The Filming Station

Just off Music Row, a once-ordinary Gulf gas station from the 1930s has been reimagined as something entirely new—The Filming Station. If you’re wondering about the name, it’s a play on the term “filling station” or what folks used to call gas stations, places to fuel up. Today, this building fuels and fulfills something different: collaboration, community, and storytelling.

In 2009, I took a chance on the building and brought it back to life. I wanted to create a space where artists, filmmakers, and musicians could gather, screen their work, and spark new ideas. Now, The Filming Station is home to a working studio, screening room, and it’s a creative venue. We kept the original stucco façade and used over 20,000 reclaimed bricks from a nearby warehouse to build an addition. Inside, you’ll find vintage theater seats salvaged from a local Masonic lodge and design touches that nod to the building’s automotive past—chrome accents, old parts, and just the right amount of grit.

In 2014, The Filming Station received a Nashville Historical Foundation Preservation Award. It’s become a tribute to Nashville’s history and hands-on filmmaking—a space where stories live and breathe. That’s important to me. I’ve spent most of my life telling stories—first as a journalist and news anchor here in Nashville, and more recently as a filmmaker. My documentaries have taken me deep into the heart of this city, and I’ve been honored with 16 Emmys for my work, which includes several feature-length films. 

One of the most obscure? Injurious George—a 2002 true-crime documentary about a man who terrorized Nashville for years by stomping on women’s feet. Yes, it’s as bizarre as it sounds! That case likely inspired the character of the “Baltimore Foot Stomper” in John Waters’ cult classic Polyester (1981). I’ve also directed music videos, including Mary Gauthier’s Mercy Now, which won the Audience Award at the 2005 Nashville Film Festival.

Most recently, I co-produced The Day The Music Stopped, a 2025 documentary about Exit/In—one of the country’s most historic independent music venues—and the fight to save the club from corporate takeover. It’s a reminder that music, politics, and cinema have always shared the stage in this town. Here’s some trivia for you: Located at 2208 Elliston Place, Exit/In was the filming location for a famous scene from Robert Altman’s Nashville that featured the Oscar-winning song “I’m Easy,” sung by actor Keith Carradine. 

From production to performance to parties, The Filming Station is what many locals call the “Swiss Army knife” of creative spaces. But no matter the event, one thread runs through it all—every brick, every seat, every story told here speaks to the struggles and resilience of genuine humans.

Our next stops will be easiest to reach as a little mini walking tour in the middle of our driving tour, so let’s find some convenient parking. Our first stop in this section is the site of the Vendome Theater, now the Nashville Public Library, 615 Church Street. You can park in the adjacent garage if it’s open, otherwise find paid parking near Rep. John Lewis Way. Once you’re parked, walk to the library and feel free to head inside if you need a restroom or water break.