Nashville’s Music Row Welcomes First-Ever Guided Walking Tours

New tours highlight historic music-making district still threatened by demolitions

Washington –The National Trust for Historic Preservation announced today (6/14) that guided walking tours of Nashville’s legendary Music Row will be offered to the public for the first time beginning June 20. The tours will be conducted in partnership with Let’s Go Travelin’ Tours and Historic Tours of America’s Old Town Trolley Tours.

“Amid its unassuming former homes and small commercial buildings, visitors will discover that Music Row is truly a one-stop-shop for every aspect of the music industry, said Carolyn Brackett, senior field officer for the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “Everything from recording studios, record labels, publishing houses and even housing are all found along the streets of this district, creating a musical ecosystem unlike anything that can be found anywhere else in the country.”

Tours will trace the history of Music Row’s development, spanning from the 1950s and ‘60s when artists including Patsy Cline, Elvis Presley, and Bob Dylan recorded there to today’s biggest stars such as Chris Stapleton and Jason Isbell. Visitors will see the places that shaped the emergence of pop artists like Neil Young and Contemporary Christian artists like Amy Grant in the 1970s and ‘80s, as well as the explosion of Garth Brooks’ “Garthmania” in the 1990s. In addition to highlighting many of the artists who have recorded on Music Row, the tour will share behind-the-scenes stories of how music is created, from songwriting, to recording, to promotion.

“All of our guides have a passion for the music and history of Nashville, and some are even songwriters and musicians who came here to hone their craft and carve their place in the history of Music Row,” said Judy Johnson, owner of Let’s Go Travelin’. “It is a powerful place, as expressed in the song and video written about this tour by Nashville singer, songwriter, and producer, Tim Angsten.”

Tours begin at Bobby’s Idle Hour, 1028 16th Ave. South in the heart of Music Row. Visitors have the option to ride the Old Town Trolley there or to travel to the district on their own. Tour guides will lead the 90-minute walking tour to provide an in-depth orientation of the offices and recording studios that have produced such a tremendous wealth of creative material over the last 60 years, fueling Nashville’s international reputation as Music City.

“We are excited to promote this great addition to the tourism offerings in Nashville,” said Steve Burgess, general manager of the Old Town Trolley Tours of Nashville. “In the Historic Tours of America family, we promote historic preservation and with our Old Town Trolley Tours, we strive to provide the best historic tour in any city in which we operate. The opportunity for guests of our amazing city to see Music Row at such a personal level is a natural extension of our historical trolley tour in Music City.”

Walking tours will be offered on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. starting onJune 20. Summer evening tours are also offered on Mondays and Thursdays at 6:00 p.m. starting June 25. (Old Town Trolley transportation is not provided for evening tours).

Tickets are $35.00 and may be purchased through Trusted Tours: Music Row Walking Tour or Let’s Go Travelin’. Private group tours may also be booked for other dates through Let’s Go Travelin’. A portion of each ticket sold will support a new Music Row Preservation Fund.