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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will examine the connections between country music and rhythm-and-blues with archival video footage and previously unpublished photographs.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.
Van Vechten Gallery
If you're an art lover, don't miss a visit to this small, often overlooked treasure of a museum at Fisk University. Housed in an historic, redbrick building at the edge of the campus, it showcases part of famed photographer Alfred Stieglitz's art collection, which was donated by the photographer's widow, renowned artist Georgia O'Keeffe. Marvel at the evocative, black-and-white photos by Stieglitz and colorful abstract paintings by O'Keeffe. Rounding out this impressive collection are pieces by Diego Rivera as well as such European masters as Picasso, Cézanne, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Renoir. Allow 1 to 2 hours.
James K. Polk House
This modest home was where James K. Polk, the 11th president of the United States, grew up and where he lived when he began his legal and political career. Though Polk may not be as familiar a name as those of some other early presidents, he did achieve two very important goals while in office: Polk negotiated the purchase of California and settled the long-standing dispute between the United States and England over where to draw the border of the Oregon Territory. The house is filled with antiques that belonged to Polk's parents when they lived here and to Polk and his family during their time in the White House. In a separate building there is an exhibit of political and Mexican War memorabilia.
Fairfield Nashville Resort
Your Fairfield villa puts you close to many of the city's most visited areas. The famous Opryland? Hotel, Music Valley complex, Antique Toy Museum, "Sidewalk of the Stars," Opry Mills and a great selection of restaurants are all "just up the road a ...
Millennium Maxwell House Nashville
5 minutes from downtown, free parking, free downtown shuttle and free airport transportation, the Millennium Maxwell House - Nashville exemplifies the Southern tradition of gracious hospitality. Located 15 minutes from the citys most famous attraction, The Grand Old Opry, the hotel offers 17,000 square feet of meeting space that can accommodate groups of up to ...
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