Things to Do Alone in Nashville

Nashville is easy to do alone if you skip the bar strip and treat it as a history-and-outdoors city. A free state museum, a year-round market, a Civil War hilltop, two nature reserves and an independent cinema fill several days without a single band. If you want a music-first trip, see New Orleans instead.

All hours below were checked on 2026-11-01 against the venue or operator page linked in each entry.

Begin on Rosa L. Parks Boulevard

Two of the easiest solo stops in town sit side by side, so you can spend a whole morning without planning transport between them.

Tennessee State Museum. The museum says admission is free. It is open Tuesday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m., and closed Mondays plus New Year's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. It covers the state's history from natural history to the present, in galleries you can read at your own speed, so nobody expects you to have company (Tennessee State Museum).

Nashville Farmers' Market. The market is year-round. The market house is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., with hours varying by business. The outdoor farm sheds run on vendor hours from Monday to Thursday between 1 November and 28 February, so the covered house is the safer winter bet. Eating from a food hall counter, with a tray and no table reservation, is the least awkward way to dine alone (Farmers' Market hours). For more on eating alone, see how to eat alone in public.

Nashville's history, on foot

The city's past is the part most visitors skip, which makes it quiet.

Fort Negley. On a hill south of downtown, the park is open year-round from dawn to dusk for self-guided walks. The visitors center is open Tuesday to Friday noon to 4 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a 20-minute video and exhibits on the building of the fort. Panels along the paved paths explain the site, and the city lists a view as part of the visit (Nashville Parks: Fort Negley).

The Parthenon in Centennial Park. A full-scale replica built for Tennessee's 1897 Centennial Exposition, with a 42-foot Athena inside, and the centrepiece of Centennial Park. It is a genuine oddity and a good solo photo stop; check the Parks page for current visiting details (Nashville Parks: Parthenon).

Nashville Sites tours. This history project publishes narrated tours you can follow on your own phone. One is Early Black Life and Culture, which runs from Fort Nashborough to the State Capitol: 1 hour 30 minutes, 1.2 miles, 11 stops. There is also a driving tour about Nashville as the "Athens of the South" (Nashville Sites).

Green Nashville in November

Radnor Lake State Park. A 1,389-acre natural area in the south of the city. The paved Otter Creek Road and Hall Drive are flat and suit an easy first walk; the South Cove and Ganier Ridge trails climb more than 200 feet, so the park advises good hiking shoes, water and a trail map. Parking is only in marked spaces and fills quickly in pleasant weather. The Walter Criley Visitor Center is open Tuesday to Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed 1 to 2 p.m. daily (Tennessee State Parks: Radnor Lake).

Shelby Bottoms Nature Center and Greenway. In East Nashville, with about five miles of primitive hiking trail and about five miles of paved, accessible trail. The nature center is open Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Wednesday and Friday noon to 4 p.m., closed Sunday and Monday (Nashville Parks: Shelby Bottoms). Walking a paved path is an unforced way to be outdoors alone.

Two rooms for an evening

Frist Art Museum. On Broadway, downtown. Its site lists Thursday as the late day, open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Other days: Monday, Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Sunday 1 to 5:30 p.m., closed Tuesday and Wednesday. There is a cafe on site (Frist Art Museum). Check the site for ticket prices.

Belcourt Theatre. An independent cinema in Hillsboro Village. Its site lists daily showtimes, with late screenings and repertory strands such as Midnight Movies and Weekend Classics. Sitting in a dark room is the simplest solo outing there is (Belcourt Theatre). More on this in going to the cinema alone.

Getting around without a car

WeGo Public Transit sells bus and train fares through QuickTicket, a reloadable card or smartphone app. Its how-to-ride page lists a 2-hour local bus fare of $2.00 and a full-day fare of $4.00 on stored value, and points to the Transit app for schedules and maps (WeGo how to ride). The State Museum's page says routes 42, 22 and 29 stop at Rosa Parks Boulevard and Jefferson Street. Radnor Lake is easier with a car or ride, as parking there is limited.

First solo outings

1. Easy. Free morning at the Tennessee State Museum, then lunch at a Farmers' Market counter.
2. Medium. A Thursday at the Frist, which is open until 8 p.m., or an evening film at the Belcourt.
3. Bold. Follow the Early Black Life and Culture tour on foot, then climb Fort Negley before dusk.

Solo Era for iPhone

Follow a town's self-guided heritage route

Solo Era has a travel mission at level 3: "Follow a town's self-guided heritage route." The Nashville Sites tours are one place to try it. Free to download. A subscription is required to start missions. Prices and any free trial are shown in the app and depend on the offer and eligibility.

More US guides: Washington, DC and the full cities hub.

Sources (checked 2026-11-01)

• Tennessee State Museum: Plan your visit
• Nashville Farmers' Market: hours and directions
• Frist Art Museum: Visit
• Belcourt Theatre
• Radnor Lake State Park
• Shelby Bottoms Nature Center
• Fort Negley Visitors Center and Park
• The Parthenon
• Nashville Sites: tours
• WeGo Public Transit: how to ride

Details change; check the venue before you go.

Solo Era for iPhone

Try it with Solo Era

Solo Era gives you one realistic mission a week, records how nervous you felt before and after, and keeps a photo journal of what you did. An iPhone app. A subscription is required to start missions; any free trial depends on the offer and eligibility shown in the app.