October 16, 2023

RYMAN AUDITORIUM

116 5th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37219

“Ryman Auditorium is a historic 2,362-seat live-performance venue located at 116 Rep. John Lewis Way North, in the downtown core of Nashville, Tennessee, United States.  A Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Landmark, National Historic Landmark, and the former home of the Grand Ole Opry, it is one of the most influential and revered concert halls in the world” - Wikipedia

In my mind, no trip to Nashville would be complete without going to see the Ryman, but it took my third visit to the city to finally tour this historic landmark.  I took the self-guided tour, which sufficiently exposed me to the history of the building and the people who have made it the legendary concert hall that it is.  There is a guided tour which I’m sure would have regaled me with many anecdotal stories, but I was fine without those.  The tour starts with an impressive multi-media presentation explaining the history, as told by Lula C. Naff, who started booking acts into the Ryman and eventually was named the official manager of the auditorium. 

Walking through the auditorium with its pews for seating (it was actually built to be a tabernacle for revivalist shows), it wasn’t hard to imagine many diverse entertainers who graced the stage.  Possibly the only thing better than touring the auditorium would have been to see a show there, which is still possible.  A band was setting up for a concert that evening.