This post explains how to visit the famous Ryman Auditorium, including tour types, ticket prices, how to find savings on tickets, tips to plan your visit and more.
Our local tour guides are often asked by our guests if a Ryman tour is worth it. So they make sure to stay up to date with tour information.
We also share the opinions of visitors to the Ryman so you can see what people besides our local tour guides think.
After reading this post, you should be able to decide if visiting the Ryman Auditorium is right for you!
- Plan Your Visit
- Tour Tickets
- Show Tickets
- Money-Saving Deals
- What to Expect
- Things to Do in Nashville
PLAN YOUR VISIT TO THE RYMAN
The Ryman Auditorium is located downtown, just off Broadway (Honky Tonk Highway) at 116 5th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37219. Use this Google Map for directions there.
It is a stop on our self-guided downtown Nashville walking tour and easily accessible by foot or public transportation.
Best Times to Visit
There isn’t a bad time to visit the Ryman and the self-guided tour option is available most days.
If you're a big fan of the history of Grand Ole Opry, then try to visit November-January during Opry at the Ryman so you can take in the show and do the Post Show Backstage Tour.
If you're planning on taking the self-guided tour, try to go in the morning. It tends to get busy afternoon even on weekdays.
Ryman Auditorium Security
All visitors go through a metal detector upon entering and may be subject to secondary screening if they set off the alarm or cannot pass through the metal detector.
TOUR TICKET PRICES
Visiting the "Mother Church of Country Music" is a must for any music lover's trip to Nashville, but its unique beginnings make it an enjoyable stop for any visitor.
There are three ways to tour the Ryman Auditorium: on a self-guided tour, a guided backstage tour and a post-show Opry at the Ryman tour.
Self-Guided Tour
The self-guided tour lets you explore the auditorium and its exhibits at your own pace and watch the introductory video.
You'll also enjoy the 'Soul of Nashville' pre-tour multimedia experience.
The auditorium is open, usually 9 am - 4 pm, and you can enter at any time with a ticket.
- Ticket Prices: $35.80 per person | Children under 5 are free
- Availability: Most days 9 am - 4 pm, some days end earlier due to performance setup.
- Purchase tickets or learn more.
NOTE: Ticket costs include taxes and other fees.
TIP: This tour is included at no extra cost with the Nashville Sightseeing Pass!
The Ryman is also a stop on our self-guided audio tour of downtown Nashville.
Backstage Tour
This guided tour backstage brings you to the dressing rooms for even more stories about well-known performers and members of the Opry like Johnny Cash and Hank Williams.
These tours are only available on select dates and times based on the performance schedule.
- Ticket Prices: Adults (12+) $34.95 / Child (Under 12) $26.95
- Availability: Select dates
- Duration: 40 minutes (plus approx. 45 minutes for the self-guided portion inside the Auditorium)
- Purchase tickets or learn more.
NOTE: Ticket costs include taxes and other fees.
PRO TIP: The intro video and self-guided tour of the auditorium are included in this ticket, so you're only paying an extra $10 for the guided backstage portion.
When you get your ticket, try to time it to see the 7-minute video, Soul of Nashville before joining the next timed guided tour.
Post-Show Opry at the Ryman Tour
The Grand Ole Opry show returns home to the Ryman every winter.
After these shows, you can watch the introduction movie, Soul of Nashville, take a backstage tour of the Ryman to see behind the scenes, and take a peek at the dressing rooms.
Tickets to the Opry are not included.
- Ticket Prices: Adults (12+) $35.70 / Child (age 4-11) $32.95
- Availability: Select dates, on nights with only one Opry show scheduled
- Duration: 40 minutes (plus approx. 45 minutes for the self-guided portion)
- Purchase tickets or learn more.
*Ticket prices do not include tax and fees.
HOW TO SEE THE OPRY AT THE RYMAN AUDITORIUM
For a few months every winter, the Grand Ole Opry Show takes place in the Ryman Auditorium.
This is a great option if you're in town.
If you're visiting at other times of the year, you can still see the Grand Ole Opry Show. See how from our guide to the Grand Ole Opry House.
The show runs Tuesdays 7 pm, Fridays 7 pm & 9:30 pm, Saturdays 7 pm & 9:30 pm
Purchase tickets or learn more.
These shows are popular so we recommend getting tickets in advance, especially if you're aiming for the lower price tickets.
Here is the Ryman Auditorium seating chart for Level 1. To see Level 2 and a PDF of the seating chart, click on the image below.
HOW TO SAVE ON TICKETS
This section will cover the best deals on tickets for visiting the Ryman, including Nashville tourist passes and ticket combo packages.
Combo Ticket Packages
If you’re planning to do a few other things while you’re in Nashville, there are several different combo packages you can purchase which include tickets.
Gray Line
This company is well known for offering a variety of tours all over the world, and they also provide several great combo packages, including this service.
In addition to covering admission to the Ryman Auditorium, this combo deal also includes tickets to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
You'll also receive a 3.5-hour guided tour of Nashville!
- $103.53/Adults | $51.77/Children (ages 4-11) | Children under 4 free
- Includes Ryman self-guided tour
- Includes Country Music Hall of Fame admission
- Includes a 3.5-hour minibus guided tour of Nashville
- Purchase a combo package or learn more.
Old Town Trolley
This is one of the big hop-on-hop-off bus services in Nashville, and they offer combo tickets which include their trolley tour along with other activities including both the self-guided tour.
- Trolley + Ryman Self-Guided Tour
- Price: $60 per person
- Includes 24-hour trolley tour
- Includes Ryman self-guided tour
- Not currently available as of February 2024.
For more details about the services provided by Old Town Trolley, please read our post covering Nashville bus tours.
Nashville Sightseeing Pass
If you're planning to enjoy multiple activities and attractions while visiting Nashville, you might want to consider getting a tourist pass.
This service includes admission to multiple popular locations, including Ryman Auditorium, for one low price.
They have both a day pass and a flex pass.
The day pass allows you to get access to all of the included activities for a specific number of days, while the flex pass lets you pay for only the specific tickets you want.
Here are a few of the other tours, museums, and historical locations included with the Nashville Sightseeing Pass:
- Gray Line Nashville Bus Tour
- Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
- Musician's Hall of Fame and Museum
- Andrew Jackson's Hermitage
- Belle Meade Mansion Tour
- Lotz House Cellar Tour
- iRide Nashville Segway Tour
- Crawl of Fame Drinking Game
- Madame Tussauds
- And more!
This pass also includes additional savings on things like luggage storage, car rentals, and more.
Purchase the Nashville Sightseeing Pass or learn more.
Music City Total Access Pass
This pass includes admission to four attractions of your choice as well as tickets for both the Parthenon and the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.
One of the attractions you can choose from is the Ryman Auditorium self-guided Tour.
The pass has over 30 activities to choose from, including popular destinations like the Grand Ole Opry House, Historic RCA Studio B, Country Music Hall of Fame, and more.
The pass also gets you 25% off select Gray Line sightseeing tours.
The Music City Total Access Pass is $129.
Considering that the Ryman Tour alone is nearly one-third the cost of the pass, it’s not hard to see how you could save money with this service.
For more details, read our post on how you can save money with a Nashville tourist attraction pass.
Money-Saving Websites
If you’re looking for an easy way to save money on tickets that don’t require you to pay for other activities, make sure to check sites like Groupon and Living Social.
Both of these services sometimes offer deals on either the tours or a live show.
On top of that, each company has flash sales where you can save another 10-20% off these activities and others.
Military Discount
Currently, the Ryman does not offer reduced-rate tickets to members of the military. This could change in the future though.
AAA Discount
Currently, the Ryman does not offer reduced-rate tickets to AAA members. This could change in the future though.
WHAT TO EXPECT AT THE RYMAN AUDITORIUM
The following section will cover what you will see while taking a tour at the Ryman.
The self-guided tour is included with backstage tour tickets as well.
You can do it before or after your timed backstage tour.
Soul of Nashville Introduction Video
This 100-seat theatre welcomes you to the Ryman with a state-of-the-art movie experience. With surrounding screens, you will feel like you are in the center of the show.
Try to watch this first but it is easy to skip if you'd rather (though we don't recommend doing that)
Hatch Print Gallery
See a collection of historic Hatch Print posters.
Exhibits on the Self-Guided Tour
- “Workin’ on a Building”
- “Showplace of the South”
- “Mother Church of Country Music”
- “Ryman Stage to Screen”
- “Ryman Renaissance”
They suggest you start on the upper level of the auditorium. There is an elevator if needed.
You can walk around at your own pace and there is a docent or two who can handle questions.
The exhibits are at the back of the auditorium but you can also go down and sit in the seats or take a closer look at the controls for the lights and sounds.
You also get the chance to go down to the bottom level and even stand on stage behind a historic Ryman-labelled mic for a professional souvenir photo.
Souvenir Photo
These are FREE! You will need your ticket to pick them up, however.
Make a Record
By far the coolest souvenir gift ... you have a chance to record a song in the recording studio! They'll even give you a copy to take home.
Choose from a set list of songs or bring your own sheet music for their accompanist. There is an additional cost for this experience.
A couple of things to note
- This is a working concert venue so things may be closed depending on the needs of a performance.
- Photographs are welcome on the self-guided tour but not on the backstage tour.
- Both tours are wheelchair and stroller-friendly.
WHAT TRAVELERS AND LOCALS HAD TO SAY ABOUT THE RYMAN
The question most people planning a trip to Nashville is, “Is going on a tour of the Ryman Auditorium worth it?”
Having reviewed hundreds of comments, we could not find anyone with a bad opinion of the Ryman tours!
Here is a small sampling of comments from Nashville travel Facebook groups like Visit Nashville.
No matter how hard we tried, we just couldn't find a negative comment about the Ryman tours!
If you weren't sure about touring the Ryman, maybe you’ve been persuaded now. If you do go, enjoy!
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