Winter Activities in Nashville, Tennessee

Sometimes getting out and doing something interesting is a sure cure for the winter- time blues. There's always something fun going on in Nashville in the winter, which may or may not include music. After all, Nashville is called Music City USA for a reason and music doesn't stop in the winter. Nashville is probably best known for country music and country music celebrities, and it certainly has no shortage of either.

There are a few legendary nightclubs in downtown Nashville where many country music stars got their start and where there will probably always be new talent discovered. One such famous place to stop in is Tootsie's Orchid Lounge at 422 Broadway in Nashville. Another place to get out of the winter chill and enjoy a little bluegrass music is the Station Inn at 402 Twelfth Avenue South. You can warm up on pizza and beer, but the place is small and fills up quickly so plan on coming early. There's always the Wildhorse Saloon to eat, drink and line dance the winter night away. They have live entertainment every night of the week and free line dance lessons are given every day. The Wildhorse Saloon has a full menu and is famous for its barbecue.

Just in case you haven't had your fill of country music, don't forget to check out the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville. Besides whatever current exhibit is presented at the museum, there will always be the whole history of country music to learn about in Nashville.

In case you've definitely had enough country music this winter but still want to see something interesting in Nashville, maybe a different museum would fit the need. The Frist Center for the Visual Arts always has something unique to see for the art lover. Museums are a great way to spend time out of the winter weather and can be an educational experience for the whole family. The Frist Center has two great art displays this winter in Nashville. The first is "Extra-Ordinary: The Everyday Object in American Art" and will be here through February 11, 2007. This art collection has over seventy paintings, drawings, photographs, prints, and sculpture from the Whitney Museum of American Art and it challenges traditional definitions of art while documenting twentieth- century American culture. Some well- known works by Andy Warhol are included in this art exhibit while it's in Nashville.

Another great art exhibit at the Frist Center this winter is a must-see for the jewelry and art lover. This exhibit is called "Bedazzled: 5000 Years of Jewelry from The Walters Art Museum" and is sponsored by The Tiffany and Company Foundation. This exhibit from The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore is one of the few museums in the world that can provide an assortment of jewelry from more than 5000 years of world history and a vast array of cultures. This exquisite collection contains beautiful renowned ancient pieces such as a Syrian gold crown from the second millennium B.C., an Egyptian necklace from the first millennium B.C. and a diamond necklace made by Tiffany and Company in the early twentieth century.

A great winter activity for the kids is a trip to the Adventure Science Center at 800 Fort Negley Blvd. in Nashville. This is a great place for children to learn and burn energy at the same time. They get hand-on learning is an environment that is much too entertaining to call a museum. There is also a huge tower in the center of the building for climbing and exploring, lots of year-round exhibits plus special learning exhibits on display for a limited amount of time. This winter there is an exhibit appropriately called "Winter Wonders" where the kids can walk in a cyber snowstorm and feel as if they are turning into a snowman. They can build an igloo or have a virtual snowball fight, create a blizzard in the Winter Village and even have an adventurous ride in a bobsled simulator. Depending on Nashville's weather, this virtual snow may also be the only thing available this winter! We have a saying in middle Tennessee though, "If you don't like the weather, just stick around another day!" This saying speaks the truth, because you never know when it will change and winter is no exception.

Winter is also a great time to see a live theater show at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center in downtown Nashville. TPAC is located in the James K. Polk Cultural Center at 505 Deaderick Street. The musical "CATS" is one of Broadway's longest-running shows and is in Nashville from January 19th through the 21st . This musical features twenty of Andrew Lloyd Webber's classic melodies. The next musical at TPAC is "The Rat Pack: Live at The Sands" and celebrates the legendary entertainers Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr. And Dean Martin. This show runs February 6th through the 11th.

Nashville has something to please just about everyone and every taste in entertainment. Even though Nashville is known as the Country Music Capital of the World, there really is so much more music and activities available in Nashville. If classical is the preference, then there is The Nashville Symphony at the new Schermerhorn Symphony Center at One Symphony Place. There is Nashville Ballet at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center's Polk Theater as well as Nashville Opera. In fact, the Nashville Opera will be performing "Romeo and Juliet" at the Polk Theater through February 3rd. This is just a few of the wonderful ways to spend a winter evening in Nashville.