Cheekwood
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
General Jackson Showboat
The Parthenon
Ryman Auditorium
- Guests will feel as if they’ve stepped into an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel at this 1920s-style Georgian mansion. It was built by the Maxwell House coffee founders and offers multiple indoor and outdoor venues. Nineteenth and 20th century American paintings and decorative art are on display throughout. The spaces can accommodate up to 400 for receptions, seated dinners and meetings. www.cheekwood.org
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
- Nothing says Nashville like this downtown site where up to 2,000 guests can consume live and recorded music, an Elvis convertible, rhinestone costumes, historic performance films, and tear-stained lyric sheets. This is country music’s Valhalla, and it’s within walking distance of symphony hall, hotels, honky-tonk row, and other downtown stops. Rent out the entire museum or choose from among a half-dozen venues.www.countrymusichalloffame.com
General Jackson Showboat
- This 300-foot paddlewheel riverboat hosts up to 1,000 for buyout receptions and meal cruises on the Cumberland River. Or, it can provide river transport between downtown and Gaylord Opryland. Smaller groups of 20 or more can buy into scheduled cruises that come with entertainment and historic narratives. www.generaljackson.com
The Parthenon
- Nashville earned the mid-19th century moniker “Athens of the South” for having the South’s first public school system and multiple institutions of higher learning such as Vanderbilt University. So the city took the name to heart and built the world’s only full-scale replica of the original Greek temple. With the gilded 42-foot-high Athena Parthenon statue presiding over your event, you’re guaranteed lots of wide eyes. www.parthenon.org
Ryman Auditorium
- Everybody who is or was anybody in country music has performed in the “Mother Church of Country Music” and original home of the Grand Ole Opry. At this restored downtown National Historic Landmark, seated dinners on stage become memorable with backdrops of recorded performances by country stars. Recording studio appearances by local songwriters also can set a unique mood. www.ryman.com