Nashville, Tennessee City Guide: Landmarks, Venues, and Local Destinations Worth Exploring

Nashville serves as Tennessee’s capital and the South’s most recognizable music destination, drawing millions of visitors each year to its venues, parks, historic estates, and the Cumberland River corridor. This guide covers ten destinations across Nashville that give you the full picture of what this city offers year-round.

• Opry Mills Mall
• Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center
• Centennial Park & The Parthenon
• Bridgestone Arena
• Nissan Stadium
• Grand Ole Opry
• Radnor Lake State Park
• Cheekwood Estate & Gardens
• Belle Meade Historic Site & Winery
• Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park

Opry Mills Mall is one of Tennessee’s largest outlet shopping destinations, built on the former site of Opryland USA in Nashville’s most visited tourism corridor. With over 200 stores, an IMAX theater, and Sea Life Nashville Aquarium, it delivers a full day of retail and entertainment just steps from the Grand Ole Opry.

• Weekday mornings offer the shortest lines and easiest parking in Nashville.
• Holiday weekends in November and December bring peak deals and seasonal events.
• Summer mornings are best before Nashville heat, and crowds build through midday.
• Fall weekends draw the largest Nashville shopping crowds to the outlet corridor.

• 200-Plus Stores: National and outlet brands from Nike to Polo Ralph Lauren under one Nashville roof.
• Sea Life Aquarium: A family-friendly attraction inside the Nashville mall popular with visitors of all ages.
• Opry Walkway: A covered connection to the Grand Ole Opry makes combining both Nashville stops seamless.

Gaylord Opryland Resort is one of the largest non-gaming hotel and convention complexes in the United States, with 2,888 rooms and over nine acres of indoor botanical atriums in Nashville. Three signature spaces, including The Delta with its quarter-mile indoor river, create an environment unlike anything else in Music City.

• The holiday season brings massive light displays and peak Nashville visitor energy to the resort.
• Spring activates the indoor atriums at their most colorful throughout the Nashville property.
• Summer adds water park access as a family-friendly Nashville dimension.
• Fall conventions and corporate events keep Opryland active year-round in Nashville.

• Nine-Plus Acres Indoors: Three botanical atriums, including The Delta’s quarter-mile indoor river in Nashville.
• Convention Scale: Over 600,000 square feet of Nashville meeting and event space on one property.
• Year-Round Destination: Dining, spas, and entertainment make Opryland a self-contained Nashville experience.

Centennial Park is a 132-acre Midtown Nashville green space anchored by the world’s only full-scale replica of the Greek Parthenon, built in 1897 and made permanent in 1931. Inside stands a 42-foot gilded Athena statue, the tallest indoor statue in the Western Hemisphere.

• Spring blooms and comfortable Nashville weather make it the best season for the park.
• Summer outdoor concerts fill Centennial Park with Nashville residents and visitors.
• Fall foliage around Lake Watauga peaks through October in the Nashville park.
• Winter weekdays offer the most peaceful walk through the Nashville park grounds.

• Full-Scale Parthenon: The only complete replica of the ancient Greek original, built permanently in Nashville.
• 42-Foot Athena Statue: The tallest indoor statue in the Western Hemisphere, inside the Nashville museum.
• Lake Watauga: A scenic Nashville lake at the center of the park, ideal for walking and relaxing.

Bridgestone Arena is downtown Nashville’s premier sports and entertainment venue, home of the NHL’s Nashville Predators since 1998 and host to more than 150 events each year. Located at 501 Broadway, the arena sits at the core of Nashville’s entertainment district.

• NHL season from October through April brings consistent Nashville game-day energy.
• Playoff runs in April and May create the loudest atmospheres inside the Nashville arena.
• Summer concerts fill the Nashville calendar at Bridgestone through the football off-season.
• New Year’s Eve events make Bridgestone a top Nashville destination each December.

• NHL Predators Home: Nashville’s NHL team has built one of the league’s most passionate fan bases here since 1998.
• 150-Plus Events Yearly: Concerts, college sports, and major shows fill the Nashville arena year-round.
• Lower Broadway Access: Steps from Nashville’s honky-tonk corridor and the historic Ryman Auditorium.

Nissan Stadium sits on the east bank of the Cumberland River in Nashville, home of the Tennessee Titans since 1999, with a capacity of 69,143. The stadium’s riverfront location gives it one of the most recognizable skyline views in all of Nashville.

• NFL home games from September through January deliver the full Nashville game-day experience.
• Early fall home games offer the best weather for tailgating along the Cumberland in Nashville.
• Summer concerts and events keep Nissan Stadium active outside of football season in Nashville.
• Special events like the 2019 NFL Draft put this Nashville venue on the national stage.

• Tennessee Titans Home: Nashville’s NFL franchise has called Nissan Stadium home since its 1999 opening.
• Cumberland River Views: The east bank location delivers some of the most photographed skyline scenes in Nashville.
• Major Event Host: Concerts, the NFL Draft, and college events make Nissan a year-round Nashville destination.

The Grand Ole Opry is the world’s longest-running live radio broadcast, airing weekly on WSM Radio out of Nashville since 1925. It remains country music’s most celebrated performance stage and its most coveted membership honor.

• Weekend shows run year-round and are the most accessible entry point for Nashville visitors.
• Holiday specials in November and December deliver the Opry at its most festive in Nashville.
• Summer Opry season brings extended programming and larger Nashville crowds to the venue.
• Anniversary shows and membership inductions draw the biggest names in country music to Nashville.

• Since 1925: The world’s longest-running live radio show, still broadcasting from Nashville on WSM Radio.
• Opry Membership: Being asked to join is country music’s highest honor, awarded by peers in Nashville.
• Year-Round Shows: Multiple performances weekly mean Nashville visitors can almost always catch a live show.

Radnor Lake State Park covers 1,332 acres of protected wilderness just six miles from downtown Nashville, designated as Tennessee’s first natural area in 1973. The park is home to over 240 bird species, deer, otters, and blue herons along six miles of trails.

• Spring brings wildflowers and peak bird migration along the Nashville park trails.
• Fall foliage peaks in October for the most scenic hiking conditions near Nashville.
• Early mornings year-round offer the best wildlife sightings at the Nashville park.
• Winter weekdays provide near-solitude on trails just minutes from downtown Nashville.

• Six Miles of Trails: Multiple hiking routes through protected Nashville woodland and lakeside terrain.
• 240-Plus Bird Species: One of the top birdwatching destinations in the greater Nashville area.
• Free Admission: No cost to access one of Nashville’s most ecologically significant natural areas.

Cheekwood Estate and Gardens is a 55-acre botanical garden and art museum in west Nashville, built in 1929 on the Maxwell House Coffee fortune and opened to the public in 1960. It holds an American art collection of over 5,000 works alongside multiple distinct garden areas across the Nashville property.

• Spring tulip festivals bring the largest Nashville crowds to the Cheekwood gardens each year.
• Summer evenings during outdoor sculpture programming are popular with Nashville residents.
• Fall foliage across the 55-acre Nashville estate peaks beautifully through October.
• Holiday lights transform Cheekwood into one of Nashville’s most visited winter destinations.

• 55 Acres of Gardens: Multiple botanical areas including the Boxwood Garden and Woodland Sculpture Trail.
• 5,000-Plus Art Works: One of Nashville’s strongest American art collections in the historic Cheek mansion.
• Maxwell House Legacy: Built on the coffee brand fortune, now one of Nashville’s top cultural destinations.

Belle Meade Historic Site and Winery preserves one of America’s most celebrated antebellum thoroughbred farms at 5025 Harding Pike in west Nashville, with a Greek Revival mansion built in 1853 and an operating winery on the grounds. The estate’s horse breeding legacy traces directly to Secretariat’s bloodline.

• Spring mansion tours offer the most comfortable conditions on the Nashville estate grounds.
• Summer winery events and outdoor tastings draw Nashville residents and visitors to the property.
• Fall harvest season activates the winery side of the Nashville estate.
• Guided tours run year-round as the most complete way to experience the Belle Meade story in Nashville.

• 1853 Greek Revival Mansion: One of the most significant antebellum homes in the greater Nashville area.
• Thoroughbred Racing Legacy: Belle Meade bloodlines connect to Secretariat and other American racing champions.
• On-Site Winery: Award-winning wine production and tastings make this a unique Nashville two-in-one destination.

Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park is a 19-acre outdoor monument at the base of Tennessee’s State Capitol in downtown Nashville, opened in 1996 for the state’s 200th anniversary. The park features 31 river fountains, a 200-foot granite map of Tennessee, and a carillon that plays Tennessee songs on the hour.

• Spring mornings offer the most comfortable walk through the Nashville Capitol Mall grounds.
• Summer outdoor events and programming activate the Nashville park on weekends.
• Fall foliage frames the Capitol building behind the Nashville park at its most scenic.
• Tennessee Day celebrations bring organized programming to the Nashville state park each year.

• 31 River Fountains: One for each of Tennessee’s river systems, running the length of the Nashville park.
• 200-Foot Granite Map: A full-scale stone map of Tennessee embedded in the Nashville park grounds.
• Carillon Bells: Hourly music playing Tennessee songs from the bell tower at the Nashville State Park.

From the outlet corridors of Opry Mills to the quiet trails of Radnor Lake, from the steel of Bridgestone Arena to the stone monuments of the Capitol Mall, Nashville delivers something different at every stop. As a managed IT services and cybersecurity provider serving businesses across Nashville and Middle Tennessee, Safe Network Solutions works alongside the organizations that keep this region running. When your Nashville business needs IT support and cybersecurity built for the pace of this city, our team is ready to help.