Nashville (Taylor's Version): 10 best things to do in Nashville for Taylor Swift fans (2024)

Taylor Swift looking fabulous on the red carpet at the Nashville Songwriters Association International Awards at Ryman Auditorium — Photo courtesy of Nicole Hester / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK

Although Taylor Swift was born outside of Philadelphia, most Swifites know her family moved to Tennessee so the teenage Swift could pursue a singing career. While the pop star now owns multimillion-dollar residences on both coasts, she still calls Nashville home.

And even if she’s not there, she’s everywhere in Nashville. Here is the Swifties’ guide to Nashville (Taylor’s version), everything you need to plan the best vacation you’ve ever had, like ever. Are you ready for it?

Taylor Swift memorabilia at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

Visit the Taylor Swift Education Center inside the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum — Photo courtesy of Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

No trip to Nashville would be complete without a trip to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Taylor Swift may have strayed from her country music roots, but the contributions she has made to the genre are undeniable.

The Eras Tour pop-up exhibit has closed, but many Swift artifacts are still on display throughout the museum, including some of her dresses and guitars.

The singer-songwriter also donated $4 million to the museum to open the Taylor Swift Education Center, which includes classrooms, exhibit space, interactive activities, and more.

Limited-edition concert posters at Hatch Show Print

Try your hand at poster-making at Hatch Show Print — Photo courtesy of Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

The legendary Hatch Show Print has been hand-printing distinctive concert posters for top musicians for over a century. All of Hatch Show Print’s posters are limited editions and have been actively archived since the 1980s.

Take a tour of the legendary print shop, try your hand at making your own poster, and learn the exact process Hatch Show Print used to create several distinctive Swift concert posters.

If you want to buy an original Swift concert poster, you’re on your own, kid. Hatch Show Print doesn’t have any for sale, but you can view the poster from Taylor Swift’s Red Tour in their digital archive.

Taylor Swift’s reading spot in Centennial Park

Nashville's Centennial Park, where Taylor Swift likes to read — Photo courtesy of Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp

In “Invisible Strings,” Swift sings “Green was the color of the grass / where I used to read at Centennial Park.” Any Taylor Swift tour of Nashville must include a stop at this gorgeous landmark.

Established in 1903, Centennial Park is considered Nashville’s central park and cultural hub. On its own, it’s worth a visit. But for any Swift fan, there’s a commemorative spot for the perfect selfie: A small plaque on a bench reading, “For Taylor Swift. A bench for you to read on at Centennial Park.”

The Bluebird Cafe, where Taylor Swift was discovered

The Bluebird Cafe, where Taylor Swift was discovered long before her Eras Tour — Photo courtesy of Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp

Listening to music in the legendary Bluebird Cafe hits different. It was in this small, unassuming strip-mall cafe that the founder of Big Machine Records first discovered 14-year-old Taylor Swift.

Seeing a show at the iconic spot is a must, and it’s possible that your wildest dreams could come true: Swift herself might stop by and make the whole room shimmer, as she did for a surprise appearance at the cafe in 2018.

Just know that getting tickets at the Bluebird can be as challenging as buying tickets for a Taylor Swift concert, so plan ahead.

Taylor Swift’s favorite Nashville coffee shop, Fido

Fido is Taylor Swift's favorite coffee shop in Nashville — Photo courtesy of Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp

Swift once said Fido is her favorite coffee spot in Nashville, and it’s been a Swiftie haven ever since.

The popular Hillsboro Village cafe has been known for its espresso drinks (Taylor’s version: nonfat caramel latte) and brunch fare since the early 2000s. Named for the dog who supposedly discovered coffee, we can’t help wondering if Swift’s cats take issue with her coffeehouse preference.

Taylor Swift’s hair on the Legends of Country Music Mural

The Legend's Corner mural, where a lock of Taylor Swift's golden locks are still visible — Photo courtesy of Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp and Devin Williams

The country era was instrumental for the budding artist, and for years, Swift’s image appeared on Nashville’s Legends of Country Music Mural along with other country music luminaries. Until 2020, that is, when Brad Paisley replaced her.

Why was Taylor Swift removed from the mural? Apparently some die-hard country music fans became irate when Swift transitioned from country to pop, and they demanded that she be stripped of her mural status.

Some let teardrops fall on their guitar, but any Swiftie looking closely can still spot a piece of Taylor’s golden locks on the mural.

Where Taylor Swift performed in Nashville

The Grand Ole Opry, where Taylor Swift and other legends of country music have performed — Photo courtesy of Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp

Sparks fly nearly every night at Nashville’s legendary Ryman Auditorium and Grand Ole Opry. Taylor Swift performed at both over the years, which makes them a draw for many Swifites. But that isn’t the only reason to go.

Both the Ryman and Opry helped shape country music and the musicians who played there over the years, and they paved the way for Swift to become the artist she is today. Take a backstage tour at the Ryman and soak in the history of country, rock, and pop performances. The Grand Ole Opry tour includes stops at the artist entrance and walk-through exhibits.

Another must-see spot is RCA’s Studio B at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Although Swift never recorded there, luminaries like Dolly Parton and Elvis Presley helped cement Nashville’s reputation as Music City in this studio. It was this reputation that drew a young Swift to Nashville years later.

Kelsey Montague mural in The Gulch

Swifites can pose in front of this Kelsey Montague winged mural, near where Taylor Swift commissioned another winged mural by the artist — Photo courtesy of Jamie Davis Smith

When a gorgeous Kelsey Montague butterfly mural mysteriously appeared in The Gulch, a hip Nashville neighborhood known for its street murals, rumors flew that Swift was planning something big.

Sure enough, the pop star commissioned Montague to create the butterfly mural. She later used it as a backdrop to reveal new music in the works.

Only meant to be temporary, the original butterfly mural is now gone, but Swifties who visit The Gulch can pose in front of "What Lifts You Wings,” another of Montague’s winged murals.

Honkey Tonk Highway

Nashville's Broadway, where those who came before Taylor Swift have performed for decades — Photo courtesy of Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp

If you still have a blank space on your itinerary check out Honky Tonk Highway. Several spots along the lively strip are significant to the roots of country music and Taylor Swift’s career.

A first stop should be the rhinestone world of Nudie’s Honky Tonk, a three-story building filled with memorabilia, flashy stage costumes, several bars, a restaurant, and three stages for live music. Iconic tailor Nudie Chon created rhinestone-embellished suits for everyone from Hank Willians and Johnny Cash to John Lennon, Elton John, and more. Without those, Swift might have a very different look today.

A visit to Nashville museums dedicated to iconic country singers will help every Swiftie better understand the genre that launched her career. The Johnny Cash Museum and Patsy Cline Museum are a great place to start.

Where does Taylor Swift live?

Music Row, where Taylor Swift recorded many of her early albums — Photo courtesy of Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp

Swifties who visit Nashville want to know where Taylor Swift lives. She owns a couple of places in Nashville, but the best way to catch a glimpse of her penthouse in the Midtown neighborhood (without disturbing the residents) is from an Old Town Trolley Tour of Nashville.

The hop-on, hop-off trolley tour also goes down Music Row and also passes by Swift’s former recording studio, Big Machine Records, where she recorded her first six albums.