Nashville offers an ideal environment for living, learning and leisure. With a population of nearly one million, and a location within 600 miles of half of the population of the continental United States Nashville is extremely well situated.
Long known as "The Athens of the South," Nashville was settled in 1779, and became the state capital permanently in 1843. Nashville boasts a rich cultural life. The
Parthenon in Centennial Park, a full-scale replica of the original Athenian structure, houses an art and history museum.
Cheekwood Botanical Gardens and Fine Arts Center,
the Hermitage (home of President Andrew Jackson),
the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum,
the Carter House (at the site of the Civil War Battle of Franklin),
the Tennessee State Museum and Archives,
and many other museums and historic sites offer opportunities for leisure-time excursions or scholarly exploration.
The Frist Center for the Visual Arts, is a exhibition facility with more than 24,000 square feet of gallery space.
The Center is located in Nashville's historic main post office, a city landmark that was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. The Frist Center presents outstanding visual art from local, regional, U.S. and international sources.
The Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC) is home to six professional companies - the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, Nashville Opera Association, Tennessee Repertory Theatre, Tennessee Dance Theatre, and Nashville Ballet ­ and a community theatre group (Circle Players). TPAC welcomes a wide variety of touring Broadway productions and artists, and acts as a nexus of performing arts energy in the city.
Nashville has nurtured its identity as "Music City". At Opryland USA, you will find the Opry House, home of Nashville's world-famous Grand Ole Opry. Nashville's
Country Music Hall of Fameis a world-class facility that honors the cultural significance of the music. And while Nashville is renowned primarily for country and gospel, the city's entire music scene is bustling and alive. Whether you prefer acoustic sound in intimate coffee shops or festivals at Riverfront Park, you can satisfy your musical palate somewhere in Nashville.
In the area surrounding Nashville, opportunities abound for outdoor recreation, including hiking, canoeing, sailing, swimming, golf, tennis, horseback riding and bicycling.
The Great Smoky Mountainsare just three hours drive east of Nashville. Chattanooga, with Lookout Mountain and the
Tennessee Aquarium, is two hours away.
The NFLTennessee Titans and the NHL
Nashville Predators make their homes here in Nashville and
The Nashville Sounds (AAA baseball) are summertime favorites. Nashville is also a stop on the Senior PGA and LPGA tours. And, of course, some of the best collegiate football and basketball teams in the country come to Nashville each year to take on Vanderbilt, which competes in the prestigious Southeastern Conference.
Other Nashville area links of interest:
The Tennessean (daily paper)
Nashville Scene (alternative weekly newspaper)
Nashville City Paper (daily paper)
State of Tennessee Official Travel Planning Website
Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce
Tennessee Department of Tourist Development
