Explore Downtown Nashville Food & History Walking Tour
Taste local favorites while walking Nashville’s downtown sights
Duration
2.5 hours
Includes
Food samples, guided walk
Highlights
Walk and eat your way through downtown Nashville’s historic district with a guide who shares local stories along the way. Sample bites from restaurants and specialty food stores as you explore the riverfront and side streets.
- Explore downtown Nashville on a walking food and cultural tour
- Taste barbecue, "meat & 3" items, confections, and a local cocktail
- Visit sights like The Ryman Auditorium and Hatch Show Print
- See The Country Music Hall of Fame and other historic sites
- Learn about Nashville’s past and present from your guide
- Enjoy a route that covers just under 2 miles with possible stairs
Things to know
Minimum age is 14; no infants or young children may attend, and guests under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Some of the route is not wheelchair accessible and may include rough sidewalks, stairs, and outdoor weather. Bring a valid ID if you plan to consume alcohol.
Cancellation Policy
All sales are final and nonrefundable, though they are transferable to another person for the same date.
FAQs
You must be at least 14 years old. Infants and young children may not attend. Guests under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Expect just under 2 miles of walking. You may encounter stairs and rough sidewalks, and you’ll be outdoors.
Some of the route is not wheelchair accessible.
More about Hatch Show Print
Hatch Show Print sits in the heart of downtown Nashville, a working letterpress shop that has been cranking out posters since 1879. Step inside and the smell of ink and old wood hits you first, followed by the sight of hand-carved blocks lining the walls, each one a piece of music history. This is where the posters for Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, and countless Grand Ole Opry legends were pulled by hand, and the same presses are still running today. On the Downtown Food and History Walking Tour, Hatch Show Print becomes a living chapter in the story of how Nashville earned its title as Music City.
As you make your way through downtown, your guide pauses at Hatch Show Print to unpack the shop's outsized role in shaping American popular culture. You will hear how the Hatch brothers built a poster empire from this very block, how the woodblocks were saved from the dumpster more than once, and why letterpress printing still matters in an age of digital design. The visual contrast is striking: after walking past honky tonks pulsing with live music and tasting Southern bites along Broadway, Hatch Show Print offers a quieter, ink-stained look at the craftsmanship behind the marquee names. Look closely at the layered posters in the window and you can trace decades of country, blues, and rock history in overlapping reds, blacks, and yellows.
This stop is a favorite for music lovers, design nerds, history buffs, and anyone curious about the working roots of Nashville's entertainment industry. Families enjoy spotting familiar names on the posters, while couples and solo travelers appreciate the storytelling that connects Hatch Show Print to the food, bars, and landmarks that surround it. If you want to understand why Nashville sounds and looks the way it does, the walking tour's time at Hatch Show Print delivers a memorable, sensory-rich piece of the puzzle.
