Nashville, Tennessee: the Hollywood of the South. This is the city that country music made famous, and the influence can still be seen there today.
However, this unique city is more than music. There are plenty of other things to do as well, and one of the best ways to experience it all is a Nashville bus tour.
There are a whole host of great things to see on a bus tour, and the bus itself offers a few advantages as well. We'll talk more about all this in the paragraphs below.
The Country Music Hall of Fame is one of the biggest stars in Nashville's crown. It contains exhibits dedicated to some of country music's biggest legends.
The museum contains countless sets of cowboy boots, as well as one of Elvis' cars, thousands upon thousands of audio recordings, outfits worn by various artists, and more.
A trip through this museum takes you through the history of the country music genre and the people who built it. No Nashville bus tour would be complete without a trip here.
Studio B is part of Nashville's history. Built in 1957, it didn't gain prominence until the following decade.
It was during this time that Studio B began to feature prominent artists, including Elvis Presley. It has also helped popularize some of the biggest innovations in the genre.
Two particular things it's known for are the 'Nashville sound' and the 'Nashville number system.' The Nashville sound started off as a form of sub-genre. It, along with other movements at the time, tried to keep country music relevant by trying to make it sound more like the pop music of the 1950s and 60s.
This meant adding in more varied string music, as well as background singers, often in the form of a chorus, and a style of singing known as crooning.
One of the most popular producers of the Nashville sound was Patsy Cline.
The Nashville number system was a simplified version of writing music that used numbers and colors to note changes in tone and other aspects of music. This made music easier to read and more accessible to those who didn't or couldn't study musical theory.
Nashville's country music history is not the only thing to explore on a bus tour. There are also several tours dedicated to distilleries, breweries, and vineyards.
One of the most noteworthy of these is the Whiskey Tour. Tennessee is well known for its whiskey, and Nashville is home to many whiskey distilleries around Music City.
Nelson's Green Brier Distillery, founded in the 1800s by Charles Nelson is a great place to visit and learn about the rich history of a local Nashville distillery. Many bus tour companies will arrange tours of the facility and even include free samples. We would suggest limiting yourself on those.
Obviously, this is not the original Parthenon, but it's modeled after the real deal. It's even the same size and looks like it did in its hayday. To this end, there are replicas of several statues believed to have been in the Parthenon during the time of the Roman Empire.
This attraction was built in the 1890s to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Tennessee. However, the greatest thing about Nashville's Parthenon may be what's inside it.
The interior of the building is an art museum that houses sixty-three permanent paintings and additional space for temporary exhibits.
Robert's Western World may be one of the last true honkeytonks to exist in the world. It's the home of affordable food and beer as well as a great atmosphere and live bands every day of the week.
There's no charge for the live music, but a hat gets passed around and you're encouraged to tip. Seeing as some of the biggest entertainers in the history of country music have performed here, a tip is a small price to pay.
In terms of food and drink, it's best known for its fried bologna sandwich, though there's plenty of other grilled food to try.
Ryman Auditorium has a few claims to fame, but the biggest has to be the Grand Ole Opry. The Grand Ole Opry has since moved, but the height of its fame took place in this historic building. This is where the Opry hosted some of its most famous artists, including Elvis, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Lorretta Lynn, and Johnny Cash.
The Ryman has hosted more than country artists. Before the Opry took up residence, it hosted many other famous entertainers, including Harry Houdini.
Today, the Ryman is available for tours, where you can learn about the history of the building and some of those who have performed in it. There's even an option to make a recording while you're there, in case you want an awesome souvenir.
One of the best ways to see Nashville is on a Nashville bus tour. It offers a whole list of great things to see, from the Country Music Hall of Fame to the Ryman Auditorium. There's also the Parthenon, Studio B, and Robert's Western World.
That's only the beginning, though. There are a lot of great attractions that we didn't have space for on this list, and we encourage you to do more research on your own if you're interested.
We can help. We can tell you about more things to do in Nashville, including where to find great food.
Posted on May 30 2019
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