Discover Music City

June 5, 2024

Music City will host this year's Optometry’s Meeting®, June 19-22. With all the profession’s premier event has to offer, there’s no need to leave the convention center. But in the host city of Nashville, Tennessee, there is no shortage of things to see, eat and experience. Find out what the locals recommend.

Tag(s): Inside Optometry, AOA News

Downtown Nashville, Tennessee

Excerpted from pages 14-15 of the Optometry's Meeting® 2024 Conference and Education Guide.

Optometry’s Meeting® is your meeting—a premier conference experience crafted by members and for members to deliver four days of unparalleled opportunities that engage the profession in this year's hot spot: Nashville, Tennessee. And with the meeting happening at the Music City Convention Center—conveniently located only steps away from some of the most iconic spots in Nashville—attendees are encouraged to enjoy everything that this rockin' city has to offer while at Optometry’s Meeting.

Looking to take your networking outside of the convention center and into the city? Members of the AOA’s Nashville, Tennessee's, staff have got you covered. Here are their recommendations of where to dine, relax and soak up the Optometry’s Meeting host city.

Listen

Broadway Street

“Nashville is nicknamed “The Music City.” Broadway is where you’ll find a variety of live-music venues. Hit the Honky Tonk Highway (Lower Broadway) for country western-themed shops and restaurants and honky-tonks with live music any time of day. “The Stage is the BEST honky tonk.” -Stephanie Price, O.D.

The Ryman Auditorium

116 5th Ave N

Also called the “Mother Church of Country Music,” the historic venue has seen artists as diverse as Elvis Costello and Patsy Cline perform on its stage since 1892. Take a backstage tour and record your own song in the Ryman studio. The stars of the Grand Ole Opry take the stage every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday night (at the Ryman Auditorium November- January; at the Grand Ole Opry House February-October) with guest appearances by the biggest names in music. With more than 90 years of history, the Opry is the world’s longest-running broadcast and shows no signs of slowing down.

Tootsie's Orchid Lounge

422 Broadway

“This is the Crown Jewel of Broadway! It’s across the alley from the Ryman Auditorium, where Nashville’s Country Music started. The story is that in between sets, the entertainers at Ryman would sneak out the side door and go in the back door of Tootsie’s to partake in adult beverages.” -Tommy Ducko, O.D.

Acme Feed & Seed

101 Broadway

"An old feed store renovated with three floors, including a rooftop bar. The first floor is wild with live country music daily; a large bar scene with bar food.” -Tommy Ducko, O.D.

Eat

Nashville's Famous Hot Chicken

If you want to experience a local delicacy, hot chicken is a must! The spicy fried chicken, served on bread with pickles, has its own corner of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. website, which claims it was “invented by a scorned lover seeking revenge nearly 100 years ago and first served at the famed Prince’s Hot Chicken.” In addition to the the original, locals recommend Hattie B’s—but be warned. “Hold onto your hat; when they say ‘spicy,’ you better believe them." -Jeffrey Sonsino, O.D.

Bobby's Dairy Dip

5301 Charlotte Avenue

Need to cool down after that hot chicken heat?
“Next door to Hattie B’s is Bobbie’s Dairy Dip, an old-fashioned soft-serve ice cream shack. Nashvillians have been coming here after dinner since the 1950s.” -Jeffrey Sonsino, O.D.

The Standard at The Smith House

167 Rosa L. Parks Boulevard (8th Avenue, North)

"One of my favorite steakhouses downtown is The Standard at the Smith House. The owner, Sharon Smith, is a native and it remains the last independent restaurant in all of downtown. I love supporting local, independent businesses, not to mention that the food, service and drinks are all fantastic.” -Jeffrey Sonsino, O.D.

Five Daughters Bakery

5th and Broadway

(5036 Broadway)

"An unforgettable donut experience.” -Stephanie Price, O.D.

Play

Percy Warner Park

“One of the gems of the city of Nashville is Percy Warner Park. This park was donated to the city by one of the wealthiest landowners of the gilded age. There are paved walking trails, rustic hiking trails and an antebellum (though recently updated) grand stairs leading up the hill. If you are adventurous, strap on your hiking boots and find the absolute best hidden spot and best lookout in the entire city at the peak of the hiking hill. From this vantage point, you can see Vanderbilt University, Hospital Corporation of America's sprawling campus and downtown Nashville.” -Jeffrey Sonsino, O.D.

Adventure Science Center

800 Fort Negley Boulevard

“Engaging science center offers learning experiences and science fun through interactive exhibits, innovative programs and full-dome productions in Sudekum Planetarium.” -Stephanie Price, O.D.

Nashville Sounds

19 Junior Gilliam Way

Catch a baseball game with the Triple A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. “Do not pass up the whiskey ‘n’ Coke Icee.”-Stephanie Price, O.D.

K1 Speed (indoor go-kart racing)

404 Davidson Street

Should the weather spoil outdoor plans, head to Nashville’s indoor go-kart racing track, open daily.

Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park

“A great spot for a get-together (weather permitting) because you can see the Capitol from the park, and it is a large open area with a lot of space.” -Emily Eisenhower, O.D.