Some friends of ours were contemplating a visit to Nashville in the near future.
They wanted to stay somewhere close to downtown and take in all the sights & sounds that Music City has to offer — over the course of 2 or 3 days.
They would be flying in and taking a cab ride to the hotel. Therefore, they would not have a car at their disposal.
They asked for some advice since we’ve lived here for awhile and love the nightlife.
Here’s what we recommended…
Downtown Nashville Hotels
They were interested in staying at either the Sheraton hotel or the Renaissance hotel in downtown Nashville.
Both of these hotels are often highly recommended due to their convenient location downtown. They are both quite nice.
The Hilton should be about the same price and is a little more centrally located.
Now, mind you… the Hilton is about 1 block from the Sheraton. But at the Hilton you can stumble right off Broadway and into your room.
The Hilton is also right next to the Bridgestone Arena (concerts, hockey, etc) and about 20 steps from the top end of the entertainment district that runs from Broadway and 8th Avenue (where the Hilton is) down to Broadway and 2nd Avenue.
The Country Music Hall of Fame basically sits in the parking lot of the Hilton hotel.
Fun Things To Do Downtown
You’ve got a handful of clubs along 2nd Avenue like the Wildhorse Saloon, BB Kings, Graham Central Station and some pretty cool honky tonks on upper Broadway.
Here are highlights from some of our fun times on Broadway:
- Our Pub Crawl Thru Nashville Honky Tonks On Broadway
- Nashville Through The Eyes Of A Child
- I Love Being A Tourist In Nashville!
- A Nashville Guide To Nightlife And Pub Crawls
There’s another Blues club called the Bourbon Street Blues & Boogie Bar that we like a lot too. It’s just off Broadway, in Printer’s Alley.
Most everything downtown has “no cover” — except for Bourbon Street Blues & Boogie Bar, Wildhorse Saloon (sometimes) and BB Kings (if you don’t get there early and eat dinner).
Here are photos from some of our fun times at those places:
- Scott Holt at BB Kings in Nashville
- CMT Celebrities at the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville
- Stacy Mitchhart Band at Bourbon Street Blues & Boogie Bar
If You Don’t Mind A Short Cab Ride…
Try the Tin Roof on Demonbreun (near Music Row). You never know who you’ll see there!
Also, hot spots like 3rd & Lindsley, Mercy Lounge, and the Listening Room Cafe — all offer a wide variety of sounds and styles.
While there are plenty more fun (and different) things to do in Nashville, our recommendations are based on the type of activities we enjoy and we knew these guys would too.
Feel free to leave other tips for newbies & visitors in the Comments below. There are definitely LOTS more fun places to see and fun things to do around Nashville…
More Fun Things About Nashville
- Best Places To See Celebrities
- Nashville Ranks #4 In Top Party Cities
- What Others Think Of Nashville
- Best Small, Quaint Places to See Live Music
- Why I Don’t Mind Spending A Lot For Grand Ole Opry Tickets
We moved from Florida to Tennessee in 2001. All signs point to the fact that we will probably retire here — by choice. We L O V E Nashville! Our favorite places to live are just south of the City — we’ve had houses in Brentwood, Franklin, and Spring Hill. And we have properties in Leipers Fork, Cookeville, and Lewisburg. This site is where I share my best tips for moving your family to Nashville and/or visiting Nashville for the first time — with the ultimate goal of helping you find fun things to do in Williamson County and Davidson County. When I’m not out & about enjoying the Nashville area, you’ll find me at the corner of Good News & Fun Times as publisher of The Fun Times Guide (32 fun & helpful websites). To date, I’ve written over 500 articles on this site! Many of them have upwards of 100K shares.
