Guests' reviews
Julie Tracy | Mar 3, 2018
The most magical place in Nashville. I've enjoyed every show I've seen here. The accoustics are amazing, and you can feel the music through the wood pews. There's not really a bad seat in the house, but my preference is the middle of the balcony. Plan on taking the tour also. So much history at The Mother Church of Country Music. Nice gift shop, and the food at Cafe Lula's is good and not overly expensive.
David Allen | Feb 19, 2018
From you moment you walk in you know that this is going to be an amazing few hours! If you love country music....either Country and Western, New Country or Country Rock... You know you will enjoy this visit. We had the self guided walk around tour, we got to stand on THE stage, and sit in the pews. There is so much to see, so much to learn and about a million photo opportunities! No visit to Nashville would be complete without going to the Ryman.
John Sommers | Feb 24, 2018
Great venue. The sound and closeness to the stage were better than expected. The seats are church pews and they do not have cushions so I was happy to stand up halfway through the show. Also , I think they are 20-21 inch widths so it can be a bit tight. If you have a chance you should definitely go.
Tom K. | Feb 17, 2018
If you like music, or history or better yet both....just go. A true must visit when in Nashville. 🌟 We couldn't get tickets for the back stage tour due to limited slots because of a performance when we visited, but the self guided was more than sufficient. The introductory mini movie is a Disney-ish pleasure, but with southern charm and humor. Once you have the "Ryman basics" down, head in
and explore. From the original oak wood pews to the charming stained glass windows, the soul of this place is palpable. Envision all the singers, actors, musicians, preachers and politicians to have graced the stage and you can't help but be moved. The tour provides as much or little detail as you want. My recommendation? Grab a seat, close your eyes and enjoy!
Halle Edwards | Jan 13, 2018
I would recommend a tour of the Ryman if you are visiting Nashville. It starts with a superb introductory video that tells you about the rich history of the Ryman. The video is one of the highlights of the tour as it really immerses you in the atmosphere of the place. From there, it is a self guided tour through the auditorium. You can even take some time out to sit in the pews or get your photo on the stage. Expect to spend about 1-1.5 hours here.
Sheree Hall | Apr 27, 2018
A wonderful venue for a concert. Not a bad seat in the house. The acoustics are good. You can get food in the restaurant before the concert or eat snacks and drink wine during the concert. Valet parking is available. I will definitely be back.
Nicole A | Apr 8, 2018
It's amazing to walk through this hall and learn all about the history here. We took the guided tour and got to go back stage, which I would highly recommend. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and entertaining. You can get your picture taken on stage or record a song if you'd like. Would definitely recommend even if you aren't a country fan just to hear the history
Carolyn Briggs | Apr 18, 2018
I would highly recommend touring the Ryman if you only have a day or two to spend in the city. You will learn about the history of Nashville and more. The building is beautiful and has been wonderfully restored. Don`t worry if you are not a country music fan. I am not- this tour will surprise you. I suggest taking the guided tour because they will take you backstage and into some of the dressing rooms.
Bill D - | Mar 5, 2018
The Ryman Auditorium is a must see in Nashville! There is no other venue in America that has such rich history and such ongoing interest from musicians of all genres. Playing the Ryman is an honor that professional musicians covet even today.
If you love music and music history you must be sure to get the backstage tour. See the stage from the wings, see the dressing rooms and the back stairs, the places where now famous musicians waited before their performances. The spirit of thousands of performers and hundreds of thousands of patrons reside within these walls and you can sense it.
Outside walk the alley by the back door and see the ghosts of performers past arriving and departing the greatest theatre and some of their greatest performances. Enjoy a visit to what is a national treasure.
Paige Sullivan | Apr 27, 2018
This is an absolute must see! We chose the self guided tour and enjoyed it ! The history in this building just gives you the chills. It has been very well maintained after the renovation. The opening video is one of the coolest things I have ever seen on a historical tour !
melissa moran | Jun 4, 2018
Beautiful venue! Great show, kind staff. I liked seeing the comedy show here in this more intimate setting rather than seeing something at 1 of the big arenas! They only have Pepsi products tho & alcohol so we had to go to Cafe Luna before the show to get a sweet tea.
Patrick Robinson | May 21, 2018
5/20/2018 Tyler Childers
I'm not sure you can find a more professional experience in any venue than the Ryman Auditorium. Not only is it a simple process to enter the auditorium, it is also then as convenient to have very friendly Usher's that personally walk you to your seats. The auditorium is not like your typical venue. This place feels more like a church than an Auditorium and in that respect it is great. The wooden floors underneath you and the church pews that you sit on allow you to be comfortable as well as stomp your feet to the music. You can feel everyone involved singing as one. The sound quality is the best I've ever heard in my life. Perfectly mixed guitars, bass, drums, fiddle, and steel guitar all coming through at absolute precision. In no way is the sound overpowering. I could go on and on. Let's say if you've not been to the Ryman I would suggest you go there before you die.
Luke McLaughlin | May 23, 2018
Acoustically impeccable. The best sound I've ever heard in a concert venue. Big enough to feel significant, yet small enough to feel intimate. We loved our time at this historic venue and cant wait to see another show.
Fleet Foxes were amazing!!!
Matt Latsha | Jun 25, 2018
I took the self-guided tour, and it's probably not worth it. If you're just going to check out everything on your own. It's probably best to just wait until you catch a show. It's a beautiful venue and super-historical.
It is very self-congratulatory, and it clearly focuses way too much on stars since reopening. They loved pointing out that Widespread Panic performed there.
I was also surprised that the staff member could not name any of the early preachers from it's early days. There was a timeline wall that answered my questions, but it was a relevant thing and I would have loved to have gotten an answer from the staff.
It's a cool place, but if you're there for the tour, pay to get the guided backstage tour.
Mary Waynick | Jun 30, 2018
This was the first time I've gone to a show at the Ryman. Walking into a place so rich with history was such an amazing feeling. Just thinking of all the talent that has crossed that stage is awesome! The acoustic was very pleasing as well.
If you haven't taken in a show at the Ryman, you are truly missing out.
Chris Kaylor | Jun 20, 2018
Pay for better seats than I did, the balcony is lower than you think and it sucks ducking the whole show. But, every seat seems like it's a really great view of the stage. They're wooden church pews and I could see it getting crowded for more popular shows.
If you're tall, don't bother with anything under the balcony, crouching and trying to keep your knees and backs of your calves off the pews is not comfortable. Not that the balcony is low enough to hit your head, it's that the front of the balcony is low enough to cut off the view of the performers shoulders and up. I can say that I've seen modest mouse. And also that I haven't "seen" modest mouse... The place is beautiful and sounds amazing. Man, wish I would have read my review before I went for the first time.....
Anthony Pegues | Jun 23, 2018
Wow! What a Really Neat Place! We Loved it even though we’re not big Country Music Fans. The History of this Place is sooo interesting! We Loved the Tour, our Guide was Great! This is the Best Tour/attraction we saw while in Nashville and we saw a bunch. Don’t miss out!! This is one of those “Must See” Places in Nashville.
Elizabeth F | Jul 4, 2018
I have never been to such a cool venue! Saw Fleet Foxes here and the experience was great. Helpful and polite staff too. Absolutely a must if you are a visitor to Nashville. Any show would be amazing here I'm sure.
Chris turner | Jul 27, 2018
This was a trip you could make as long or short as you wished. We did the non guided tour and started with the history show in the little theatre. This was short but way way better than we expected. After this you can hang out in the aim theatre and look at the exhibits, which are interesting even if country is not completely your thing. I really enjoyed it and even the youngest managed to keep it together...
Anya Dobbs | Aug 14, 2018
Nice, small, intimate venue. Although the view from my seat was obstructed, it was still a pretty good view. I would not have bought the ticket though had ticketmaster informed of the obstructed view. I would definitely go to another concert here as there seemed to be no bad seats unless stuck behind one of the poles. I took one start away, as the seating is not very comfortable. It's old wooden church pews and I was sliding a little bit. It would be nice if they added some cushioning to them to help with the comfort and sliding.
