Ryman Auditorium
Historic performance venue in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. Built 1892 by Hugh Cathcart Thompson. Added to the National Register in 1971, and a National Historic Landmark.
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What it is
Ryman Auditorium is a historic 2,362-seat live-performance venue and museum located at 116 Rep. John Lewis Way North, in the downtown core of Nashville, Tennessee, United States. It is best known as the home of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943 to 1974. It is owned and operated by Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. Ryman Auditorium was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and was later designated as a National Historic Landmark on June 25, 2001, for its pivotal role in the popularization of country music. A storied stage for Rock & Roll artists for decades, the Ryman was named a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Landmark in 2022.
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The record
| Property type | Building |
| Address | 116 Fifth Ave. North, Nashville, TN |
| County | Davidson County |
| Listed | May 6, 1971 |
| Listed for | Religion, Performing arts |
| Level of significance | National |
| Also known as | Grand Old Opry House; Union Gospel Tabernacle |
| Reference number | 71000819 |
| Built | 1892 · more from the 1890s |
| Architect | Hugh Cathcart Thompson |
| Type of place | performing arts center, music venue, theatre building |
| Designations | National Historic Landmark |
| Contributing resources | 1 building |
Visiting
| Address | 116 Fifth Ave. North, Nashville, TN |
| Website | ryman.com ↗ |
| Coordinates | 36.1608° N, 86.7789° W · Directions ↗ |
| Also in Nashville | 174 listed places in Nashville → |
| Nearest national park unit | Stones River National Battlefield · 28 miles · on Park Atlas |
| Federal campgrounds nearby | Cook Day Use Area 10 miles · Anderson Road Campground 10 miles · Old Hickory Beach 11 miles |
Explore
Drawings & photographs
Measured drawings and photographs from the Library of Congress. Public domain. All 1 record ↗
Map
Nearby in Davidson County
Local history books for Nashville
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Guidebooks to historic places and travel in Tennessee
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
When was Ryman Auditorium listed on the National Register?
May 6, 1971. It is also a National Historic Landmark, the higher of the two designations.
Source: National Park Service
When was Ryman Auditorium built?
1892, designed by Hugh Cathcart Thompson.
Source: Wikidata
Can I visit Ryman Auditorium?
Yes. Ryman Auditorium is recorded as open to the public, and hours are on the official website.
Source: Official website
Where is Ryman Auditorium?
116 Fifth Ave. North, Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee. The nearest national park unit is Stones River National Battlefield, 28 miles away.
Are there historic photographs or drawings of Ryman Auditorium?
Yes. The Historic American Buildings Survey at the Library of Congress has drawings or photographs of it.
Source: Library of Congress
Are there campgrounds near Ryman Auditorium?
Three federal campgrounds are within reach. The closest is Cook Day Use Area, 10 miles away. Anderson Road Campground is 10 miles away, and Old Hickory Beach is 11 miles away.
Source: Campsite Atlas
Is there cell service at Ryman Auditorium?
FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G at the listed point. Coverage indoors and behind old masonry is another matter.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
Sources
Location, type and contributing counts come from the National Park Service's National Register spatial data. Listing dates come from the National Register office's spreadsheet where it carries the listing. Construction date, architect, style, photograph and encyclopedia link come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, matched on reference number 71000819. Nothing here is transcribed by hand. The nomination form and photographs ↗ at NPGallery are the original nomination as filed with the National Park Service, and the form is often the best description of the place. The description under "What it is" is the opening of the Wikipedia article, CC BY-SA. Drawings and photographs are Historic American Buildings Survey records at the Library of Congress, public domain.