Ryman Auditorium

Ryman Auditorium sits at 116 Rep. John Lewis Way North in Downtown Nashville. It's one of the most celebrated live-performance venues in the United States. The historic 2,362-seat building functions as both a live-performance hall and museum. People call it the "Mother Church of Country Music," and with good reason. Thomas Ryman, a local entrepreneur, originally built it as the Union Gospel Tabernacle to host tent revival-style gospel meetings. But it's best remembered as home to the Grand Ole Opry from 1943 to 1974. The National Historic Landmark designation came on June 25, 2001, recognizing its importance in popularizing country music. For over 130 years, the Ryman's transformed from a place of religious gathering into one of Nashville and America's defining cultural institutions.

Origins and Construction

The story starts with Thomas Ryman. He was a wealthy riverboat captain who spent his time partying in downtown Nashville until a Georgian revivalist named Reverend Sam Jones changed everything. Ryman attended one of Jones' 1885 tent revivals planning to heckle, but something shifted. He converted to Christianity and made a pledge: build a tabernacle where Nashville could hold large-scale revivals indoors.

Construction took seven years and cost $100,000. Jones held his first revival at the site on May 25, 1890, when only the foundation and six-foot walls existed. Hugh Cathcart Thompson designed the structure, and it blew past budget, opening with $20,000 in debt. After seven years of work, with community help and donations, the Union Gospel Tabernacle opened three blocks from where Ryman had his conversion.

Jones wanted to name it after Ryman, but Ryman refused. Multiple times. When Ryman died on December 23, 1904, his memorial service happened at the tabernacle with Jones officiating. That's when things changed informally. The Union Gospel Tabernacle became known as Ryman Auditorium. Forty years passed before the name became official.

The Early Performance Era and Lula Naff

Before the Grand Ole Opry arrived, Ryman Auditorium had already become a premier gathering place. It was the largest structure of its kind in the area, so everything happened there: community gatherings, political rallies, operas, symphonies, ballets, theatrical productions. Soon world-class performers graced its stage: Ignacy Paderewski, Marian Anderson, John Philip Sousa, Harry Houdini, Charlie Chaplin, W.C. Fields, Katharine Hepburn, Bob Hope, Mae West. People called it the "Carnegie Hall of the South."

The venue also hosted secular events. Helen Keller gave lectures there. The Fisk Jubilee Singers made their Ryman debut in 1892 and still perform there today.

Lula Naff shaped the Ryman's identity as a performance venue like few others could. She started as a secretary, then took a bold risk leasing the Ryman as an independent talent agent. Night after night, she filled the pews with audiences hungry for entertainment. By 1920, the board recognized her officially as manager. She rubbed people the wrong way sometimes, but she booked dozens of soon-to-be legendary figures: Katharine Hepburn, Charlie Chaplin, Harry Houdini, and many more.

Home of the Grand Ole Opry

The local country music radio program debuted in 1925. Originally called the WSM Barn Dance, it became the Grand Ole Opry. Broadcast over clear-channel AM radio station WSM, the show reached 30 states across the eastern part of the nation. When crowds outgrew the WSM studio, the show moved around: to the Hillsboro Theatre (now the Belcourt Theatre) in 1934, then to East Nashville's Dixie Tabernacle in 1936, then to War Memorial Auditorium in 1939.

In 1943, the Opry moved to the Ryman from War Memorial Auditorium just a few blocks away. The venue got officially renamed the "Grand Ole Opry House" in 1963. It kept the show until 1974 when a new Opry House opened several miles from downtown.

For 31 years, the Ryman was where it all happened. Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Minnie Pearl, Patsy Cline, Roy Acuff, Hank Williams. The list went on and on. But space was tight. Performers waited in wings, narrow hallways, and the alley behind the building's south wall. Many ventured across to Tootsie's Orchid Lounge and other bars, which made Nashville's Lower Broadway honky-tonks even more famous.

Earl Scruggs and Bill Monroe took the stage together for the first time in December 1945, right there at the Ryman. They produced the first definitive sounds that would become bluegrass.

After 1974, the Opry stopped broadcasting from the Ryman. It didn't return until 1999, when annual pilgrimages to the historic building began.

Decline, Preservation, and Restoration

Following the Opry's departure in 1974, the Ryman struggled to attract new performers. Nearly 20 years passed with the building mostly vacant and deteriorating. The neighborhood declined too. Still, Ryman Auditorium never closed completely. It remained a destination for heritage tourism.

National Life Insurance owned the building and considered demolition. Community members and lawmakers pushed hard for National Historic Landmark status. Local groups launched "save the Ryman" campaigns. The insurance company chairman eventually said they'd consider other options.

While dormant, major motion pictures filmed there. John Carpenter's Elvis (1979), Coal Miner's Daughter (1980), Sweet Dreams (1985), and Clint Eastwood's Honkytonk Man (1982) all used the venue as a set.

In 1989, Gaylord Entertainment Company bought the building and started renovations. A new roof went in. Broken windows got replaced. Original woodwork was repaired. Brick chimneys were rebuilt. A large arched pediment that had fallen into the attic was replicated and restored to the side. Emmylou Harris and The Nash Ramblers recorded Live at the Ryman in 1991, capturing a live album and documentary on that neglected stage.

By 1994, an $8.5 million restoration brought everything back. Workers removed, restored, and reinstalled the original oak pews. New performer dressing rooms appeared for legendary acts. Sound and lighting technology got upgraded. Central heat and air conditioning were added. A 14,000-square-foot building rose for ticketing, concessions, and gifts. The Ryman celebrated its centennial in 1992 and reopened in June 1994 as a premier performance hall and museum.

Recognition, Legacy, and the Modern Era

Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. owns and operates the Ryman Auditorium. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and designated a National Historic Landmark on June 25, 2001. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame named it a Landmark in 2022.

Pollstar has voted the Ryman "Venue of the Year" 15 times. Nashville Scene calls it "Best Place to Hear Live Music." Coldplay says it's "The greatest theatre in the world." Ed Sheeran hails it as "The best venue in the USA." In 2018, Architectural Digest named it Tennessee's most iconic structure.

The venue's appeal stretches way beyond country music. Rock legend Bob Dylan performed there in 2007. Ringo Starr celebrated his 73rd birthday there in 2012. Pop artist Harry Styles made his Ryman debut in 2017. Wu-Tang Clan became the first hip-hop act to headline in 2019. Lizzo sold it out months later.

"Rock Hall at the Ryman" opened to the public on November 2, 2022. It features artifacts from Elvis Presley, James Brown, Joan Jett, Foo Fighters, and Dolly Parton.

The building's also been a gathering place for memorials. Tammy Wynette, Chet Atkins, Skeeter Davis, Harlan Howard, Bill Monroe, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Earl Scruggs, and Naomi Judd were all memorialized from that stage.

During daytime hours when performances aren't scheduled, the Ryman opens for tours. Guided tours give access to backstage facilities. Self-guided tours feature exhibits in cases throughout. Outside, a statue of Thomas Ryman stands watch. Inside the lobby, a bronze tribute honors Minnie Pearl and Roy Acuff.