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During your Nashville vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Cheekwood Botanical Garden & Museum of Art
Once a private estate, Cheekwood today has much to offer both art lovers and garden enthusiasts. The museum and gardens are situated in a 55-acre park that's divided into several formal gardens and naturally landscaped areas. The museum itself is housed in the original Cheek family mansion, which was built in the Georgian style with many architectural details brought over from Europe. Among the mansion's most outstanding features is a lapis lazuli fireplace mantel. Within the building are collections of 19th- and 20th-century American art, Worcester porcelains, antique silver serving pieces, Asian snuff bottles, and a good deal of period furniture.The grounds are designed for strolling, and there are numerous gardens, including: Japanese, herb, perennial, dogwood, magnolia, iris, peony, rose, azalea; and there are greenhouses full of orchids. Kids will enjoy romping around the grassy meadows on the museum grounds. Don't miss the glass bridge that awards hikers along the wooded sculpture trail. You'll also find a gift shop and good restaurant, The Pineapple Room, on the grounds. Allow a couple of hours to tour the museum, or up to a full day if you plan to explore the grounds and garden as well.
Travellers Rest Historic House Museum
Built in 1799, Travellers Rest, as its name implies, once offered gracious Southern hospitality to travelers passing through a land that had only recently been settled. Judge John Overton (who, along with Andrew Jackson and Gen. James Winchester, founded the city of Memphis) built Travellers Rest. Overton also served as a political advisor to Jackson when he ran for president. Among the period furnishings you'll see in this restored Federal-style farmhouse is the state's largest public collection of pre-1840 Tennessee-made furniture. Allow an hour to tour the museum, and more if you want to wander the grounds and outbuildings.
Ryman Auditorium & Museum
If you're as enamored with music history as I am, you could devote several hours to a self-guided tour of this National Historic Landmark where you're free to stand onstage -- even belt out a few bars if the spirit moves you -- or sit in the hardwood "pews," and wander the halls upstairs and down, looking at memorabilia in glass showcases. However, the typical tourist may be satisfied with a quick walk through the stately redbrick building. In either case, the best way to experience the Ryman is to attend a performance here. The site of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943 to 1974, the Ryman Auditorium is known as the "Mother Church of Country Music," the single most historic site in the world of country music. Originally built in 1892 as the Union Gospel Tabernacle by riverboat captain Tom Ryman, this building served as an evangelical hall for many years. By the early 1900s, the building's name had been changed to honor its builder and a stage had been added. That stage, over the years, saw the likes of Enrico Caruso, Katharine Hepburn, Will Rogers, and Elvis Presley. The Grand Ole Opry began broadcasting from here in 1943. For the next 31 years, the Ryman Auditorium was host to the most famous country music radio show in the world. However, in 1974, the Opry moved to the then-new Grand Ole Opry House in the Music Valley area. Since its meticulous renovation in 1994, the Ryman has regained its prominence as a temple of bluegrass and country music. Its peerless acoustics make it a favored venue of rock's best singer-songwriters and classical musicians, as well. Allow at least an hour for a self-guided tour.
Comfort Inn Opryland Area
Free hot continental breakfast and free wireless Internet access in all rooms. Walking distance to Opryland Complex-Grand Ole Opry,Opry Mills, and various restaurants. Within minutes from downtown Nashville, Gaylord Entertainment Center and other Nashville attractions. Pet accommodation: 5.00/night per pet. Pet limit: Under 20 ...
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