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Nashville Shores Outdoor Water Park
nashvilleshores.com
Located on the banks of beautiful Percy Priest Lake and just 10 miles from downtown, Nashville Shores is great for families and student groups. The park features the new Kowabunga Beach, a four-story water treehouse and sprayground, plus a huge wavepool and lazy river, nine waterslides, three pools, a beach, lake cruises, kayaks, the Giant Bucket of Fun and much more! The park now offers lodging facilities including lakeview cabins, tent camping and RV sites.
Nashville Zoo at Grassmere
nashvillezoo.org
Escape to splashing waterfalls, rolling savannahs and lush bamboo forests. At Nashville Zoo, you can hang loose like the gibbons while you see animals from across the globe in natural habitats resembling the many environments of our world. Discover clouded leopards and red pandas along Bamboo Trail, see elephants and giraffes wandering through African savannahs and splash around the Unseen New World with some of the wildest things you’ve never seen. Answer the call of the wild and plan your Nashville Zoo escape today! Beastly Feasts, Educational Encounters and guided tours are now available!
Nashville Ghost Tours
nashvilleghosttours.com
Nashville Ghost Tours has a variety of tours to suit your educational group needs including topics such as Nashville history, local legends and ghost stories. Student groups will enjoy a new and unique way to learn about Music City’s colorful past.
Nashville Sports for all Seasons
NFL Tennessee Titans, titansonline.com; NHL Predators, nashvillepredators.com; AAA Baseball team, the Nashville Sounds, nashvillesounds.com
Opry Mills
oprymills.com
Opry Mills, one of Tennessee’s top tourist attractions as the largest outlet, value retail and entertainment destination in the state, will reopen on March 29, 2012, with a grand reopening celebration planned during early May. Four major anchors, Regal Cinemas Opry Mills Stadium 20 & IMAX, Dave & Buster’s, VF Outlet and Sun & Ski Sport, will soon join Bass Pro Shops and open for business before the 2011 holiday season. Opry Mills’ visitors will delight in its time- less design, which will enhance the visitor’s experience. In true Nashville fashion, Opry Mills’ popular Entertainment Stage will return as a unique feature of the center, showcasing live entertainment and other exciting activities.
Wildhorse Saloon
wildhorsesaloon.com
Located on historic Second Avenue downtown, the Wildhorse is Nashville’s premier entertainment hot spot! You’ll find three floors of action-packed fun, live music and a Southern smokehouse menu that you won’t find anywhere else. Student groups love working off their lunch during complimentary dance lessons on the largest dance floor in town.
Opry Backstage Grill
oprybackstagegrill.com
The show that made country music famous is now making its mark on Southern cuisine in a new restaurant as uniquely entertaining as the Grand Ole Opry itself. Visit for breakfast, lunch or dinner, or come by after the show and experience the music, food and fun.
Check out these additional entertaining options:
B.B. King’s Blues Club and Restaurant, nashville.bbkingclubs.com; Hard Rock Cafe, hardrock.com; Grand Old Golf & Go Karts, grandoldgolf.net; Margaritaville, margaritavillenashville. com; Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame Museum, tshf.net
Belle Meade Plantation – Perform in front of an 1890s Carriage House located on the heart of the 30 acres of lush historic property just 7 miles from downtown Nashville.
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum – Music City Showcase provides an excellent opportunity for the many performance groups visiting Nashville to perform to an audience at the museum. Groups range from small ensembles of 20 or less to marching bands of up to 100 members.
General Jackson Showboat – Student performance program avail- able prior to midday cruises only, March – October. Student performance area is conveniently located in the boarding area for groups up to 90. No dressing or warm-up facilities, amplification, shelter or seating provided. Midday lunch cruise ticket purchase is required.
Grand Ole Opry – Student groups are welcome to perform for crowds in the Opry Plaza prior to seeing a Grand Ole Opry show February – October. Three performance times for groups up to 125 are available prior to every show and must be scheduled in advance. Each group is given a 20-minute performance time and recognition. No dressing or warm-up facilities, amplification, shelter or seating provided. Grand Ole Opry ticket purchase is required.
Nashville Shores – Student performance opportunities may be available with advanced request. Lagoon Pool stage and Beach stage offered.
Ryman Auditorium – Known for acoustic quality second only to the Mormon Tabernacle, the Ryman Auditorium welcomes student performance groups on their famous stage. Acoustic performances available for groups of up to 80, with a 4-song limit. Museum tour or concert purchase is required.
The Hermitage: Home of President Andrew Jackson – Student groups can perform before or after their tour in the Visitor Center breezeway, back porch of Jackson’s home and other areas of the property. Advanced reservations required.
Wildhorse Saloon – Student groups of up to 125 are invited to perform on the largest dance floor in Nashville.
Gaylord Opryland is hosting the following festival events in 2012:
Festivals of Music: April 12-15, 2012; April 19-22, 2012; April 26-29, 2012 (Call 800-323-0974)
Heritage Festivals: April 12-15, 2012; April 19-22, 2012; April 26-29, 2012 (Call 800-223-4367)
Music Festivals (Tentative): March 29-April 1, 2012; April 12-15, 2012 (Call 800-545-0935)
Performing Arts Consultants: March 29-April 1, 2012; April 26-29, 2012 (Call 800-USA-FEST)
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
countrymusichalloffame.org 
Don’t miss the all new exhibit experience at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Dreaming My Dreams features over 100 recently acquired artifacts. The exhibit includes unique stage costumes and instruments from today’s stars like Brad Paisley, Taylor Swift and Keith Urban alongside legends such as Alabama, Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton. Groups can be a Star for a Day and record their own hit song at Historic RCA Studio B on Music Row or join in on Sharing the Art of Songwriting with one of Music City’s most accomplished writers.
Fontanel Mansion
fontanelmansion.com
Nashville’s only country music mansion tour, the Fontanel Mansion gives visitors a sneak peek into the life of country music by providing a truly hands-on interactive experience! The 27,000-square-foot log home formerly owned by Country Music Hall of Fame® member Barbara Mandrell is open daily for guided tours. Guests are invited to explore the trails, dine in the Farm House restaurant and shop in the Stone House Gift Shop. Music City On Stage is a brand new live production at the Studio Gallery - fully staged and costumed, featuring a dynamic cast of talented performers. This is a true “Dinnertainment” experience for all ages, serving up a taste of Tennessee – a home-cooked meal sided with blues, gospel, bluegrass and chart-topping country music favorites from yesteryear to today.
General Jackson Showboat
generaljackson.com
The General Jackson, the world’s grandest showboat, cruises year-round on Nashville’s scenic Cumberland River. The midday cruise offers a delicious lunch, which features lively music and an uproarious comedy show along with the scenic beauty of the river. The evening cruise offers a three-course dinner, country music production show and the ambiance of the Cumberland at night.
Grand Ole Opry
opry.com 
What began as a simple radio broadcast in 1925 is today a live entertainment phenomenon. Dedicated to honoring country music’s rich history and dynamic present, the Grand Ole Opry showcases a mix of country legends and the contemporary chart-toppers who have followed in their footsteps. Guided tours of the Grand Ole Opry House offer visitors an up- close look at the celebrated 4,400- seat venue and country’s most famous show, including themed dressing rooms, the artists’ entrance, the Opry stage and more. Tours are offered daily.
Music City Roots, Live from the Loveless Café
musiccityroots.com
Music City Roots, Live From The Loveless Cafe is a weekly, two-hour radio show showcasing Nashville’s astonishing music scene, from country and Americana to more progressive interpreters of tradition - a “roots and branches” format that brings together fans of different tastes and generations.
Ryman Auditorium
ryman.com
Built in 1892, the Ryman Audito- rium is a National Historic Landmark and is most famous for being the home of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943-1974. Three new exhibits just opened: Opry 1940s & 1950s, Opry 1960s & 1970s and Johnny & June at the Ryman. See genuine artifacts from those early Opry years like the dress Dolly Parton wore the night she was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, photos from the Johnny Cash show of Cash with Bob Dylan and Louis Armstrong. And have your picture taken on the stage graced by legends from Houdini and Hank Williams to Bob Hope and Bruce Springsteen. Backstage tours are also available.
Schermerhorn Symphony Center
nashvillesymphony.com
Schermerhorn Schermerhorn Symphony Center opened in September 2006 and is home to the critically- acclaimed Nashville Symphony. In addition to the GRAMMY®-winning orchestra’s more than 100 classical, pops, family and special concert events each season, the Schermerhorn hosts a wide range of performances, including jazz, world music, recitals, choral concerts and more. Free building tours are offered throughout the week.
Tennessee Performing Arts Center
tpac.org
TPAC’s Broadway Series and Tennessee Repertory Theatre offer some of the most economical student tickets in the nation! Exciting upcoming events include Broadway’s Blast, Memphis, The Addams Family, South Pacific, Mary Poppins and Wicked! Group benefits include special student prices, educational materials, post- show Q & As and meet & greets with the cast, master classes and acting workshops.
Don’t miss the following exciting musical productions:
A Tribute to the King: 1953-1977, thenashvilleking.com
Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre, dinnertheatre.com
Miss Jeanne’s Dinner Theatre, missjeannes.com
Nashville Nightlife Dinner Theatre, nashvillenightlife.com
Belle Meade Plantation
bellemeadeplantation.com
You’ve heard of Seabiscuit, Secretariat, Funny Cide, Smarty Jones and Giacomo. Now come and see where their bloodlines began! Once a world-renowned 5,400-acre Thoroughbred horse farm, Belle Meade Plantation today is a 30-acre historic site and museum. The Plantation showcases an 1853 Greek Revival Mansion and eight other historic buildings that are filled with original furnishings and period antiques. One- hour tours of the exquisitely decorated Mansion are offered daily and are conducted by period costumed guides.
Cheekwood
cheekwood.org
Educational opportunities abound at Cheekwood with a variety of tours conducted in the Museum of Art with collections of American and contemporary painting and sculpture, English and American decorative arts and traveling exhibitions, the renowned Botanical Garden and the Carell Woodland Sculpture Trail with works by nationally and internationally celebrated artists. Cheekwood offers free admission for students, teachers and 1 adult per 10 students.
Frist Center for the Visual Arts
fristcenter.org
A world-class art center dedicated to presenting exciting and inspiring visual art, the Frist Center for the Visual Arts hosts traveling exhibitions from the U.S. and abroad, as well as develops its own exhibitions on a diverse range of themes. The Center also features an exciting interactive gallery, a Cafe, Gift Shop and an array of public programming. Admission for visitors age 18 and under is free and discounts for college students and groups are available.
Museum of African American Music, Art & Culture
maamac.org
The MAAMAC will feature exhibits highlighting music instruments, great vocalists, genres and hands-on music creation and production. Opening 2013.
The Hermitage: Home of President Andrew Jackson
thehermitage.com
Encounter, experience and explore the times, challenges and traditions that shaped our young nation at the home of America’s seventh president, Andrew Jackson. History lives at The Hermitage! All student groups will experience the Andrew Jackson orientation film, museum gallery, personalized tour of the mansion and self-guided tour of the garden and grounds at this 1,120-acre plantation. Groups can also participate in Hands-on-History classes, including Archaeology at The Hermitage, I Spy the Past, and The General’s Children. Classes can be tailored to any age level.
The Parthenon
parthenon.org
Take your group to The Parthenon, the world’s only full-scale replica of the classical era’s crowning achievement located in Centennial Park just a few miles west of downtown Nashville. Few cities offer student groups such a visual teaching tool for igniting interest in a wide range of topics, from ancient Greek history to American painting to Nashville’s own reputation as the “Athens of the South.” Guided tours are mandatory for student groups and include the 42-foot-tall statue of Athena and the art galleries.
Check out these additional educational options:
Adventure Science Center, adventuresci.com
Agricultural Museum, agmuseum.org
The Battle of Franklin Trust, Carter House & Carnton Plantation, carnton.org
Belmont Mansion, belmontmansion.com 
Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park
Falcon Rest Mansion, falconrest.com
Fort Nashborough
Fort Negley
Lane Motor Museum, lanemotormuseum.org
Lotz House Civil War Museum, lotzhouse.com
Tennessee State Capitol & Museum, tnmuseum.org
Travellers Rest Plantation & Museum, travellersrestplantation.org
The Upper Room Chapel & Museum
View the full Student Travel brochure to print.
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