What Is Broadway Nashville?
- 3 sections
- 1 table
- 6 sources cited
Broadway is one of downtown Nashville’s main streets, and it includes Lower Broadway, the stretch from 1st Avenue to 5th Avenue near the Cumberland River that is lined with honky-tonks and live music. The Broadway Historic District, also called the Honky Tonk Highway, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 18, 1980. Today, bands play in bars along the strip from as early as 10 a.m., and the Ryman Auditorium, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and Bridgestone Arena are all within a few blocks.
A Short History
- Broad Street. The street was originally named Broad Street, and its eastern end met the shipping docks on the Cumberland River; it was one of the first east-west roads in Nashville, and the city’s first public high school was built on it in 1875.
- Music arrives. Jimmie Rodgers began performing in bars along Broadway near the river in the 1930s, and a music scene grew on Lower Broadway.
- Decline and return. Broadway’s popularity fell for a time after the Grand Ole Opry left the Ryman Auditorium in 1974, then came back.
Source: Wikipedia on Broadway.
What Is on Lower Broadway Now
| Place | What it is | Detail from its own site |
|---|---|---|
| Robert's Western World | traditional country honky-tonk | open 10 a.m. to 3 a.m. every day; all ages until 6 p.m., 21 and up after |
| Tootsie's Orchid Lounge | honky-tonk with a purple front | Hattie Louise "Tootsie" Bess bought the lounge, then called Mom's, in 1960; a painter mistakenly painted the exterior purple |
| Legends Corner and The Stage on Broadway | honky-tonks with bands all day | posted band sets run from 10 a.m. to about 2:30 a.m. |
| Layla's | honky-tonk at 418 Broadway | see its site |
Each detail is from the bar’s own site: Robert’s Western World, Tootsie’s, Legends Corner, The Stage, and Layla’s.
Nearby: the Ryman sits half a block north of Broadway between Fourth and Fifth Avenues, the Country Music Hall of Fame is at 222 Rep. John Lewis Way South, and Bridgestone Arena is at 501 Broadway.
How to Use It
Broadway is a public street, so walking it costs nothing; what each bar charges and who it admits is up to the bar. For a calmer visit, go in the late morning or afternoon, when bands are already playing. The rules on entry, age limits, and tipping are in whether Broadway is free to enter, and which honky-tonks to choose is in the best honky-tonks on Broadway.