The Frist Center for Visual Arts ThestrikingArt Deco structure of the Frist Center for the Visual Arts beckons in downtown Nashville as a highly visible landmark. Originally built as the Nashville post office in 1934, the building now boasts 24,000 square feet of gallery space. The Frist Center offers popular family outings with hands on workshops for kids and an impressive collection of exhibits. The array ofexhibitsand collections dazzle young and old alike but the most constant and popular artwork is probably the building itself. Every first Saturday of the month, architecture tours that explore the building’s Art Deco treasures that were constructed in the heart of the Great Depression provide a great overview of the center. Through May 28, ’Fairy Tales, Monsters, and The Genetic Imagination” will be highlighted. The exhibit presents works by contemporary artists who createhuman like, hybrid creatures that symbolize life’s mysteries, fe...[more »]

Nashville's Athena Parthenos Nashville may be closely associated with country music and live performances but the Music City nickname is a relatively recent association. Up until the 1940s, Nashville was called “Athens of the South” because of all the universities, museums and cultural activities. Accordingly, the city’s most stunning landmark is a replica of the Athenian Parthenon. As the focal point for Centennial Park, a tour of this dramatic building is a Nashville must do. Originally constructed forTennessee’s1897 Centennial Exposition, the Nashville Parthenon is such an exact replica of the Athenian original that Greek builders came to Nashville to study the structure when they wanted to restore the ancient Athenian Parthenon. The towering columns and attention to detail are impressive up close but the show stopper is the gilded Athena statue. Looming 41 feet, 10 inches and weighing 12 tons, Athena Parthenos is a jaw-dropping spectacl...[more »]

Tootsie's Orchid Lounge If you’ve ever stepped foot in Nashville, you know that they don’t call it music city for nothing. This vibrant city is legendary as the county music capital but it’s not just country music that you’ll hear. Walking through the airport, I was greeted with the tightest rock band I had heard in a while. Browsing Nashville shops, restaurants and bars, I often spotted a stage where musicians would play all day and night. I heard jazz, gospel, pop and lots of country music during my visit but you can’t grab the full experience until you visit Nashville’s famed honky tonks. A wall of boots at Roberts Before I traveled to Nashville, I never realized that honky tonk can be used as a verb but that’s how I heard my nightly forays into the crowded, whiskey-soaked bars that line Broadway in downtown Nashville described. Making my way to the area, I heard the live music blasting four blocks away. Even crossing the street ...[more »]