By Nicholas Katers
Nashville is a major Southern city with a rich and colorful history.
earned the nickname Music City by spawning country, blues and rock musicians in the 20th century. The city features parks, museums and venues designed to extend tourist interest beyond Nashville's music pedigree. Nashville competes with Charleston,
Atlanta and
New Orleans to attract tourists interested in learning more about the South's rich culture. Every traveler heading to Nashville should learn local and regional history to appreciate the city's development in the 21st century.
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
Inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame like Glenn Campbell and Waylon Jennings are listed along the ceiling of the Hall of Fame Rotunda. This Nashville attraction also features an exploration of country music going back to the 19th century in its Sing Me Back Home exhibit. Visitors to the Country Music Hall of Fame tour the Historic RCA Studio B where Elvis Presley and the Everly Brothers recorded. The museum shop features T-shirts, records and postcards honoring country music greats.
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
222 Fifth Ave. S.
Nashville, TN 37203
615-416-2001
countrymusichalloffame.com
Belmont Mansion
The Belmont Mansion was built as a home for Joseph Acklen and Adelicia Hays Franklin Acklen in 1849. The mansion now serves as a museum of Southern history and a venue for special events. The 19,000-square-foot mansion features 36 rooms, four marble statues and extensive gardens. Visitors to the mansion can see the property's former zoo, conservatory and aviary as part of the standard tour. The mansion is open from late morning through midafternoon daily.
Belmont Mansion
1900 Belmont Blvd.
Nashville, TN 37212
615-460-5459
belmontmansion.com
Nashville Zoo at Grassmere
The Nashville Zoo at Grassmere is home to hundreds of animals and a 66,000-square-foot Jungle Gym Playground. The zoo's Wings of the World shows allow visitors to see hawks, eagles and other birds up close. The Nashville Zoo demonstrates its training methods for various species with its Practice Makes Perfect shows. Visitors to the Nashville Zoo learn how alligators, cougars and other species are kept healthy through daily Keeper Talks.
Nashville Zoo at Grassmere
3777 Nolensville Pike
Nashville, TN 37211
615-833-1534
nashvillezoo.org
Tennessee State Museum
The Tennessee State Museum in Nashville is open year-round to tourists from Tuesday through Sunday. The Frontier exhibit at the Tennessee State Museum celebrates the state's colonial history with artifacts like a British sword from the Battle of King's Mountain. The Civil War & Reconstruction exhibit features General P.G.T. Beauregard's map from the Battle of Shiloh to highlight the state's role in the Civil War. Visitors can tour the Tennessee State Capitol and the Military Branch Museum adjacent to the Tennessee State Museum.
Tennessee State Museum
505 Deaderick St.
Nashville, TN 37243
615-741-2692
tnmuseum.org
Resources
About the Author:
Nicholas Katers has been a freelance writer since 2006. He teaches American history at Carroll University in Waukesha, Wis. His past works include articles for "CCN Magazine," "The History Teacher" and "The Internationalist" magazine. Katers holds a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in American history from University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, respectively.
Photo Credits:
nashville image by cherie from
Fotolia.com
