Ryman Auditorium

In 1885, just three blocks from the present site of the Ryman, the esteemed evangelist Sam Jones led a religious revival on Broadway. He called people to repentance and railed against liquor, gambling, and other vices. One of those in attendance was Captain Thomas Ryman, a riverboat captain and company owner from Tennessee. Ryman was transformed by the words Jones spoke and he decided that the city needed a place for people to gather and worship. Seven years and $100,000 later, the Union Gospel Tabernacle was completed. The building was designed by Hugh Cathcart Thompson and features a gabled roof, gabled front-entrance, and Gothic lancet windows, all in the Victorian Gothic style. Construction was briefly halted in 1890 so that Reverend Jones could hold a revival. A tent was raised across the street and for six hot summer days people came to the “tented tabernacle” to hear his sermons. Two years later the building opened in 1892. In 1904, after Tom Ryman’s death, the Union Gospel Tabernacle was renamed the Ryman Auditorium.

In the decades that followed, famous musicians, politicians, and religious leaders came to the tabernacle. These included the world-renowned Fisk Jubilee Singers, Susan B. Anthony, Helen Keller, Booker T. Washington, and one of the first ordained female Methodist ministers in the United States, Reverend Anna Shaw. While many of these were committed to progressive causes, the Ryman also hosted others, such as the Law and Order League, magician Harry Houdini, and even President Teddy Roosevelt. This early history captures the ability of the Ryman, and Nashville more broadly, to welcome a variety of views and positions.

Prior to 1963, the Ryman was an independent entity governed by a board of directors. That changed when WSM, Inc. purchased the building, at which time it was renamed the Grand Ole Opry House. From 1943 to 1963, the Opry had called the Ryman home, but WSM’s acquisition of the building made it official. The Opry remained at the Ryman until 1974, when they moved to a new facility on the edge of town. During the Opry’s tenure, the Ryman became the most iconic country music venue in the world. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and became a National Historic Landmark in 2001. Though the Ryman ultimately became a secular space, it gives us an excellent introduction to the critical role that religion has played in the development of Nashville as a cultural center. For more on the Ryman see our other tours including Downtown Public Art and Murals, Capitol and Church Architecture, and many others.

From the Fourth Avenue side of the Ryman, take a LEFT on Fourth Avenue North towards Commerce Street. Continue four blocks until you reach Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Pause when you reach the intersection. Do not cross the street. As you walk up Fourth Avenue, press play to hear the first part of the next stop.