Nashville’s Historic Ryman Auditorium Unveils $14 Million Expansion

Ryman Auditorium, one of the most historic music venues in the very historic Nashville, Tenn., just underwent a $14 million expansion, and the venue unveiled the upgraded facility this week. A grand opening show featured the likes of Darius Rucker and Sheryl Crow.

All told, five new exhibits are opening: “Workin’ on a Building,” “Showplace of the South,” “Mother Church of Country Music,” “Ryman Stage to Screen” and “Ryman Renaissance” –all featuring artifacts and informative videos hosted by celebrities like Nicole Kidman, Robin Roberts and Trisha Yearwood.

Colin Reed, the chairman and chief executive officer of Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc., spoke in a press release about how iconic the venue has been to Nashville:

When you see the Ryman’s past come to life in such an innovative way, it’s hard to imagine that this building was nearly lost to history just 20 years ago. As more and more people from all corners of the world discover what Nashville has to offer, we now have a fully-immersive way to share with them just how important the Ryman is to Nashville, our artist community and to the people who visit this great city. The continued investments our company has made in the Ryman Auditorium are a testament to the fact that this building should and will live on forever as the most important Nashville icon.

Nashville mayor Karl Dean also said, “The Ryman Auditorium is one of the great music venues in the world and is synonymous with Nashville’s brand as Music City. This expansion is a testament to the strength of our music industry and our cultural significance."

The newly renovated Ryman Auditorium is open daily from 9AM to 4PM. Tickets and more information are available at the auditorium website.

Local News Coverage of Ryman Auditorium Expansion