Downtown Nashville is rich in history, music, and a wide variety of restaurants. One of the greatest things about visiting Nashville is that the city can appeal to many different people. Whether you’re visiting Nashville for a weekend with friends or a solo getaway, Downtown Nashville offers a wide range of attractions and activities .

This article will outline some must-see attractions and must-dine restaurants that you’ll want to keep in mind before you visit downtown Nashville. For tips about other neighborhoods in Nashville, check out our posts about 12 South, Germantown, The Gulch, and Midtown.

Popular Food and Drink in Downtown Nashville

Downtown Nashville is a hub for great bars, pubs, and restaurants. Due to the high traffic of tourists in the downtown corridor, you can find fun places to eat and drink on almost every corner. Some of the most well-known restaurants in downtown Nashville are:

• The Stillery: for American cuisine with a variety of local craft beers and cocktails. This restaurant doubles as a great bar to grab a quick drink!
• Etch: for an upscale environment led by award-winning chef Deb Paquette, Tennessee’s first woman to become a certified executive chef. It also has two private dining rooms, making it a great place to host large dinners and events. As of August 2026, Etch holds a 4.6/5 rating across nearly 2,300 diner reviews on Tripadvisor, where it ranks among the top 25 restaurants in Nashville.
• The Southern Steak and Oyster: for classic southern comfort food in a unique and modern environment. It is a popular spot for brunch, cocktails, or a sit-down meal, known locally for its seafood-forward menu.
• Bakersfield: for traditional Mexican street food, Bakersfield serves the classics alongside its menu of over 100 tequilas and American whiskeys.

Popular Bars and Pubs in Downtown Nashville

Music City has no shortage of bars and pubs for those looking for a lighter bite with unique cocktail options. Some establishments in downtown Nashville worth checking out include:

• Skull’s Rainbow Room serves food alongside their specialty cocktails and nightly burlesque shows. Skull’s Rainbow Room is a great place to explore in downtown Nashville for drinks with a show!
• Fleet Street Pub is a classic pub serving bar food alongside its menu of imported beers.
• Bowie’s Nashville is located in a former brick showroom. The bar offers live music, southern food, and cocktails in its upbeat environment.
• Gertie’s Whiskey Bar is a stylish cocktail bar serving a wide variety of whiskey cocktails, beer, and wine, with a whiskey list that draws collectors from across the region.

10 Things to See in Downtown Nashville

Downtown Nashville has tons of activities for tourists and locals alike. With many museums and historic buildings, downtown is a haven for entertainment. The heart of Nashville offers a wide variety of year-round attractions. While spending time in the downtown corridor, be sure to hit some of these ten attractions:

• Nashville Farmers Market: A local marketplace next to Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, with fresh produce vendors, small eateries, and seasonal events.
• Tennessee State Museum: Free-admission museum covering Tennessee’s history from its earliest inhabitants through the present day.
• Tennessee State Capitol: The state’s working capitol building, completed in 1859 and still in active use, with public and guided tours available.
• Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park: A 19-acre park built to mark Tennessee’s 200th anniversary of statehood, featuring a 200-foot granite map of the state and a World War II memorial.
• Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum: Honors the session musicians and backing bands behind decades of hit recordings across country, rock, R&B, and more.
• Johnny Cash Museum: Dedicated to the life and career of Johnny Cash, with memorabilia, instruments, and personal artifacts on display.
• Ryman Auditorium: Known as the “Mother Church of Country Music,” this historic venue was the original home of the Grand Ole Opry and still hosts live shows and tours today.
• National Museum of African American Music: The only museum dedicated to preserving and celebrating the influence of African Americans across more than 50 music genres.
• Country Music Hall of Fame: Chronicles the history of country music through rotating artist exhibits and instrument collections.
• Frist Art Museum: Housed in a former downtown post office building, this non-collecting museum hosts rotating visual art exhibitions.

Hockey fans can head to Bridgestone Arena to watch Nashville’s NHL team, the Nashville Predators, play teams from across North America. For other sporting events and concerts, take a trip to Nissan Stadium, home stadium for the Tennessee Titans and the Tigers of Tennessee State University.

9 Tours in Downtown Nashville

Downtown Nashville has several tour companies that book exciting and historic city tours. Whether you’re a city local or celebrating a weekend away with friends, there are tours that will suit your Nashville agenda. Many Music City tours combine visiting historical sites, locations with musical significance, and some of the great local food and drinks. For those looking to get a good sense of the city in a short period, doing a tour is a great way to do so!

Some tour companies located in the downtown core include:

• Downtown Segway Tour: A guided Segway tour through downtown streets and landmarks, good for covering more ground without the walking.
• Nashville Food Tours: Guided walking tours that sample food from several downtown restaurants while sharing stories about the city’s culinary scene.
• NashTrash Tours: A campy, comedy-driven bus tour aboard the “Big Pink Bus,” blending Nashville music history with irreverent local humor (18+, alcohol permitted).
• Walkin’ Nashville: A walking tour led by longtime local music journalist Bill DeMain, focused on the real stories behind Nashville’s country music legends.
• Hick Chick Tours: A guided walking pub crawl combining downtown sightseeing and honky-tonk history with stops at bars along the way.
• Old Town Trolley Tours Nashville: A hop-on, hop-off trolley tour covering major downtown landmarks, letting visitors move at their own pace.
• United Street Tours: Walking tours centered on Nashville’s African American history and civil rights heritage, led by local historians.
• Nashville History on Tour: Guided tours focused on the city’s broader historical narrative and landmark sites.
• Nashville Ghost Tours: Evening walking tours exploring the darker side of downtown Nashville’s past, including reportedly haunted sites.

Ready to make downtown Nashville your home base for exploring all of this? Our apartment locating team can help you explore available apartments near Broadway, The Gulch, or throughout Nashville based on your budget, commute preferences, desired amenities, and move-in timeline. Get in touch with a local expert to start your search. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Is downtown Nashville walkable?

Yes — most major attractions, restaurants, and bars in downtown Nashville are within walking distance of each other, particularly along Broadway and the surrounding blocks.

How much time should I plan for downtown Nashville?

A full day covers the highlights, but two days lets you comfortably fit in a museum, a food tour, and an evening out without rushing.

What’s a great way to see downtown Nashville if I only have a few hours?

A guided walking or trolley tour is the most efficient way to hit multiple landmarks quickly if time is limited.

Do I need a car to get around downtown Nashville?

Not for downtown itself, it’s compact and walkable, plus rideshare and pedicabs are widely available. A car becomes more useful if you’re venturing out to neighborhoods like 12 South or East Nashville.

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This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice