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During your Nashville vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
If you're a fan of country music, this is the museum in Nashville. Even if you aren't, almost anyone with an appreciation for American popular music will thrill to such sights as Bob Dylan's barely legible inscription scrawled across a lyric sheet; Emmylou Harris' petite, bejeweled cowboy boots; and Elvis' gold-leafed Cadillac (a gift from Priscilla). Savvy multimedia exhibits let visitors explore displays on bluegrass, cowboy music (a la Roy Rogers), country swing, rockabilly, Cajun, honky-tonk, and contemporary country music through personalized CD listening posts, interactive jukeboxes, and computer stations. The Grand Ole Opry gets its due with a mind-boggling array of memorabilia, enhanced by vintage Opry recordings. And, as if all of this wasn't more than a visitor could stand, the museum also showcases such down-home objects d'art as Naomi Judd's rusted wringer-and-tub-style washing machine, and the kitschy cornfield from TV's Hee Haw -- complete with Junior Samples' denim overalls and Lulu Roman's plus-size gingham dress.Even if you've visited the museum before, there's always a reason to return for special exhibitions and events. Looking ahead, "Night Train to Nashville: Music City Rhythm & Blues 1945-1970" will examine the connections between country music and rhythm-and-blues with archival video footage and previously unpublished photographs. The exhibition will open in March 2004 and run through December 2005. Meanwhile, lucky visitors at any time of year might catch a glimpse of a country great: Nashville resident Vince Gill is said to be a regular here, and legends such as Merle Haggard have been known to drop by for impromptu concerts.If you want to arrange a visit to the old RCA recording studio, where Elvis laid down a few hits, you'll need to sign up here at the Hall of Fame. The studio itself is located in Music Row area of Nashville. Allow 2-3 hours.
Tennessee State Capitol
The Tennessee State Capitol, completed in 1859, is a classically proportioned Greek Revival building that sits on a hill on the north side of downtown Nashville. The capitol is constructed of local Tennessee limestone and marble that slaves and convict laborers quarried and cut. Other notable features include the 19th-century style and furnishings of several rooms in the building, a handful of ceiling frescoes, and many ornate details. President and Mrs. James K. Polk are both buried on the capitol's east lawn. You can pick up a guide to the capitol at the Tennessee State Museum. It won't take long to admire it from the outside.
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.
Holiday Inn Select OPRYLAND-ARPT (BRILEY PKWY)
Our completely renovated Holiday Inn Select Hotel - Opryland Airport is a full service hotel that is dedicated to the business traveler. We are located minutes away from Nashville International Airport, as well as the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Convention Center, which makes this Nashville TN hotel a convenient primary location for all of your Nashville travel needs. Our Nashville airport hotel features available meeting space that totals over 7,500 square feet. Our guestrooms feature ...
Ramada Limited @ the Stadium (Downtown) Nashville
Ramada Limited Nashville Tennessee is a Nashville Downtown Hotel located adjacent to the NFL Titans Football Stadium. Our guests can walk to Downtown the Nashville Convention Center, Music Row, Country Music Hall of Fame, Ryman Auditorium, and the Riverfront Park. Ramada Limited Downtown Nashville offers Group Discount Rooms Rates with Meeting and Banquet Facilities. Fans of the Titans NFL, Predators NHL, and Sounds AAA Baseball love our easy access and friendly hospitality. Ramada Limited ...
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