If youre buying a home for sale in Nashville, you need to get the inside scoop as quickly as you can so start with this list of the seven quirkiest attractions in the city.
7 Quirky Attractions You Need to See if Youre Moving to Nashville
Check out these off-the-beaten-path attractions you can see after you move to Nashville:
- Hatch Show Print
- The mens bathroom at the Hermitage Hotel
- Timothy Demonbreuns Cave
- The Old Tennessee State Prison
- George Boedeckers Sculpture Garden
- Dragon Park
- Ryman Alley
Heres a closer look at each.
Hatch Show Print
As one of the oldest letterpress print shops in the country, Hatch Show Print was founded in 1879. This shop, still fully functional, is located inside the Country Music Hall of Fame, but it used to be located directly behind the famous Ryman Auditorium (it was relocated in 2013). The shop is known for creating playbills for all kinds of famous people, and its definitely worth checking out.
The Mens Bathroom at the Hermitage Hotel
The Hermitage Hotel, opened in 1910, sits in the heart of Nashville and features spectacular architecture but its claim to fame may surprise you. The mens restroom (really!) features beautiful art deco style, and because it was so popular with guests, the hotel has opened it to women so nobody has to miss out.
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Timothy Demonbreuns Cave
Nestled in a crack in the rock walling the Cumberland River, Timothy Demonbreuns Cave was once the home of the areas famed fur trapper. Demonbreun was the son of French-Canadian nobility, but he left all that behind to become a fur trader in Tennessee; he stayed in the cave for several months, and you can visit it as a protected national landmark today.
The Old Tennessee State Prison
The Old Tennessee State Prison is now defunct, but its been the setting for several movies including The Green Mile (1999). The prison is surrounded by towering walls and barbed wire, but you can get a glimpse of it from outside or you can sign up for the annual TDOC Prison 5K Run/Walk, which goes directly on the grounds.
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George Boedeckers Sculpture Garden
George Boedeckers Sculpture Garden wasnt originally built as a tourist attraction, but its well on its way to becoming one. Originally created to delight Boedeckers grandkids, its teeming with statues of dinosaurs, a tiger and a bear, and so much more.
Dragon Park
Known as Dragon Park by the locals (but as Fannie Mae Dees Park by the city government), this park was once a piece of land between Vanderbilt and Belmont Universities. The land was seized during a phase of renewal efforts in the area, and Dees the woman after whom the park is named protested by displaying a coffin in her front yard to signify the death of the neighborhood. She battled city hall relentlessly, and today, the park delights kids with a huge tile sculpture of a sea serpent created by locals.
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Ryman Alley
Hidden in plain sight, Ryman Alley is the small walkway that connects the Ryman Auditorium (which used to house the Grand Ole Opry) and Tootsies Orchid Lounge. Though it doesnt look like much, its where legends such as Willie Nelson, Hank Williams and Patsy Cline strolled between the two venues. Its also a local legend that in the 1950s, two boys sang and played guitar in the alley every night, hoping to catch someones attention and they got their big break when Chet Atkins gave them a shot at performing on stage with him. They went on to become the famed Everly Brothers.
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