Sightseeing
I googled self-guided walking tours in Nashville and found one that seemed doable and gave loads of background info, so Todd and I set out on our first full day with warm, sunny weather. First word of caution – walking is The Way. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes.
We walked down First Avenue which runs along the Cumberland River, boarded up historical buildings on the left under varying stages of renovation. We passed the Fort of Nashborough History Center on the right, a newer and “more inclusive” representation of the late 1700s fort built to house Nashville’s first families and the history surrounding that period. In broad daylight there were half a dozen homeless camped out there and so we didn’t check it out. (A bit off-putting if I’m honest.)
We turned right onto Broadway. Acme Feed & Seed is on the corner opposite – a recommendation that we never made it to. The Hard Rock Café is across the street, to its left on the corner of 2nd Avenue is an old red brick building that used to be The Silver Dollar Saloon built in 1893. What’s interesting about this place is that back in that time there was an area in Nashville known as the Men’s Quarter – men of a certain class went there for drinking, gambling, and the company of disreputable ladies – however, this saloon catered to working men from the riverboats. It now serves as Hard Rock’s gift shop.
At night on Broadway in front of the Hard Rock, there are neon-lighted horse drawn carriages for hire. Across the street is where we picked up a cab to drive us back to the hotel (FYI, make sure it actually IS a “cab”) when we were out after the last shuttle (9 p.m. – a bit early for a vacation, if you ask me). It cost us roughly $30 for the 10-minute ride across the bridge.
The “Men’s Quarter” was an area of 4th Avenue around Printer’s Alley with prominent saloons, barbershops, and suit sellers where “no woman who valued her reputation” would be found walking. It was home to the Maxwell House Hotel, the Utopia Hotel, and Climax Saloon. Southern Turf opened in 1885 in a Queen Anne-style building that is on the National Register of Historic Places. Sinatra Bar & Lounge opened in this space just this year, though it didn’t appear to be open when we passed by.
In the basement of the Southern Turf building is Skulls Rainbow Room, which I spotted on our first walk into Downtown as we walked down First Avenue. The entrance belies its 4,000-square-foot space and looked suspect but intriguing from my view but I made a mental note to look it up later (and of course I forgot). It opened in 1948 by David “Skull” Schulman with speakeasy vibes, live music, and burlesque shows. Famous checkerboard stage had featured Elvis Presley, Etta James, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Paul McCartney, Patsy Cline, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Willie Nelson played as part of the house band.
We walked through the historic Printer’s Alley which, in the early 1900s was home to 13 publishers and 10 printers, the last one left in 1977. During Prohibition it was also home to speakeasys and restaurants where “patrons brought their own [alcohol].” We took a photo of the arched sign, but I guess I missed a lot because I didn’t really see anything else.
The Arcade, formerly Overton Alley and located between Fourth and Fifth Avenues, was Nashville’s first shopping center. A local business owner had convinced shops and businesses to create an enclosed walkway and in 1903 the area opened with reportedly more than a quarter of the population showing up. There appeared to be a lot of construction/renovation going on in the area around it and Fourth Avenue, and I only peered into it from the street and around the corner on Union Street – did not look inviting so we kept walking.
On Fifth Avenue is The Ryman Auditorium – the “Mother Church of Country Music” – we did not tour (booo!) but took some exterior photos of it and the mural on the parking garage. Nashville is full of murals and it’s definitely a must-do. There’s even a guided, golf cart tour of Nashville’s murals.
Sidebar – one of the most well-known murals, What Lifts You, is a 23-feet-high pair of intricate, white lace wings against a black wall that is located in an area called The Gulch. The Gulch was both recommended for and against when visiting Nashville and, as we only had three days, we were content to stay downtown for our adventures. Until the last day when we had packed up and were departing – we went looking for it, using the stupid-GPS-Apple-CarPlay-is-so-much-better, which led us to park directly across the street from it and I was the fool who led us in a giant circle around two blocks looking for it before realizing my mistake. There was a short line for photo ops and we got ours so I was happy. Bonus, we saw several other murals on our walkabout.
Further up 5th Avenue, renamed John Lewis Way in 2020, is the Downtown Presbyterian Church. Its first structure opened in 1816, burned down in 1832; the second structure burned down in 1848 and the present Egyptian Revival-style sanctuary replaced it. President Andrew Jackson was a member and later, it served as a military hospital during the Civil War. It continued to be a refuge for folks during floods in the 1920s and for soldiers during WWII. A huge mural of John Lewis gazes at the church from across the street.
Back to Broadway at the corner of Fifth Avenue is Legends Corner, a classic honky tonk with a mural of country music “Legends” on the side of the building facing Fifth Avenue. You’ll need to cross the avenue to take a decent photo and timing is everything because – people. It took me forever to get a photo without someone walking in front of it and then some woman stopped on her cell phone to have an entire conversation DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF IT, completely oblivious of the people trying to shoot a photo. So, she is forever captured in one of my photos, which I’ve shared below, so she can be marginally famous with my handful of readers.
We visited the Johnny Cash museum on 3rd Avenue South, just off of Broadway. Inside is a large gift shop where you purchase tickets and at the entrance to the museum is a tall man who looks like Johnny Cash who runs down the rules and welcomes you to take all the time you want. I really enjoyed all the memorabilia but it’s a smallish space so when it gets crowded it can be a bit tough to see everything unless you have enormous patience. Again because – people.
Broadway itself has plenty to keep you busy on a short Nashville vacation and for us – some of the items on my pre-planning itinerary list got scrapped – we were happy just walking at our own pace and desires. Still, I’m regretting not seeing a show at the Grand Ole Opry (must plan ahead for these – sell out fast) and touring the Ryman.
Extras :
I’m not sure why I was surprised to see so many homeless people on the streets of Nashville. To be fair, it’s been quite a while since I spent any time in a city; however, my first siting was sleeping on the steps of Downtown Dental as we turned the corner of Union Street coming from the Woodland Street Bridge. Only then did I take a longer look at the Nashville Public Square Park across the street. Several folks along First Avenue and the riverfront and scattered throughout Broadway – some reclining on the curb, others wandering about. Some carrying signs I assumed to be the usual appeals for cash, though the one offering “Free butt sniffs” made me look twice.
The Maxwell House Hotel was named after owner Colonel John Overton’s wife (Harriet Maxwell Overton). The hotel had quite a storied past – including the first national meeting of the Ku Klux Klan in 1867 – with many famous historical guests including Jane Adams, Annie Oakley, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford and seven U.S. Presidents. There was a separate entrance for women due to the Men’s Quarter’s unsavory reputation. The coffee we all know was named for this hotel. Fire destroyed the hotel on Christmas night in 1961.
The Climax Saloon, opened in 1887 in the Men’s Quarters, was a place for all manner of vice – drinking, gambling, and prostitution (on the third floor). In 2016 the building, having fallen into neglect for over eighty-five years, was demolished. The façade remains and was incorporated into the Dream Nashville Hotel.
David “Skulls” Schulman, the “Mayor of Printer Alley,” who opened Skulls Rainbow Room in 1948 was a beloved and flamboyant character known for his elaborate attire and his generosity. He loaned Tim McGraw money and brought people from the music industry to see him play before anyone knew his name. He was often seen strolling his pet Poodles, one a gift from Elvis, on rhinestone-studded leashes. He was murdered in 1998 by two drifters who came to rob him. He was 80 years old. Skulls then closed for 17 years, only reopening in “quietly” in 2015 after massive renovations preserving the legacy and integrity of the historical building.
The Tara Chronicles 