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Nashville Favorites for First-Time Visitors

If you’ve never been to Nashville, you should stop reading this and start planning your trip immediately. Nashville is a big city with a small town feel that’s packed with fun things to do. There’s incredible history, fantastic food, hidden gems, and legendary music! Let’s talk about some Nashville favorites for first-time visitors.

Historic Highlights

Nashville is steeped in history and tradition. For a glimpse of southern living at its historical best, visit the Belmont Mansion, the largest house museum in Tennessee.

Nashville Hermitage

Next, stop at Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage, a jewel of the antebellum south and home of our seventh president. Take a walk through the immaculate grounds and then tour the stately mansion. If you’re 21 or older, you can also visit the Hermitage’s Natchez Hills Winery Tasting Room!

Nashville Parthenon

Backtrack just a bit further in time and check out The Parthenon, a full-sized replica of the Greek original built in 1897 for Tennessee’s Centennial Exposition.

Explore the exquisite Cheekwood Botanical Gardens and Museum for beautiful gardens and galleries. And just outside of Nashville is the Nashville Zoo, a 200-acre zoo and historic plantation farmhouse. So much fun and so much to learn!

Nashville Cheekwood

Best Bites

Start your day with one of Nashville’s best breakfasts at Puckett’s Grocery & Restaurant. Puckett’s is known for its BBQ, but breakfast is a fan favorite. Try one of the loaded skillets or the best fried chicken and apple jack pancakes you’ve ever tasted. It’s a charming little stop with friendly folks who send you on your way happy and full.

Nashville Hot Chicken

Prince’s Hot Chicken is another bucket list bite while you’re in town. For nearly 100 years, Prince’s has been serving up the legendary spicy chicken that has become a southern phenomenon.

And then there are theGoo Goo Clusters, an ooey gooey Nashville tradition since 1912. You can visit the kitchens for Nashville’s official candy and learn how these scrumptious treats are made. Even better, you can design your own Goo Goo at one of the personal kiosks.

Nashville Distillery

Finally, when you’ve had your fill of Nashville’s savory and sweet, head to Ole Smoky’s for a guided distillery tour and moonshine tasting. Then grab a bite, play some corn hole, or watch the game on the giant TV in the outdoor beer garden.

Music City Moments

At its core, however, Nashville IS the Music City! The sights and sounds of country music are the essence and soul of this town. The Ryman Auditorium, known as the Mother Church of Country Music, is a must-see. Take in a show or take a tour and you’ll feel its history in every sound and step.

Visit the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum for a nitty-gritty exploration of the roots of country music. Sidestep over to the Wildhorse Saloon for outstanding grub AND line dancing lessons! Of course, you can’t visit Nashville without a backstage pass to the famed Grand Ole Opry– you never know who you’ll run into!

Take a tour of the Historic RCA Studio B! Walk the iconic halls of the recording studio of Elvis Presley and other music industry giants and spend time in the studio at the legendary microphone with a professional sound engineer. Very cool!

Nashville Honky tonk Highway

And then… there are the honky tonks! You’ll be two-stepping down the Honky Tonk Highway as the lights pop on and the live music starts thumping. This is one experience that is uniquely Nashville at its best!