Ryman Auditorium
The Ryman Auditorium is a 2,362-seat historic hall in downtown Nashville, half a block north of Broadway between Fourth and Fifth Avenues, where the audience sits in wooden pews from 1895 and 1897. Self-parking for every event is straight across the street in the Fifth + Broadway garage, paid on entry. Backpacks, oversized bags and outside food and drink are prohibited, and everyone passes through security screening on the way in.
Before you go
- Capacity
- 2362
- Indoor or outdoor
- Indoor
- Official site
- ryman.com
- Next festival here
- AmericanaFest, Expected September 2027
Worth knowing before you go
- You sit in wooden pews: the main floor ones are the originals from 1895, the balcony's from 1897.
- Backpacks, oversized bags, outside food and drink, cans and bottles are all prohibited, and every guest is screened.
- There is no coat check.
- Some shows use strobe lighting or fog machines.
- One elevator in the lobby reaches the balcony.
Festivals here
Venue basics: Holds 2,362, all in wooden pews · Self-parking across the street · No backpacks or oversized bags.
Is it for you
Choose it if
- You want a 2,362-seat historic room where you can see the stage from a pew
- You are staying downtown and can walk in from Broadway
- You need wheelchair seating and want it on either level
Think twice if
- You need to bring a backpack or a large bag
- Wooden pews for a full show are hard on you
- Strobe lighting or fog affect you and the show uses them
Getting there and parking
The Ryman is at 116 Rep. John Lewis Way North, Nashville, TN 37219. From I-40, exit at Broadway and head east toward downtown; the hall sits between Fourth and Fifth Avenues, half a block north of Broadway. Lyft is the official rideshare partner.
Self-parking for all Ryman events is directly across the street in the Fifth + Broadway garage at 179 Rep. John Lewis Way N, and you pay on entering the garage. Other nearby lots can be booked through Metropolis.
Daytime tours run Monday through Sunday, 9am to 4pm, with shorter hours or closures on some show days. A self-guided tour is $25 plus tax and the backstage tour $42.52 plus tax.
Accessibility
Wheelchair accessible seating is available for every public event, on the main floor and in the balcony. Complimentary wheelchairs are provided on request during shows, with storage for your own chair if you switch to your ticketed seat. One elevator in the lobby reaches the balcony, all restrooms are wheelchair accessible, and service animals and guide dogs are welcome.
The backstage and self-guided tours are wheelchair accessible, though some spots on the tour route may not be reachable for people with mobility difficulties.
Confirm your specific needs with the venue before you travel (ryman.com).
Camping
We don't yet have confirmed information about camping at the Ryman. The venue's own pages are the place to check: ryman.com.
Food, water and what you can bring
Outside food and drink, cans, bottles and alcohol cannot be brought in. Guests who drink at the hall are expected to do so responsibly.
Prohibited items include all weapons including pocket knives, oversized bags, backpacks, drugs and laser pens, and every guest goes through security screening. Professional cameras with detachable or telephoto lenses are prohibited, there is no coat check, and smoking is prohibited by law throughout the building.
Sound and sensory
Certain shows contain audio and visual elements that include strobe lighting or fog machines, so check the show if either affects you.
Quick answers
Where do I park for the Ryman Auditorium?
Directly across the street in the Fifth + Broadway garage at 179 Rep. John Lewis Way N, which serves all Ryman events; you pay on entering. Nearby lots can also be booked through Metropolis.
Is the Ryman wheelchair accessible?
Yes. Wheelchair accessible seating is available for every public event, complimentary wheelchairs are provided on request, a lobby elevator reaches the balcony and all restrooms are wheelchair accessible.
Can I bring a bag into the Ryman?
Not a backpack or an oversized bag; both are prohibited and every guest goes through security screening.
Can I bring food or drinks into the Ryman?
No. Outside food and beverage, cans, bottles and alcohol are prohibited.
What are the seats like at the Ryman?
Wooden pews. The main floor pews are the originals from 1895 and the balcony pews date from 1897, and the hall holds 2,362.
Do shows at the Ryman use strobe lights?
Some do. Certain shows contain audio and visual elements including strobe lighting or fog machines.
Does the AmericanaFest wristband include the Honors & Awards at the Ryman?
No. The Americana Honors & Awards is held at the Ryman each year, but the ceremony is a separately ticketed event.
Can I tour the Ryman during the day?
Yes. Tours run Monday through Sunday from 9am to 4pm, shortened or closed on some show days; a self-guided tour is $25 plus tax and the backstage tour $42.52 plus tax.
A little history
The building opened as the Union Gospel Tabernacle, built at the urging of riverboat captain Thomas Ryman, and its first concert was the May Music Festival with the Theodore Thomas Orchestra from May 4 to 7, 1892. The Grand Ole Opry settled in for nearly 31 years, from 1943 to 1974, and made the hall the Mother Church of Country Music. Gaylord Entertainment began restoring the building in 1989, replacing the roof and broken windows and repairing the original woodwork, and the Ryman was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2001.
The Americana Honors & Awards, the festival's yearly award show, is held at the Ryman. The ceremony is a separately ticketed event, not part of the festival wristband.