There's a joke among Nashville locals that no matter which direction you look, you'll see at least one construction crane in the sky. But that quip becomes more of an observation once you step foot in Music City and realize the amount of infrastructure that is being developed. While exploring Nashville for the third time in two years, we witnessed the destination's rapid growth, including hotels, venues and attractions.
Nashville Hotels
Four Seasons Nashville
When it comes to staying downtown, there's no luxury experience quite like the Four Seasons. The 235-room hotel features a fine-dining restaurant, a rooftop pool and 25,330 square feet of meeting space. Housekeeping adds thoughtful touches like folding the phone and laptop charger wires into a leather pouch and leaving a bookmark in your paperback — even if you already have one. Two blocks from the city's vibrant main drag, Broadway, the property is walking distance from the honky tonks, yet far enough away when guests need some peace and quiet. Other nearby attractions include the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Ryman Auditorium and the Johnny Cash Museum.
Thomspon Nashville
In the trendy Gulch neighborhood, the Thompson Nashville shows a different side of Music City. The 224-room hotel is surrounded by boutiques, the Frist Art Museum and rooftop bars, and has a rooftop lounge of its own: L.A. Jackson. With wooden paneling, leather chairs, a vintage radio atop the mini bar, sliding barn doors and arrow-patterned tiles in the bathrooms, the interior design reflects the city's cowboy aesthetic. Other amenities include signature restaurant Marsh House, a fitness center and more than 4,100 square feet of event space.
Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center
The Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center is the brand's flagship and its biggest property. As the largest nongaming resort in the country, the Opryland features 2,888 rooms, more than 750,000 square feet of exhibit space — upon the completion of an ongoing renovation — and 21 dining outlets. Also on site are the SoundWaves waterpark and three garden atriums that span more than 9 acres, with approximately 55 species of plants and an entire team of horticulturists to boot. The mammoth property does have a fitness center — although you'll get your steps in just from walking around. A short drive from the campus are the Scottish-style Gaylord Springs Golf Links and the iconic Grand Ole Opry.
Earlier this year, the resort updated the Governors and Presidential ballrooms as part of a $131 million transformation and expansion. To be completed by spring 2027, the project will add 108,000 square feet of function venues, including a 31,000-square-foot ballroom, roughly 38,000 square feet of breakout space and around 39,000 square feet of prefunction space. The project also will update all restaurants and event rooms, as well as adding a two-story sports bar and an event lawn.
Off-Site Venues in Music City
Monday Night Brewing Co.
Outside the traditional hotels and convention centers, Music City is rife with venues, from museums to the Monday Night Brewing Co. The full-service taproom serves 24 draft beers, craft cocktails, wines and snacks, and offers indoor and outdoor seating. Formerly a meat-packing plant, the industrial space is available for both semiprivate events and full buyouts. If your group is looking for a team-building activity, Monday Night Brewing hosts trivia on — you guessed it — Monday nights.
Country Music Hall of Fame
Nothing says Nashville quite like the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The legendary building has myriad options for groups, from intimate on-stage receptions in the CMA Theater for 50 people, to theater-style sessions in the event hall for 900 attendees. A full buyout gives participants access to all of these areas, as well as such museum exhibits as the Taylor Swift Education Center.
The museum is a nonprofit and all events business goes toward its education and preservation efforts. To combat waste, the venue donates leftover food to the Nashville Rescue Mission. Hosting nearly 400 events per year, the Country Music Hall of Fame donated enough food to provide 15,000 meals in 2024 alone.
National Museum of African American Music
The National Museum of African American Music celebrates the many genres created, influenced and inspired by African Americans. Visitors begin the journey in the Roots Theater to watch a brief film on African American culture and the creation of new music traditions, then head off to explore interactive exhibits from the early 1600s to the 2010s. NMAAM can host groups of 200 in the theater, 300 in the feature gallery and 500 in the lobby; full buyouts are available after-hours starting at 5 p.m.
Ryman Auditorium
Known as the "Mother Church," the Ryman Auditorium originally was built as the Union Gospel Tabernacle in the late 1800s. A century later, it became the home of the Grand Ole Opry in the '50s and '60s. Artists including Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton, Kacey Musgraves and Lizzo have graced the famed stage. Today it hosts concerts, awards shows and corporate events. The historic venue provides many gathering options, such as the 2,362-seat auditorium, and the Rock Hall for 60-person receptions or seated dinners for 30.
Nashville Yards
New in town is Nashville Yards, a mixed-use development spanning 19 acres. The area contains the 591-room Grand Hyatt Nashville, residential and commercial buildings and an event lawn. The Pinnacle music venue just opened there in February with a maximum capacity of 4,500, including 346 at the rooftop bar. All 19 acres are privately owned, so the entire space — with the exception of The Pinnacle if there is a show scheduled — can be shut down for groups.
Category 10
Country music star Luke Combs' bar, aptly named for his hit song "Hurricane," Category 10 is a massive honky tonk just off Broadway. Overlooking the Cumberland River and Nissan Stadium, the four-story building consists of a dance floor and a stage for live music, a sports bar, a rooftop lounge and bourbon bar The Still — all of which can be rented for private events. Category 10 also offers whiskey tastings and line-dancing lessons.
JBJ's
It's hard to keep up with all the artists who own or are affiliated with honky tonks in Nashville, but JBJ's unmistakably belongs to rock legend Jon Bon Jovi. With the tallest rooftop venue on Broadway — if only by a few inches — the entire establishment can hold up to 30,000 fans. Every floor is available for events, and each level has a capacity ranging between 350 and 410. Decked out with album covers and even a hologram of Bon Jovi himself, the fourth floor is reserved for private events. For attendees who want to get inked, an on-site tattoo parlor opened in March.
Some Notable Nashville Restaurants
Pelato
Once you figure out where you're meeting, the next step is to decide where you're eating. Pelato is bringing Brooklyn-style Italian fare to Music City. The menu is broken into five sections: Get Things Goin', The Goods, The Meats, The Squids & Fishes, and Saucy. All dishes are relatively small and are meant to be shared. Our recommendations: the garlic bread, the burrata crostini, stuffed mushrooms, the meatballs al forno, fried calamari, the campanelle shrimp limone and radiatori vodka. Buon appetito!
Pancake Pantry
Flipping flap jacks since 1961, Pancake Pantry is almost as much of a Nashville institution as the Ryman. The breakfast eatery serves just about every variation of pancake available, from cinnamon roll to sweet potato. More hearty dishes also are available, such as omelets and avocado toast. Get there early, as the line wraps around the block every day of the week.
Butcher and Bee
If you think that you won't be satisfied after a vegetarian meal, you've never been to Butcher and Bee. The dishes are divided by dips, mezze and small plates, and larger plates. While there are also meat options (chicken schnitzel, skirt steak and pork, plus protein add-ons), all of the standouts are veggie-forward. Order both dips (the whipped feta and hummus) served with pita, the falafel and roasted radishes for the small plates, and the avocado crispy rice and mushroom shawarma in the larger plates section.
The East Nashville restaurant seats 55 guests in the main dining area and 48 in the private Rose Room. Connecting the two spaces is an outdoor patio that can be rented for events.
Activities
Grand Ole Opry
For a truly unforgettable experience, take your group to the Grand Ole Opry. Known as the "Home of Country Music," the live radio show is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. VIP packages are available that include exclusive access through the artists' entry, a backstage tour, a personal guide for the entire pre-show experience, and a private dressing room with snacks and champagne. For the first half of the show, VIPs get to sit "backstage" on an original pew from the Ryman, although it's really on stage behind the percussion section. Guests are then escorted to the orchestra level during intermission to watch the second half with the other 4,400 country music fans.
Hatch Show Print
A working letterpress print shop since 1879, Hatch Show Print has created posters for nearly every musician imaginable. But they don't just work with artists, they've also made prints for sports teams, political rallies and comedy shows. Within the Country Music Hall of Fame since 2014, Hatch offers group tours of the shop, providing an overview of its history and a hands-on experience with the paper, ink and brayers. Although the workshop is off-limits, typeface enthusiasts can watch the magic come to life through a glass wall.
Strings for Hope
Strings for Hope provides employment, mentorship and support to survivors of human trafficking, domestic violence and substance abuse in the Nashville area. The organization upcycles used guitar strings into necklaces, bracelets and other jewelry. Groups can get involved through both on-site and off-site event activations, such as gifting experiences or CSR activities. To create the pieces, the strings must be straightened, organized and cleaned, and Strings for Hope is always looking for volunteers.
Goo Goo Cluster
Nashville is the home of the Goo Goo Cluster. Invented in 1912, the candy bar is a combination of peanut, caramel and marshmallow nougat covered in milk chocolate. For a sweet team-building activity, visit the Downtown Nashville store for a hands-on candy-making class. Chocolate lovers will learn about the history of the company before customizing their own clusters with milk or dark chocolate, various types of nougat, and such fillings as Reese's Pieces, pretzels and toffee.
Nelson's Green Brier Distillery
No trip to Nashville is complete without some Tennessee whiskey. Nelson's Green Brier Distillery offers tours and tastings, complete with a walk-through of the production floor and a sampling of four spirits. Groups also can dine at the on-site restaurant, with such dishes as a Bavarian soft pretzel with pimento cheese, a charcuterie board and Nashville hot schnitzel.
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