting “La Fee Verte” (the green fairy). Located in Germantown, the Green Hour Cocktail & Absinthe Lounge signature cocktails and traditional absinthe drips are only served when the green light in the window is lit, during The Green Hour.
Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse
Stylish, upscale steakhouse offering handcrafted steaks & seafood fare, plus cocktails, wine & beer.
Kayne Prime Steakhouse
Upscale dishes in a neutral-toned space with a bar backed by picture windows & city skyline views.
Lockeland Table
Rustic, rehabbed storefront setting for Southern-accented American grub & wood-fired pizzas.
Margot Cafe and Bar
Warm, comfortable bistro serving a rotating menu of creative, seasonal French & Italian fare.
Monell’s
All-you-can-eat Southern fare, including fried chicken, served family-style in historic surrounds.
Old Glory (Speakeasy)
Subterranean bar offers elevated cocktails served in a historic boiler room with iron & concrete.
Once Upon A Time In France
Steak frites, escargot & other classic French fare in an unfussy, Parisian-style bistro & bar.
One More | Cocktail Club (Speakeasy)
Per their description, “The perfect hidden destination to start or end your night. We invite you to experience exclusive culinary cocktails and explore our curated wine list.”
Pinewood social
Trendy hangout featuring New American cuisine, cocktails, and bowling in an industrial-chic space with a pool and patio. The six lanes made of reclaimed wood are open seven days a week, and ball and shoe rentals are included.
Pullman Standard
Pullman Standard is a cocktail lounge in an iconic Nashville building, located in The Gulch, focused on top-shelf liquor and wine, inventive craft cocktails, and creative small plates. The concept is inspired by the renowned dining and “sleeper” train cars that originated in the 1860s and reached their heyday in the Roaring ’20s.
Redheaded Stranger
An iconic place serving cocktails & Southwestern fast food, dished up in a bright, quirky eatery with patio seating.
FUN FACT: They throw traditional hatch chile roasts in the restaurant’s parking lot. Hatch chiles are an integral part of New Mexican cuisine, seldom seen. Each year, locals, from Albuquerque to Santa Fe, celebrate this highly seasonal delicacy by roasting more than 150 million pounds of hatch chiles in steel drums.
FOOD TIP: Order the Crunchwrap
Robert’s Western World
Live country bands, cold beer & fried bologna sandwiches draw fans to this prototypical honky-tonk.
Rolf & Daughters
Industrial-chic restaurant with clever New American dishes, communal tables & inventive cocktails.
Skull’s Rainbow Room
Circa 1948, speakeasy-style lounge offering elevated American fare, craft drinks, and nightly burlesque.
The Catbird Seat
Buzzy, upscale new American mecca serving a changing tasting menu in a U-shaped open kitchen.
The Hampton Social
Breezy hangout serving seafood & beach-themed cocktails in stylish, nautical surroundings.
The Optimist
Cool, brick-lined eatery for oysters, seafood & meat plates, plus cocktails & a robust wine list.
The Patterson House
Upscale bar serving craft cocktails mixed with care in a cozy, mellow setting.
The Standard
Set in an elegantly appointed 1843 home, this upscale restaurant serves sophisticated Southern fare.
White Limozeen
Designed by Dolly Parton, this stylish, all-pink venue, on the roof of the Graduate Hotel, serves global bites, seafood & cocktails.
Things to See & Do
Historical Exploration
Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage
The Hermitage is a historical museum located in Davidson County, 10 miles east of downtown Nashville. The 1,000-acre site was owned by Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States, from 1804 until his death at the Hermitage in 1845. It also serves as his final resting place. Jackson lived at the property, intermittently, until he retired from public life in 1837.
Enslaved men, women, and children, numbering nine at the plantation's purchase in 1804 and 110 at Jackson's death, worked at the Hermitage and were principally involved in growing cotton, its major cash crop. It is a National Historic Landmark.
Belle Meade Plantation & Winery
Belle Meade Historic Site and Winery is a historic house that is now operated as an attraction, museum, winery, and onsite restaurant, together with outbuildings, on its 30 acres of property. In the mid 19th century, the plantation encompassed roughly 5,400 acres with over a hundred enslaved persons.
Preserved original outbuildings, including the original Harding Cabin, where Belle Meade began, a dairy and a gardener's house, a carriage and stable house, built in 1892, one of the largest smokehouses in Tennessee, and a mausoleum may also be seen.
Belmont Mansion
Belmont Mansion (Acklen Hall), originally known as Belle Monte, Belle Mont ,or Belmont, is a historic mansion located in Nashville. It was built by Joseph and Adelicia Acklen to serve as the center of their 180-acre summer estate in what was then countryside outside the city, and featured elaborate gardens and a zoo. They lived much of the rest of the year on her plantations in Louisiana.
The estate was sold in the late 19th century and since 1890, has been used for educational functions. It was first used as a girls academy, then as the first building of what became Belmont College, and now, Belmont University. Today, it operates as a museum. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.
Cheekwood Estate and Gardens
Christopher Cheek founded a wholesale grocery business in Nashville in the 1880s. His son, Leslie Cheek, joined him as a partner and by 1915, was president of the family-owned company. Leslie's wife, Mabel Wood, was a member of a prominent Clarksville, Tennessee family. Meanwhile, Joel Owsley Cheek, Leslie's cousin, had developed an acclaimed blend of coffee that was marketed through Nashville's finest hotel, the Maxwell House Hotel. Cheek's extended family, including Leslie and Mabel Cheek, were investors. In 1928, the Postum Cereals Company (now General Foods) purchased Maxwell House's parent company, Cheek-Neal Coffee, for more than $40 million.
After the sale of the family business, Leslie Cheek bought 100 acres of woodland in West Nashville for a country estate. He hired New York residential and landscape architect, Bryant Fleming, to design the house and gardens, and gave him full control over every detail of the project, including interior furnishings. The resulting limestone mansion and extensive formal gardens were completed in 1932. The estate design was inspired by the grand English manors of the 18th century.
Leslie Cheek died just two years after moving into the mansion. Mabel Cheek and their daughter, Huldah Cheek Sharp, lived at Cheekwood until the 1950s, when Huldah Sharp and her husband offered the property as a site for a botanical garden and art museum. The Exchange Club of Nashville, the Horticultural Society of Middle Tennessee, and other civic groups led the redevelopment of the property, aided by funds raised from the sale of the former building of the defunct Nashville Museum of Art. The new Cheekwood museum opened in 1960.
Hillsboro Village
Through the 19th century, the neighborhood now known as “Hillsboro-Belmont “ was then part of a single estate containing the Belmont Mansion. Much of the land between Hillsboro Pike and Granny White Pike was farmland during this time. Hillsboro Village began to take shape in 1920, when two groceries and a pharmacy opened alongside the trolley line that ran down Hillsboro Road (21st Avenue). Residential houses were primarily built between 1910 and 1940.
The center of Hillsboro Village is located along Hillsboro Road, a major thoroughfare dating from before the Civil War. It is now a shopping and entertainment district that includes street art, independent establishments, such as Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, Impeccable Pig, and Rebecca James Clothing here, as well as a non-profit theatre.
The heart of Hillsboro Village is home to the Acklen Avenue Post Office, noted for its wall of autographed photos of country music stars. It is also home to local musicians Ben Folds and Mat Kearney. It’s also adjacent to Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and close to Belmont University, and Music Row.
It is located 3 miles west of downtown.
Marathon Village
Per their description, “Marathon Village is a neighborhood born out of the buildings that once housed Marathon Motor Works (1910-1914), which had started in Jackson, Tennessee in 1907. It was the first factory to totally manufacture automobiles in the southern United States and the only one to do so until General Motors made the Saturn in 1990.
Beginning with the purchase of his first building here in 1986, owner Barry Walker has supported a thriving creative community and made a center for commercial, performing, and visual arts. He designed a plan to preserve the historical and architectural significance of each space while creating a space for artists and other vendors alike.
The Arts & Sciences
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is one of the world's largest museums and research centers dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American vernacular music. Chartered in 1964, the museum has amassed one of the world's most extensive musical collections.
FRist Art Museum
The museum is housed in a white marble building that was built in the 1930s (for $1.5 million) to serve as Nashville's main post office. By the 1980s, downtown was no longer a good location for postal distribution. When a new main post office was built near the airport in 1986, the historic old facility became a downtown branch using only a small portion of one floor.
In the early 1990s Thomas F. Frist, Jr., and his family, through the charitable Frist Foundation, identified the post office building as a good location for a proposed downtown art museum. The Foundation implemented a public-private venture between the foundation, the U.S. Postal Service, and the city of Nashville. In 1999, the City of Nashville acquired the building from the U.S. Postal Service for the purpose of creating the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, paying $4.4 million. The city contributed $15 million toward renovating the building, and the Frist Foundation and Frist family contributed $25 million for the renovation and to start an endowment for the art museum. The city owns the building, but granted the Frist a 99-year lease for $1 per year. A renovated post office branch was opened in the basement in 1999.
The art center opened in April 2001 with approximately 24,000 square feet of gallery space presenting visual art from local, state and regional artists, as well as major U.S. and international exhibitions.
The post office branch remains open and has its own separate entrance on the western end of the building.
Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly live country music radio broadcast held at the Opry House. It was founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay, as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment, it is the longest-running radio broadcast in U.S. history.
In the 1930s, the show began hiring professionals and expanded to four hours. Broadcasting at 50,000 watts, WSM made the program a Saturday night musical tradition in nearly 30 states. In 1939, it debuted, nationally, on NBC Radio.
The Opry moved to its most famous former home, the Ryman Auditorium, in 1943. As it developed in importance, so did the city of Nashville, which became America's "country music capital."
Since 1974, the show has been broadcast from the Grand Ole Opry House, east of downtown Nashville, with an annual three-month winter foray back to the Ryman from 1999 to 2020, and again for shorter winter residencies, beginning in 2023. In addition to the radio programs, performances have been sporadically televised over the years.
Dedicated to honoring country music and its history, the Opry showcases a mix of famous singers and contemporary chart-toppers performing country, bluegrass, Americana, folk, and gospel music, as well as comedic performances and skits. It attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world and millions of radio and internet listeners.
Even if you don't like country music, it is the coolest experience to witness history being made on any given night. Every show guarantees one major surprise performance (Dolly Parton, Trisha Yearwood, Carrie Underwood and more have taken the stage). And, little known fact, it still broadcasts live on its own radio station today (located in the Gaylord's Magnolia wing).
TIP: There are different packages you can buy, depending on how big of an experience you want. Use the direct links below to purchase the right package for you:
Johnny Cash Museum
This red-brick museum displays pictures & memorabilia from the life of music icon Johnny Cash.
Nashville Recording Studio Experience
Nashville is known as 'Music City', and the home of country music—which makes it the ideal place to visit a professional recording studio. No need to worry if your music knowledge is limited—there are over 20,000 backing tracks to choose from, so you can sing along to your favorite songs with a sound engineer to help you. During the recording session, family and friends can watch your performance through a window—making it a fun and entertaining experience for all.
Nashville Songwriter experience
The artist’s passion for songwriting and their ability to connect with others through music is what makes this experience unique. You don't need any musical talent or vocal ability to work with them. Of course, if you do have those skills, it's definitely a plus!
Their focus is on creating music that is authentic and vulnerable regardless of your musical background. Whether you come to them with a blank canvas or with ideas already in mind for what you want to write, they are always excited to embark on the songwriting journey with you. Together, you can create something truly special.
Looking for top talent to work with? Click here to book with Nashville’s #1 songwriter!
RCA Studio B
RCA Studio B was a music recording studio, built in 1956, by RCA Victor. Originally known simply as, "RCA Studios," Studio B, along with the larger and later RCA Studio A, became known in the 1960s for being an essential factor to the development of the musical production style and sound engineering technique known as the ” Nashville Sound”. In the two decades the studio was in operation, RCA Studio B produced 60 percent of the Billboard magazine's Country chart hits. The studio closed in 1977.
The studio is located centrally in the Nashville's historic Music Row district. Since 1992, the studio has been under the ownership of the Country Music Hall of Fame, which offers scheduled tours of the facilities.
Ryman Alley
Walking from the gates of the Ryman Auditorium to the back door of Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge is, for country music fans, iconic.
From Willie Nelson, to Patsy Cline, Chet Atkins, and Hank Williams, this alley has seen the footsteps of some of the most famous country music stars in the world. In fact, Nelson immortalized the alley in a song line “seventeen steps to Tootsies and thirty-four back”.
Fun fact: During the 1950s, two young boys would perform to Opry stars passing by, in hopes of catching their attention. Night after night, they played the alley, hoping for a break, which finally came when Chet Atkins happened to pass by and offered the boys a chance to perform with him on stage at the Opry that night. They went on to achieve stardom of their own as the Everly Brothers.
If you pass through the alley, you can follow a set of footprints have been inlaid on the ground.
Unique Experiences
Butler’s Run
In 1990, the owners of what is now known as “Butler’s Run” were looking for a pet and found a puppy at the local Nashville Humane Society. They named the black Labrador retriever and a springer spaniel mix, “Butler”.
When they brought him to their building on 2nd Street, he quickly learned to love making his rounds about the downtown scene. He would get snacks from local restaurants and visit shops and people along his travels. He also left his footprints in the concrete near the building, leaving his indelible mark on the town. When Butler passed away in the fall of 1999, a statue was erected in his honor, near his preserved footprints and the alley, leading to the river, was named for him.
Hatch Show Print
Per their description, “Hatch Show Print, a working letterpress print shop, since 1879, uses its vast collection of vintage type and hand-carved imagery to create timeless designs that express and commemorate America's evolving cultural identity.” To take the tour, click here,
Hidden Heart of Music Row
Starstruck Entertainment is one of the many iconic record labels on Nashville’s Music Row, founded in 1988 by Reba McEntire and her then-husband, Narvel Blackstock. The company is known for having world-class recording studios and a focus on artist management and writer development, and the building itself features a unique design (not to mention a rooftop helipad).
Hidden in the southern wall around the building is a single heart - a tribute to love and creativity.
Jack Daniel's Distillery Bus Tour & Whiskey Tastings
Explore the historic Jack Daniel's Distillery on this guided tour from Nashville. Embark on a tasting tour of the distillery and sample several tastings of premium Tennessee whiskey. You also have free time to walk through the nearby town, famous for their Tennessee Walking Horse, and downtown Lynchburg.
TIP: If you want lunch included in your day, click here. If you want to do the tour only but also see the longest bar in the world, click here.
Lane Motor Museum
Established in October 2002, by Jeff and Susan Lane, beginning with his personal collection of 70 vehicles in Nashville's former American Bread Company (1951-1994), the collection currently includes art, memorabilia, and over 500 vehicles, with 150 cars displayed on any given day. The museum features European cars of unusual design, propeller-driven vehicles, microcars, three-wheeled cars, amphibious vehicles, alternative fuel vehicles, military vehicles, competition cars, one-off vehicles, and prototypes.
Since 2010, the museum has hosted an annual fundraiser where donors can drive a museum car on a nearby rural route.
Madame Tussaud’s
Immerse yourself in America’s musical history at Madame Tussauds Nashville. Conveniently located steps from the Grand Old Opry, this attraction celebrates legendary music icons in Music City. Purchasing your admission ticket in advance allows you to breeze past lines and head straight in to the exhibits, which feature lifelike wax figures of 60 musical artists, from Johnny Cash to Bruno Mars and Beyonce.
Nashville to Memphis Daytrip with Graceland VIP Tour and Sun Studio Admission
Located on the Mighty Mississippi River, Memphis is the birthplace of Rock ‘n’ Roll, the capital of Blues and home to some of the best barbecue you can put in your mouth. Explore Memphis, with VIP access to Graceland, during this 15-hour day trip from Nashville. See the home of Elvis Presley, aka the King, and take a guided 1-hour tour of Sun Studios.
Olive & Sinclair
Located in a 19th-century building, Olive and Sinclair is the city’s premier chocolate maker. They pride themselves on being Tennessee’s first “bean-to-bar” chocolate company, roasting and grinding the cacao and making their unique small batch flavors.
Parthenon
The Parthenon, in Centennial Park, is a full-scale replica of the original Parthenon in Athens, Greece. It was designed by architect William Crawford Smith and built in 1897 as part of the Tennessee Centennial Exposition. Today, the Parthenon, which functions as an art museum, stands as the centerpiece of Centennial Park - a large public park just west of downtown Nashville.
Alan LeQuire's 1990 re-creation of the Athena Parthenos statue is the focus of the Parthenon, just as it was in ancient Greece. Since the building is complete and its decorations were polychromed (painted in colors) as close to the presumed original as possible, this replica serves as a monument to what is considered the pinnacle of classical architecture. The plaster replicas of the Parthenon Marbles, found in the Treasury Room, are direct casts of the original sculptures, which adorned the pediments of the Athenian Parthenon, dating to 438 BC. The surviving originals are housed in the British Museum in London and at the Acropolis Museum in Athens.
Peace Sign Geoglyph
In the southeast corner of the Nashville International Airport is a 400-foot-wide peace sign, created on a whim, by an airport groundskeeper who has cropped around it for over 14 years. It’s also now frequently used as a landmark for air traffic controllers to designate as a holding area for military helicopters.
The only way to view it is in the air.
Printer’s Alley
At the beginning of the 20th century, Printer's Alley was home to a thriving publishing industry, including two large newspapers, 10 print shops, and 13 publishers.
When Printer's Alley first became a nightclub and entertainment district, sale of liquor for on premise consumption was illegal in Nashville. Restaurants and clubs in the alley served liquor anyway, often claiming it had been "brown bagged" (brought in by customers). Law enforcement agencies normally looked the other way when such sales occurred. Liquor sales in restaurants were finally legalized in 1968.
One famous Printer's Alley club was Jimmy Hyde's Carousel Club, a jazz venue frequented by many Nashville musicians that would jam together after their sessions were done, including Chet Atkins, Floyd Cramer, Boots Randolph, Bob Moore, Brenton Banks, Buddy Harman and Hank Garland. Later, it wasRandolph purchased the Carousel.
In 1998, murder came to the Alley when longtime club proprietor, David "Skull" Schulman, was murdered by a robber shortly before his club was due to open.
Paul McCartney mentioned Printer's Alley in his song "Sally G.", released as the B side of Paul McCartney & Wings 1974 single, "Junior's farm".
Tee Line
Ever wanted to try your hand at curling? Check out Nashville’s first curling venue. This fun space has classes where you can learn to curl, bowling lanes, and lots of food and drink.
A History Summary
1689 - French-Canadian trader, Martin Chartier, established a trading post on the Cumberland River, near the present-day site of the city.
1714 - A group of French traders, under the command of Charles Charleville, established a settlement and trading post at the present location of downtown Nashville, which became known as “French Lick”. These settlers quickly established an extensive fur trading network with the local Native Americans.
1740s - The aforementioned settlement had largely been abandoned.
1779 - Explorers James Robertson and John Donelson led a party of Overmountain Men to the site of French Lick and constructed Fort Nashborough (it was named for Francis Nash, the American Revolutionary War hero).
1800 - The city had 345 residents, including 136 enslaved African Americans and 14 free African Americans.
1806 - Nashville was incorporated as a city and became the county seat of Davidson County, Tennessee.
1843 - The city was named as the permanent capital of the state of Tennessee.
1849 - 1850 - The cholera epidemic struck Nashville and took the life of former U.S. President James K. Polk, one of 637 fatalities.
1860s - Before the Civil War, about 700 free Blacks lived in small enclaves in northern Nashville. More than 3,200 enslaved African Americans lived in the city. By 1860, when the first rumblings of secession began to be heard across the South, antebellum Nashville was a prosperous city.
1862 - In February 1862, Nashville became the first Confederate state capital to fall to U.S. troops. It was then occupied by the U.S. Army for the duration of the war.
1864 - The Battle of Nashville (December 15–16, 1864) was a significant Union victory and perhaps, the most decisive tactical victory gained by either side in the war.
1873 - Nashville suffered another cholera epidemic, along with towns throughout Sumner County, along railroad routes, as well as the Cumberland River. The epidemic is estimated to have killed around 1,000 people in Nashville,
Late 19th century - The post–Civil War years of the late 19th century brought new prosperity to Nashville and Davidson County. Wealthy planters and businessmen built grand, classical-style buildings. A replica of the Parthenon was constructed in Centennial Park, near downtown.
1894 - The first chapter of United Daughters of the Confederacy was founded in the city, and it hosted the first two conventions of the organization.
1912 - In 1912, the Tennessee Agricultural and Industrial and Normal School was moved to Jefferson Street.
1945 - The first Prince's Hot Chicken Shack originated at the corner of Jefferson Street and 28th Avenue. Jefferson Street also became a destination for jazz and blues musicians, and remained so until the federal government split the area by construction of Interstate 40 in the late 1960s.
1970s - 1990s - Since the 1970s, the city and county have undergone tremendous growth, particularly during the economic boom of the 1990s under the leadership of then-Mayor and later-Tennessee Governor, Phil Bredesen. Making urban renewal a priority, Bredesen fostered the construction or renovation of several city landmarks, including the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, the downtown Nashville Public Library, the Bridgestone Arena, and Nissan Stadium.
1995 - 1999 - Nissan Stadium was built after the NFL’s Houston Oilers agreed to move to the city in 1995. The NFL team debuted in Nashville in 1998 at Vanderbilt Stadium, and Nissan Stadium opened in the summer of 1999. The Oilers changed their name to the Tennessee Titans. In 1997, the NHL team “Nashville Predators” debuted.
2010 - Between May 1 and 7, 2010, much of Nashville was extensively flooded as part of a series of 1,000 year floods throughout Middle and West Tennessee. Much of the flooding took place in areas along the Cumberland and Harpeth Rivers and Mill Creek, and caused extensive damage to the many buildings and structures in the city, including the Grand Ole Opry House, Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, Opry Mills Mall, Schermerhorn Symphony Center, Bridgestone Arena, and Nissan Stadium. Sections of Interstate 24 and Briley Parkway were also flooded. Eleven people died in the Nashville area as a result of the flooding, and damages were estimated to be over $2 billion.
2017 - Nashville's economy was deemed the third fastest-growing in the nation, and the city was named the "hottest housing market in the US" by Freddie Mac realtors. However, it also made headlines for leading in the nation’s homeless and opioid crises.
2018 - Today - While the city continues to face high crime, natural disasters, and other impactful situations, it continues to grow both in population and economically.
