The Ryman Auditorium was conceived in 1895 by a Nashville riverboat captain named Thomas Ryman, who had recently been converted to Christianity by a southern evangelist, and decided to build a church to serve Nashville’s revivals.  In 1892, the first part of the auditorium was opened, named the Union Gospel Tabernacle, which included the pews that remain there to this day.  Construction was completed in 1899, and the total cost – $100,000.

In 1943, the Grand Ole Opry moved to the Ryman Auditorium, where it remained full-time until 1974, when it moved to the Opry House, which was built adjacent to the Opryland Hotel for the purpose of being a dedicated auditorium for Grand Ole Opry performances.

The Grand Old Opry returned to the Ryman in 1999, for winter season performances, which continue to this day.

Of course, there’s much more than country music performed at the Ryman.  Virtually every type of music has been celebrated and performed here, and it’s been voted one of the best places to hear music in America.

This ride is more like a traveling comedy show and cocktail party than a city tour, and you don’t have to be a country music fan to have loads of fun on this laugh-riot.

Climb aboard the Big Pink Bus for a truly unique Nashville experience! This country musical / comedy tour is guaranteed to have you laughing ’til your face hurts as the Jugg Sisters, Sheri Lynn and Brenda Kay, show you Nashville like you never dreamed.

You’ll learn a lot, but not so much about Nashville landmarks…

These two wacky ladies dish the dirt on all the country stars as the Big Pink Bus prowls the streets of Nashville. You start at the Farmer’s Market and Germantown, then turn towards Nashville’s downtown area. The Juggs will tell wild stories and sing wilder songs.

As the bus passes the jailhouse, the Juggs will tell you which of your favorite stars spent a night or two there.

They’ll even teach some foreign language – example – “sober” in German is “farfrompuken”.

Never a dull moment, and never a serious moment on the Big Pink Bus with the Jugg Sisters!

The Juggs, always displaying their Southern-fried hospitality, will offer their Fancy Cheese Hors D’Oeuvres for your snacking pleasure. And you can wash ‘em down with whatever drinks you bring aboard the bus.  Tennessee’s open container laws don’t apply on the Big Pink Bus, so don’t forget your beer or wine coolers or…?

This is a grownup tour, with plenty of adult-type humor, so leave the kids under 13 at home.

Make sure to book a reservation well in advance, this tour is often sold out months in advance. But it’s worth the wait.

This new $37 million location was opened in 2001, and the monumental appearance of this unique building livens up the skyline in Nashville’s downtown entertainment area.

The Museum has an incredibly vast collection to record country music’s history, and inside, the crown jewels of the collection are presented, illustrating the story of country music spanning centuries.

You’ll find treasures of historic recorded music, rare video footage, changing exhibits, live performances and other public programs, live broadcasts, as well as dining at SoBro Grill & Catering and shopping at the Museum Store.

Seeing the exhibits of the Hall educates and excites country music fans of all ages and experiences, from the newest fans to those who’ve loved country music for many years.

As you walk through the exhibit halls, you’ll see the progress of country music starting in the fields and honky-tonks of the south, all the way the Grand Ole Opry and the blockbuster hits of our country stars today.

The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum is self-guided, so you can view it at your own pace – folks generally take 2-3 hours.  The Museum offers an Audio Tour (70 minutes), narrated by Eddie Stubbs (WSM Radio & Grand Ole Opry announcer), including features hosted by Dolly Parton, Vince Gill, and Trisha Yearwood.

The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum presents “Sing Me Back Home” as a permanent exhibit covering two entire floors of the building, an exciting trip through the life of country music.

Using original recordings, objects, photos and video, and interactive touchscreen panels, Sing Me Back Home steeps visitors in the sound and history of country music, and the lives and voices of its esteemed stars.

As the “Sing Me Back Home” tour ends, you’ll enter the Hall of Fame Rotunda, another permanent exhibit.  This is the sacred space where Country Music Hall of Fame® members are honored with bronze plaques recognizing their induction into the Hall of Fame.

A visit to the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum is an essential part of any trip to Nashville. You’ll find it is both educational and fun. And with the appreciation of the history of Nashville’s music you’ll gain a better appreciation of Nashville.

There’s lots of public parking around the museum, and the entire building is accessible to wheelchairs, with elevators to all floors.

From it’s simple beginnings, the Grand Ole Opry has become an American icon, and is Nashville’s Number One attraction.

Always broadcasting to live audiences, in the early years, after building a larger studio to accomodate the growing audience, in 1934 the Opry moved outside its studio to the Hillsboro Theater (now the Belcourt in Green Hills). Next it moved to the Dixie Tabernacle in East Nashville, then to the War Memorial Auditorium next to the State Capitol.

In 1943, still needing more room, the Opry moved to the Ryman Auditorium, where it stayed until 1974, when it moved to its current home, the 4,400 seat Grand Ole Opry House, adjacent to the Opryland Hotel, where you can see performances several times each week, except for several weeks in winter when the Opry returns to the Ryman Auditorium.

The Opry’s artists and music have defined country music in America. Hundreds of musicians have performed as members through the years. Being honored with membership in the Grand Ole Opry, country’s most enduring “Hall of Fame”, is to be tapped as one of the most elite musicians of country music.

Membership in the Opry is not just earned, but must be maintained with frequent performances during the musician’s career.

Here are the Opry members as of this writing.

A

Trace Adkins
Bill Anderson
Ernie Ashworth

B

Dierks Bentley
Clint Black
Garth Brooks
Jim Ed Brown

C

Roy Clark
Terri Clark
John Conlee
Wilma Lee Cooper

D

Charlie Daniels
Diamond Rio
Little Jimmy Dickens
Joe Diffie

G

Larry Gatlin
Vince Gill
Billy Grammer
Jack Greene

H

Tom T. Hall
George Hamilton IV
Emmylou Harris
Jan Howard

J

Alan Jackson
Stonewall Jackson
George Jones

K

Hal Ketchum
Alison Krauss

L

Hank Locklin
Charlie Louvin
Patty Loveless
Loretta Lynn

M

Barbara Mandrell
Martina McBride
Del McCoury
Mel McDaniel
Reba McEntire
Jesse McReynolds
Ronnie Milsap
Lorrie Morgan

N

Jimmy C. Newman

O

Osborne Brothers

P

Brad Paisley
Dolly Parton
Stu Phillips
Charley Pride
Jeanne Pruett

R

Riders in the Sky

S

Bobbejaan Schoepen
Jeannie Seely
Jean Shepard
Ricky Skaggs
Connie Smith
Ralph Stanley
Marty Stuart

T

Mel Tillis
Pam Tillis
Randy Travis
Travis Tritt
Josh Turner

U

Carrie Underwood

V

Ricky Van Shelton

W

Charlie Walker
Steve Wariner
The Whites

Y

Trisha Yearwood