Museums and theaters in Tennessee

Music & Heritage Sites

This collection highlights Tennessee's pivotal role in American music and social history. Explore the origins of country at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium and Grand Ole Opry House, or delve into soul and rock at Memphis's Stax Museum and Graceland. Beyond music, the list includes the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel and the historic Hermitage, home of Andrew Jackson. These venues and museums preserve the legacies of Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash alongside significant architectural landmarks and civil rights sites across the state.

Michael Rivera / CC BY-SA 4.0

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the world's largest museums and research centers dedicated to…

Public domain

Grand Ole Opry House

The Grand Ole Opry is a regular live country-music radio broadcast originating from Nashville, Tennessee, on WSM, held between two and five…

Mr. Littlehand / CC BY 2.0

Graceland

Graceland is a mansion on a 13.8-acre estate in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, once owned by American singer Elvis Presley.

Adam Jones, Ph.D. / CC BY-SA 3.0

National Civil Rights Museum

The National Civil Rights Museum is a complex of museums and historic buildings in Memphis, Tennessee; its exhibits trace the history of…

CC BY 2.5

Stax Museum

The Stax Museum of American Soul Music is a museum located in Memphis, Tennessee, at 926 East McLemore Avenue, the original location of…

Zpb52 / CC BY-SA 4.0

Ryman Auditorium

Ryman Auditorium is a 2,362-seat live-performance venue located at 116 5th Avenue North, in Nashville, Tennessee.

Michael Rivera / CC BY-SA 4.0

Johnny Cash Museum

Discover the world of the world-famous musician Johnny Cash. You'll learn about his life here as well as see various memorabilia.

Thomas R Machnitzki / CC BY-SA 3.0

Museum of Science and History, Pink Palace

The Museum of Science & History - Pink Palace in Memphis, Tennessee, serves as the Mid-South's major science and historical museum and…

Ed! / CC BY-SA 3.0

Frist Center for the Visual Arts

The Frist Art Museum, formerly known as the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, is an art exhibition hall in Nashville, Tennessee, housed in…

Nash424 / CC BY-SA 3.0

Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum

The Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville honors all musicians regardless of genre or instrument.

Cliff / CC BY 2.0

RCA Studio B

RCA Studio B was a music recording studio built in 1956 in Nashville, Tennessee by RCA Victor.

Jim Bowen / CC BY 2.0

Hermitage

The Hermitage is a historical museum located in Davidson County, Tennessee, United States, 10 miles east of downtown Nashville.

NatureBoyMD / Public domain

Belle Meade Plantation

Belle Meade Historic Site and Winery, located in Belle Meade, Tennessee, is a historic house that is now operated as an attraction, museum,…

Memphis Rock 'N Soul Museum

Developed by the Smithsonian Institution, this museum explores the birth of rock and soul music. Exhibits document the social and economic conditions that shaped the Memphis sound, featuring original instruments, costumes, and recording equipment from the early 20th century.

Thomas R Machnitzki / CC BY-SA 3.0

The Cotton Museum at the Memphis Cotton Exchange

The Memphis Cotton Exchange is located in downtown Memphis, Tennessee, United States, on the corner of Front Street and Union Avenue.

The Orpheum

Opened in 1928 on the site of the former Grand Opera House, this Memphis landmark features a restored Wurlitzer organ and Beaux-Arts architectural details. It transitioned from a vaudeville palace to a premier venue for Broadway touring productions and concerts.

Bijou Theatre

Located in Knoxville, this theater opened in 1909 as an addition to the 1817 Lamar House Hotel. It is one of East Tennessee's oldest performance spaces, having served as a vaudeville house, movie theater, and site for historic political rallies.