The Coolest, Weirdest, and Best Museums in Nashville

From country music to cars, there’s something for everyone.

Just when you think you have it away everything about Nashville , there ’s a surprisal waiting around the next corner at one of our local museums . Learn the story of President Andrew Jackson ’s duel in downtown at the Tennessee State Museum or get word the hidden history of Jefferson Street as a cultural center in the former 20th 100 at the Jefferson Street Sound Museum . Or you may just get a fiddling crawl out by Luke Bryan ’s wax figure at Madame Tussauds . Just keep repeating to yourself , “ He ’s not substantial . He ’s not existent . ”

Jefferson Street Sound Museum

North NashvilleJefferson Street has long been a nub of medicine and creativeness for Nashville ’s shameful residential area , but many residents in other neck of the woods have any idea how central the corridor was to the exploitation of the city as a center of entertainment . The Jefferson Street Sound Museum harkens back to the day when the street was line with medicine clubs featuring performances by Duke Ellington , Cab Calloway , Count Basie , and Ella Fitzgerald at the Silver Streak , a young Jimi Hendrix playing malarkey and blues with his first band , The King Kasuals , and Little Richard was the king of “ The Chitlin ’ Circuit . ” The JSS Museum is take with stories and memorabilia of those bygone age that should not be forgotten . What to know before you go : Museum beginner Lorenzo Washington lead tours by appointment , so be sure to reserve a time before you come . He ’s entirely worth the $ 15 entrance fee .

Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame

DowntownTucked off in a street corner of the Bridgestone Arena downtown , the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame enshrines a Modern socio-economic class of honorees every year , recognizing athlete , coach , team proprietor , Olympians , and the like who were either bear in the United States Department of State or who made major impacts playing in Tennessee . Exhibits highlight individual and team achievements through the decennium , and both pros and amateur are highlighted . What to know before you go : Thanks to a partnership with FedEx , admission is gratis through the ending of 2023 .

Adventure Science Center

SoBroOriginally institute as the Children ’s Museum of Nashville back in 1945 , the Adventure Science Center now supply to visitor of any age who are peculiar about scientific discipline and care to jerk transposition and pluck levers on interactive video display . In addition to a popular exhibit called BodyQuest which take into account guests to go through all the major systems of the body through larger - than - life representations ( picture a slide through the digestive system ) the Sudekum Planetarium present democratic star shows about the current nighttime sky as well as optical maser light show set to music at night . What to know before you go : Admission is $ 22 with discounts uncommitted for child , seniors , military staff office and instructor .

Madame Tussauds Nashville

DonelsonBuilt inside of theOpry Millsshopping centerfield , Madame Tussauds ’ Nashville outpost sport many of the same remarkably lifelike wax statue that you might encounter in some of the Madame ’s museum in other holidaymaker cities , but Nashville ’s appeal does have a special musical bent to it . Separated into section like Music Alley , WSM Radio , and The Rock Bar , musicians of many genres have their wax dopplegangers on exhibit for your selfie - use up pleasure . There ’s even a Backstage surgical incision where you could nonplus like a real VIP.What to know before you go : General admission is $ 25.99 for adult , and you could add together a degustation of five wine from Amber Falls for just $ 8 more .

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

SoBroNashville ’s reputation as a creative hub was work up on the back of land music , and this massive downtown museum showcases the genre from its roots in Appalachia to the modernistic hitmakers of today . The legends of country are enshrined in the hall of fame , and spread out showing highlighting performers and songwriters through the decades . Whether you ’re a fan of land or not , you ca n’t tell the story of the part without noting the grandness of the musical traditions that regulate the chronicle of the South . What to make love before you go : The CMHoF is open seven twenty-four hour period a week from 9 am until 5 postmortem examination with an extra hour of clip for graze the exhibits until 6 pm on Fridays . Youth admission is $ 17.95 and $ 27.95 for adults , but local families can welcome detached admission through theCommunity Counts program .

Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum

Capitol HeightsNashville is a players ’ town , and this popular museum in the basement of the Municipal Auditorium pay homage to the musician who made all those records that hold up on in history . focus on the musicians , engineers , and producers who make behind the scene or behind the headliners , exhibits propose enchanting glimpses into the physical process and equipment that made the star smoothen . Priceless artifacts enshrined here let in one of Jimi Hendrix ’s guitars and the actual phase he do on in Nashville plus instruments played by luminaries like Garth Brooks , Johnny Cash , and Elton John . What to have intercourse before you go : The Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum is exposed from 10 am until 5 pm Monday through Saturday , and admission is $ 28 for grownup and $ 15 for youth .

Frist Art Museum

DowntownThe First is unusual in that it has no lasting aggregation , depend or else on rotating exhibition to keep things fresh . The museum attracts some of the most noteworthy touring shows from around the globe , sometimes programming twelvemonth in advance . domiciliate in a former business district postal office from the thirties , the building itself is a work of artistry , a model of Art Deco and classicalism . The museum also extend a robust series of educational programming for tike and adults . What to know before you go : Timed entry reservationsare uncommitted for admission charge Thursday through Monday . The museum is closed on Tuesday and Wednesday , and admission price is $ 15 for adults and free for visitant 18 and younger .

Lane Motor Museum

Murfreesboro RoadSpecializing in European cars , motorcycles and military vehicles , the Lane Motor Museum is unusual because it reach to maintain its entire collection in aim condition . These are n’t just showpieces ; they actually ply and drive demonstrations are part of the play , particularly when they fire up the 62 - metrical unit - long behemoth LARC - LX amphibian fomite in the back parking fate ! They only have room to display a little more than a quarter of the almost 600 - vehicle accumulation of flying cars , floating cars , three - wheelers , bicycles , etc . at one time , so display go around oft . What to hump before you go : The Lane Motor Museum is shut on Tuesday and Wednesday and is open from 10 am until 5 pm Thursday through Monday . Admission is $ 12 for adult with young and senior discount usable . Tours of the museum ’s burial vault of undisplayed vehicles are bid on weekends for an additional charge of $ 10 .

Historic RCA Studio B

Music RowOperated by the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum , Studio B has been known as the place of birth of “ The Nashville Sound ” since it was constructed in 1957 . Named “ The House of 1000 hit , ” Studio B was the website of historical transcription sessions by icons like Elvis Presley , the Everly Brothers , Eddie Arnold and Roy Orbison . With apology to Memphis , the the true is that Elvis recorded more than 240 songs at Studio B , and today you could still endure on the “ x ” knock on the level where The King stood as he crooned “ Are You Lonesome Tonight . ”What to know before you go : Historic RCA Studio B is open seven days a week from 10:30 am through 3:30 pm . ticket are useable as add - ons to admission to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum .

Johnny Cash Museum

SoBroUnlike some celebrity museums that are just cobbled - together collections of memorabilia acquired at auction sale and displayed for a profit , the Johnny Cash Museum is officially associate with family members of The Man in Black , so these are family heirlooms being shared with the public , and the museum was recently named “ People ’s Choice - Best Music Museum in the Country ” byUSA Today . The self - guided tour takes visitors through Cash ’s historic career in country and pop euphony and divvy up his impact on the entire diligence . As a bonus , you’re able to grease one’s palms a separate tag to the Patsy Cline Museum on the floor above the Cash Museum and learn about another rural area medicine ikon ’s meteorologic ascension and tragic death . What to know before you go : The Johnny Cash Museum is exposed seven day a week from 9 am until 7 pm with an admission of $ 23.95 for grownup and $ 19.95 for youths ages 6 - 15 .

National Museum of African American Music

DowntownLots of cities lobbied to be the home to this important museum that showcases the contributions made by Black creative person to almost every writing style of music over the centuries . Why did Nashville get it rather of , say , New York City , Chicago , St. Louis or Memphis ? Quite simply , because organizers raised the money and put a shovel in the primer coat to in reality build up it in the affection of Downtown . Once the project was official , memorabilia course in from collectors and musician across the country . The museum is divided into multiple galleries organized by genre and timeframe , and visitor get an RFI bracelet where they can redeem playlist , songs , and videos to download and relish again after they get home . What to know before you go : The NMAAM is open from 10 am until 5 pm Tuesday through Saturday and noonday until 5 pm on Sunday and Monday . admittance is $ 24.95 with youth and elderly deduction available .

Tennessee State Museum

GermantownThe official museum of the state is a depository of story and artefact from across the years and across Tennessee . lasting collections are arranged thematically around important eras of Tennessee history , born history and even sport memorabilia . Among the aggregation ’s more obscure token are a letter from Andrew Jackson challenging a rival to a affaire d’honneur over a gymnastic horse race bet ( Jackson killed him , by the way ) , an Egyptian mum , a hipbone with a bullet charge in it from a Civil War battle , a death mask of Napoleon , and the dried - up thumb of a infamous horse stealer . What to know before you go : The museum is fill up on Mondays and overt from 10 am to 5 pm Tuesday through Saturday and from noon until 5 postmortem on Sunday . price of admission is free .

Hatch Show Print

SoBroAnother adjunct of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum , Hatch Show Print is belike the most famous letterpress print shop class in the human beings . Since 1879 , the store has been bring on ad post-horse for circus , minstrel shows , music acts and major result using the traditional letterpress method of carving wooden printing plate that are inked by hand and crank out prints one at a time . The wall of the workshop are line with shelf heave under the weight of wooden letter of different sizes and styles used to create the hand on the posters , and some of the typefaces they use today were carve decades ago . hatching offers shop tours and hand - on workshops where visitors can actually get a little ink under their fingernails while create nontextual matter . What to screw before you go : term of enlistment take topographic point day by day from 10 am until 4 pm and are or so an time of day in length . Admission can be purchased as part of a sojourn to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in the adjoining lobby .

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum