8 Under-the-Radar Museums in Nashville

Centrally located in downtown Nashville, the National Museum of African-American Music (NMAAM) is the world’s only museum dedicated to the preservation of over 50 music genres created and influenced by African-Americans. NMAAM features six interactive galleries filled with memorabilia, clothing, and state-of-the-art technology designed to celebrate the musical contributions of African-Americans throughout history.

Don’t miss: The Message, an interactive gallery that explores the origins of hip-hop and rap, where you can try your hand at producing your own original beats.

As Nashville’s oldest public historic house, the Travellers Rest Historic House Museum covers a millennium of fascinating history, from the native communities that resided on this land in the 1700s to the enslaved people that lived in the Overton House during the 18th and 19th centuries. Visitors of all ages can explore the exhibitions to learn about the stories of the enslaved people who once worked on the plantation and what life in Nashville was like during the Civil War era.

Don’t miss: The award-winning Battle of Nashville exhibit which tells the tale of Travellers Rest through a collection of historic artifacts, videos, and maps.

If you’re in Nashville for the music, go deeper by learning about one of its most revered instruments. The Gallery of Iconic Guitars offers visitors an intimate way to view (and even play!) some of the world’s most rare and iconic guitars. Located at Belmont University, the GIG features nearly 500 irreplaceable string instruments, each one accompanied by a detailed story meant to inspire future generations of music lovers from around the world.

Don’t miss: The Crown Jewels exhibit which houses the heroes of the GIG—from a 1923 Gibson F-5 mandolin signed by Lloyd Loar to a 1955 Fender Stratocaster.

21c Museum Hotel boasts over 10,500 square feet (975 square meters) of exhibition space celebrating global contemporary art. While the museum is located within a hotel, the galleries are free and open to the public 365 days a year. Enjoy three floors of curated installations and rotating exhibits, each filled with unique sculptures, paintings, and audiovisual displays that inspire guests to embrace their creative side.

Don’t miss: The Future is Female, a vibrant exploration of contemporary feminist art that features pieces including acrylic fingernails glued into reptilian forms and representations of the female anatomy made from neon lights and boxing gloves.

Dedicated to the man many call the greatest guitarist who ever lived, the Glen Campbell Museum is home to a vast collection of artifacts dating from Campbell’s early years on a farm to his climb to super-stardom. Here you can find everything from intimate family photos to bedazzled stage outfits and many of the instruments Campbell used to play for music icons including Elvis Presley, The Beach Boys, and Frank Sinatra.

Don’t miss: The museum’s adjoining Rhinestone Stage, an intimate venue where you can catch live performances by some of Nashville’s most talented local musicians.

While technically located in the nearby suburb of Franklin, the Lotz House is worth a visit for any history buff seeking out the best under-the-radar museums in Nashville. At the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War, you can still see blood spatters on the floorboards and burnt dents where cannonballs crashed through the home. Today, the Lotz House offers a harrowing glimpse into the past through an impressive collection of war memorabilia, artifacts, and rare antiques.

Don’t miss: An evening ghost tour to experience the unexplainable phenomenon believed to haunt this Civil War–era home.

The Tennessee Agricultural Museum tells the story of life in Tennessee before electricity. Through over 3,000 artifacts spread throughout the exhibits, an heirloom garden, and historic log cabins, celebrate 19th- and 20th-century farm life through rural relics including horse-drawn plows, buggies, wagons, tractors, weaving looms, and a woodworking collection. Several times a year the museum even hosts highly anticipated events such as the Farm Fun Day Festival in July and the annual Farm to Table fundraising dinner.

Don’t miss: After your self-guided tour, have a picnic on the grounds, see the koi pond, and visit the horses.

The Frederick Hart Studio Museum is a recreation of Hart's Virginia home studio and a permanent fixture of the Belmont University campus. One of the most influential sculptors of the 20th century, Hart is most famous for his Vietnam Veteran's Memorial sculpture, "Three Soldiers," located in Washington DC. Art lovers are given the unique opportunity to step inside Hart’s mind by witnessing his works in various stages of the development process—from preliminary models and finished sculptures to Hart’s personal books and photos.

Don’t miss: Full-size plaster models for the bronze statues commissioned for Senator Richard Russell and President Jimmy Carter.