Grand Ole Opry: Nashville Travel Guide (4.8★)

A radio show you can sit inside

You watch a live broadcast here, so it doesn’t run like a normal concert. The Opry began in 1925 on WSM radio and is the longest-running radio show in America. Every set still goes out on WSM 650 AM, and the stage is laid out to suit the radio.

A night is a relay rather than one headliner. A host introduces a string of artists who play a few songs each, with sponsor segments between them. Hall of Famers often share the bill with acts who have just had their first hit. Seating is long pew-style benches facing the stage, a nod to the Opry’s church-house years downtown.

Watch the centre of the stage. A six-foot circle of dark oak was cut from the floor of the Ryman Auditorium and set into the Opry House stage when it opened in 1974. Artists stand on it to sing. When a performer is invited to become an Opry member, that usually happens on this stage, often as a surprise.

Finding the Opry House

The building sits in the Opryland complex, beside the Cumberland River and well away from Broadway’s honky-tonks.

• By car or rideshare: take Briley Parkway to the Opry Mills exits. The drive from downtown is roughly 15–20 minutes when traffic is light.
• Parking: use the Opry Mills lots that wrap around the mall. On show nights, park on the side nearest the Opry Plaza.
• Next door: the Opry Mills outlet mall, the glass-roofed atriums of Gaylord Opryland Resort and the General Jackson Showboat dock are all close by.
• Winter: for part of the cold season the show usually moves back downtown to the Ryman Auditorium. Check which venue your date is at before you book a ride.

Getting the right seat and the right night

The Opry is one of the most-visited venues in Nashville and is consistently well rated, so don’t treat it as a walk-up. Book ahead, and book further ahead for weekends and holidays.

• Lineups get posted in advance, but they can change. Your ticket is for the show itself, not for any one artist. Buy it because you want the format, not to see a single name.
• Pick seats for the view you want. Floor seats close to the stage put you near the circle. The balcony looks over the whole broadcast setup: cameras, announcer podium and the band.
• Tours run in the daytime. Backstage tours take you through the dressing rooms and the artist entrance, and some let you step onto the stage. Opry members’ photos line the halls. Plan on roughly an hour, and check the official site for current times.
• Ticket and tour prices are on the official Opry website, which is the only source to trust.

Behaving like part of the broadcast

You’re both the studio audience and the crowd, and you need to act like both.

• Arrive early. Doors and the plaza open before showtime, and the first song airs live on schedule. Late arrivals wait for a gap between artists.
• Clap when the sets change. The host may ask for applause on air, and the crowd’s noise is part of what goes out on radio.
• Phones: photos are usually welcome, but keep the screen low so people behind you can see. Check the bag policy on the official site before you leave the car.
• Dress: jeans and boots are standard. Nobody dresses up, though many people wear their best western shirt.
• After the show: Opry Plaza, with the big guitar and the sign out front, is the photo spot. It clears out fast once the show ends.

Make a full evening of it. Have dinner at the Gaylord Opryland Resort or Opry Mills, see the show, then head downtown if you want Broadway’s late bars.