Bridgestone Arena – Experiences

There is so much to explore when you visit Nashville that it may seem overwhelming upon first glance. This city is known for its entertainment and music scene, particularly country. Additionally, it is a superb place to learn about history and art. Just steps from the Bridgestone Arena it seems on every corner there is something that will catch your eye.

With an area as packed with activities and sights to see as downtown Nashville, you’ll want to see as much of the city as you can in a time efficient way. Below are our suggestions on how to best spend a day in downtown Nashville with some customizable stops to fit your interests.

As a pro travel tip, the Music City Bus Circuit’s Green Line will take you directly to or close to all of the mentioned sights in this itinerary, and it’s free to hop on and off. Keep that in mind if you ever want to give your feet a well-deserved break.

 

Morning

Noon

Night

 

Morning

The Well Coffeehouse is only a six-minute walk from Bridgestone Arena, so why not stop in and have a delicious breakfast and freshly brewed coffee? The best part is you’ll also be helping them give back to their community and the world. Every dollar you spend at The Well Coffeehouse helps them donate fresh drinking water to those in need. For breakfast, choose from an assortment of bagels, scrambled eggs, and meats to pair with a seasonal drink, coffee, or espresso.

With your caffeine pick-me-up, keep your morning moving with a short seven-minute walk to the Country Music Hall of Fame. Nashville is the heart of country music, so this could be your chance to either further your love for it or foster a new appreciation for the genre.

If you are visiting with a group, there are a few different tour options and deals available. Audio guides are also available for a fee for individuals and groups alike. You can expand your museum experience by adding on a tour of Studio B or Songwriter Packages.

Continuing the music theme, head north on 5th Avenue for five minutes, making sure to pass through the Music City Walk of Fame Park, to the Ryman Auditorium. Here you can learn about the birth of bluegrass. The history of this building runs deep, dating back to 1885. Over the years it has hosted a long list of musicians and entertainers, such as Charlie Chaplin, Harry Houdini, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and even President Theodore Roosevelt just to name a few.

When the Ryman faced demolition in the 1970s, Nashville fought to keep and renovate the facility. Since its renovations, it has been named Theatre of the Year for six years. Whether you are simply appreciating the architecture of this building, going on a group tour, backstage tour, or self-guided tour, you should set aside some time to visit the Mother Church of Country Music.

 

Noon

The above attractions have all been in extremely close proximity to Bridgestone Arena, so let’s start venturing out a little bit farther for the afternoon. From Ryman Auditorium, walk north down 5th Avenue for five minutes to reach Puckett’s Grocery & Restaurant for lunch. This restaurant serves southern staples and authentic comfort foods. For lunch, the menu features salads, soups, and sandwiches ranging from BLTs to sliders.

When you finish lunch, continue heading north on 5th Avenue for about 15 minutes and you will eventually hit Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park. This is a wonderful place to spend the afternoon outside. Within this 19-acre state park, visitors will find a 200-foot granite map of the state, a World War II Memorial, a 95-Bell Carillon, the Pathway of History, and the Rivers of Tennessee Fountains. It is one of the best places to get a taste of Tennessee’s rich history. Given its size, informational maps are available in order to help guests embark on a self-guided tour.

If the weather isn’t cooperating or you want to cut your time short at the park, you can head to the Tennessee State Museum. There is no admission charge. A visit to this museum is a way for you to take a deep dive into the history of the state. Exhibitions date as far back as 13,000 BCE and take guests through the Civil War, the World Wars, and all the in-betweens up to present day. Even if you are going here because the weather stopped you from enjoying the park, fear not because you can still learn about Tennessee’s outdoors in the Natural History section of this museum.

Maybe you want to stick to the music theme you started this morning. Well, you can easily do that because the Musician’s Hall of Fame and Museum is only a six-minute walk from Puckett’s or a nine-minute walk from the center of Bicentennial Park.

Unlike the previous Hall of Fame you visited in the morning, this Hall of Fame honors any artists regardless of genre. This museum starts at the beginning of recorded music and continues through to the present day. Exhibits include the L.A. Exhibit, Motown, American Studio, Stax Recording Studio, Nashville Exhibit, Muscle Shoals, and the Grammy Museum Gallery. Individual tickets are available, and groups above twelve receive a discount.

 

Night

Depending on which of the above noon attractions you’re leaving, your walk to the Escape Experience would be around 15 to 20 minutes. The Escape Experience is a nice way to spend an hour challenging your critical thinking and deduction skills. The themed rooms include C-Block, Inheritance, and Vaccine. Of course, escape rooms tend to be more fun with a group, but you can participate in one of these escape rooms solo or with strangers.

Whether or not you decide to skip the escape room, there are two options you have for some strolling through the streets and shopping. The closer of the two is 5th Avenue of the Arts. This area is the heart of the historic district and a nice shopping center, but what makes this section of town truly unique is the vibrant art. Those who truly love art and architecture should stop by this section to appreciate the Art Deco style and various galleries. If you happen to be in Nashville on the first Saturday of the month, check out the Art Crawl that takes place on 5th Avenue.

In order to get to the second shopping option, The Gulch, it is best to use the free Music City Bus Circuit Green Line, which will drop you off in this urban shopping district. You’ll find stores like Apothecary, Blush Boutique, Carter Vintage Guitars, Casa de Montecristo, and Colts Chocolate Factory. This is also an awesome area to stop and grab a drink as the streets are lined with local bars and eateries.

What better way to end your night than with dinner, live music, and dancing? If you were at The Gulch, take the Green Line back toward Bridgestone Arena in order to get to the Wildhorse Saloon. If you stayed around 5th Avenue, it will likely be a five to ten-minute walk to the saloon.

Wildhorse Saloon has won multiple awards from local, regional, and national competitions, including an award from the Music City Hot Wings Festival in 2015. The cuisine is simple, made-from-scratch, and delicious. Try a tempting burger, classic barbecue, or some fried chicken, but make sure you save room for dessert. Enjoy some banana pudding or county fair elephant ear made with seasonal jam. Grab some grub and enjoy a specialty cocktail, wine, or draft beer.

The party doesn’t end there. At Wildhorse Saloon, there’s complimentary line dancing taught daily. You’ll probably end up seeing a live show as well. There’s an impressive list of artists that frequent Wildhorse Saloon, and this is the venue The New Nashville has chosen to send emerging artists. So check out their calendar and plan to have a fun-filled night.