Ryman Auditorium – Nashville’s Mother Church of Country Music

If you visit Nashville and have even a passing interest in country music, your trip will be incomplete if you miss checking out country music’s Mother Church, The Ryman Auditorium.

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.