Roots pertaining to American social and cultural heritage run deep in central and western Tennessee, evident in sites and attractions tied to everything from the birth of rock and roll to the Civil War and civil rights. From Memphis to Nashville, there is an abundance of event-friendly venues, many of them new or recently enhanced, reflecting the diverse elements that give the region its special flavor and spirit.
MEMPHIS
National Civil Rights Museum
The classic mid-century exterior of the Lorraine Motel, the place where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968, stands adjacent to the entrance of the National Civil Rights Museum, a dramatic and poignant introduction to the exhibits within. The museum, which reopened after a major renovation in April, has new interactive features and an expanded focus pertaining to the civil rights movement, starting with slavery and continuing up through the present day. Visitors can not only view such iconic elements as a burned-out bus from the Freedom Rides and an original lunch counter from the student sit-ins of the 1960s, but crouch in the confined space of a slave ship replica and sing along with protestors in the interior of a church form Albany, Ga.
“This was always an amazing museum, but now it’s more immersive and really captures the stories of the civil rights movement,” says Cindy Dupree, director of communications for the Tennessee Dept. of Tourism Development. “It also has great features for group events.”
The museum, which accommodates up to 276 people for a reception, includes a newly renovated auditorium as well as conference and banquet rooms.
PageBreak
Memphis Rock ’n’ Soul Museum
The central role that Memphis played in the history of rock and roll and rhythm and blues music is the focus of engaging exhibits created by the Smithsonian Institution. Oral histories, videos of historic performances, costumes, vintage instruments and other memorabilia help trace the music’s evolution from the sharecropper balladeers of the 1930s on up through its heyday of the 1970s.
“This is not just a musical story here, but a civil rights story,” says John Doyle, the museum’s executive director. “It’s the story of music pioneers who overcame racial and socio-economic barriers to create music that shook the whole world.”
Dinners and receptions in the galleries can accommodate up to 200 people and can also include live blues, rock or soul performances on the museum’s “Front Porch” stage. The museum can also arrange group tours of the nearby Gibson Guitar factory prior to an event.
NASHVILLE
Johnny Cash Museum
One of Music City’s newest venues, the Johnny Cash Museum opened downtown in May 2013. It features the world’s largest collection of artifacts and memorabilia pertaining to “The Man in Black.” The museum, which includes a 250-seat auditorium and an adjacent event center seating up to 200, is available for events. Suitable for small groups, the Founder’s Suite is a loft space furnished with antiques and rare Cash memorabilia.
“It’s a very intimate museum with a lot of personal touches that you won’t see anywhere else,” says Carol Norfleet, executive vice president of Destination Nashville, a local DMC. “You can book entertainment and also arrange to have interaction with Cash family members.”
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
Chronicling the story of country music through two centuries, one of Nashville’s cultural icons is even more intriguing, especially for groups. Located in the budding SoBro district next to the new Omni Nashville and Music City Center, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum just completed an impressive expansion that increased its total square footage to more than 350,000. The project includes additional gallery space and the new Taylor Swift Education Center, as well as new event venues such as the 800-seat CMA Theater; Carlton Terrace, hosting up to 400 people, the Event Hall, accommodating up to 1,200 people; the Event Hall Lobby, holding up to 600 people; and the Grand Foyer, with a capacity for 750 people.
Belle Meade Plantation
One of Nashville’s most historic sites, Belle Meade Plantation is an elegant Greek Revival mansion and the place where Triple Crown-winning thoroughbred racehorses have been bred for decades. Visitors can explore the mansion as well as the 19th century Carriage House and Stables, which houses an impressive collection of antique carriages.
“Belle Meade is a great venue for small groups as well as for several hundred people,” Destination Nashville’s Norfleet says. “You can do events in the Carriage House and in the gardens, or tent the lawn space.”
PageBreak
UNION CITY
Discovery Park of America
The $100 million pet project of businessman Robert Kirkland, Discovery Park of America opened last fall on 50 acres in Kirkland’s hometown in northwestern Tennessee.
Its main building, the Discovery Center, features a natural history section with dinosaur skeletons, a 20,000-gallon aquarium, an earthquake simulator, and space and technology exhibits that include an interactive spaceship and planetarium theater. The grounds feature theme gardens and historic buildings that include a 19th century schoolhouse, vintage train cars, log cabins and a gristmill.
The park offers 10 venues for corporate events, including an elegant banquet room seating up to 40 in a tower with panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. Receptions for up to 500 people can be held in the Discovery Center building, while the grounds offer space for much larger events, including a hillside amphitheater accommodating more than 4,000.
“In the evening hours, we offer a Park After Dark package that gives groups exclusive access to the Discovery Center, including the tower room,” says Mary Nita Bondurant, the park’s director of marketing. “We can set up tables in the dinosaur hall, bringing in live bands.”
JACKSON
Casey Jones Village
The life of heroic railroad engineer Casey Jones, who sacrificed his life to save all the passengers on his train back in April 1900, is celebrated at this complex of attractions and event venues in Jackson. Its latest addition is Providence House, a gracious 1837 mansion with high ceilings and a wide back terrace that was recently saved from destruction and moved to the village, which is available for receptions and private dinners.
Along with a museum filled with railroad memorabilia, bluegrass concerts, a restaurant featuring Southern specialties, shops and a woodcarver’s studio, Casey Jones Village offers multiple private dining rooms seating between 12 and 135 people. The extensive grounds also include a covered pavilion and entertainment stage accommodating up to 700 people and lawns large enough for 2,500 people.
Hardin County
Shiloh National
Military Park
Located midway between Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee’s most important Civil War site is Shiloh National Military Park, a bucolic setting of meadows and hardwood forests that belies the fierce fighting that took place in April 1862. Groups can participate in ranger-led tours of the park, as well as view the award-winning film Shiloh: Fiery Trial to learn how the momentous battle became a turning point for Union forces.
