Cast of the Grand Ole Opry, with the National Life and Accident Insurance poster in the background, 1956. Image Courtesy of TSLA.

Postcard of National Life and Accident Insurance Co., c. 1940s. Image courtesy of Nashville Public Library.

The WMS Transmission Complex was built in 1932. The "diamond" tower allowed the radio station as one of the nation's federally designated clear channels to broadcast to forty states a program of music, news, and public service geared to largely a rural and small town audience. It was one of the original stations that served a military/civil defense role in the CONELRAD system during the Cold War era, beginning 1951. The tower is the tallest Blaw-Knox Diamond Radio Tower in North America, one of six similarly designed to have once existed in North America. Colonial Revival design by Russell Hart, of the locally prominent architectural firm of Hart, Freeland, Roberts. Photograph taken by Dr. Carroll van West in 2011. Image courtesy of the Center of Historic Preservation.

Photograph of the western entrance to the Ryman Auditorium, 1970s. Image courtesy of Tennessee State Library and Archives.

A celebration of the 34th anniversary of the Grand Ole Opry at the War Memorial Auditorium, 1954. Image courtesy of the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum.

Historic photograph of the Belcourt Theatre. Image courtesy of the Nashville Public Library.

Minnie Pearl (smilling woman in the white dress) performs on WSM on July 27, 1951 at Sulphur Ballpark. Image courtesy of Metro Nashville Archives.

Hatch Show Print poster for Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys on the Grand Ole Opry, 1952. Image courtesy of the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum.

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Cast of the Grand Ole Opry, with the National Life and Accident Insurance poster in the background, 1956. Image Courtesy of TSLA.

Grand Ole Opry

2 hr 22.0 mi 9 stops

Welcome to the Grand Ole Opry Tour on Nashville Sites! As we set out on this journey through one of the most iconic institutions in American music, we’ll trace the Opry’s evolution from a simple radio broadcast into a cornerstone of country music and a defining symbol of Nashville’s identity.

I’m Kelleigh Bannen, an ACM - and CMA-nominated and Gracie Award-winning host for Apple Music, singer-songwriter, and most importantly, a Nashville native.

This driving tour is made possible by the Mike and Linda Curb Foundation. It was co-authored by Belmont music business and honors graduate Anna Catherine Markham in consultation with Brenda Colladay, a leading museum curator and country music historian. As the first curator for WSM Radio and the Opry, she co-authored "100 Years of Grand Ole Opry," released in 2025. Over the course of her career, Brenda has held administrative roles at the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Grand Ole Opry, RCA Studio A, and Marty Stuart’s Congress of Country Music.

Our story begins in 1925 with WSM, a radio station launched by the National Life and Accident Insurance Company. Its call letters—WSM—stood for “We Shield Millions.” What started as a promotional tool quickly became a cultural phenomenon with the debut of a live music show that would grow into the Grand Ole Opry.

Over the next century, the Opry helped launch the careers of countless artists, shaped the sound of American music, and made Nashville synonymous with “Music City.” In 2025, the Grand Ole Opry proudly celebrates its 100th anniversary.

This tour will take you through key locations that helped define the Opry’s journey—from its humble beginnings in an insurance office to the Ryman Auditorium, and finally to its permanent home at the Grand Ole Opry House. Along the way, we’ll spotlight legendary performers, pivotal venues, and the broader story of country music in Nashville.

This is a driving tour, so please don’t use your phone while driving. At each stop, you can listen from your car or explore on foot. You can also take this tour virtually. Snap photos, share your experience, and tag us @NashvilleSites. So, let’s get started—tune in to WSM 650 AM (or Sirius 132), and enjoy the ride!

Begin the tour at the Edwin Craig historical marker outside the Snodgrass Tennessee Tower on the 300 block of 7th Ave N. Our first two stops are close together, so feel free to find parking nearby on 7th Ave or Polk Ave.

Start Walking Tour Take Virtual Tour Get Directions to Start

Tour Stops

Birth of the Grand Ole Opry

312 Rosa L Parks Ave, Nashville,TN, 37219

War Memorial Auditorium

301 Sixth Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37243

Hillsboro-Belcourt Theatre

2102 Belcourt Avenue, Nashville, Tennessee, 37212

Belmont University and Minnie Pearl

1900 Belmont Boulevard, Nashville, TN 37212

Music Row

34 Music Square East, Nashville, TN 37203

Edgehill and DeFord Bailey

1314 Horton Avenue, Nashville, TN 37212

Ryman Auditorium

116 Fifth Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37219

The Grand Ole Opry House

600 Opry Mills Dr. Nashville, TN 37214

Current WSM Tower and Conclusion (Optional)

8056 Concord Rd. Brentwood, TN 37027

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