Hop On the Old Town Trolley for a Taller View of Nashville's Local Attractions

Thanks to Old Town Trolley Tours for providing hop/on off tour tickets. All thoughts are my own.

While most people opt for the more exciting components of city life, one of my favorite things to do is find a great tour. Usually led by locals, tours not only surround the history of the city you are visiting, but often led by locals, you find out about major & minor attractions, plus some personal recommendations along the way.

Since Mommy's Block Party loves giving our own personal recommendations when visiting places, I also love hearing from guides & locals about theirs so that I can share with you!

Old Town Trolley Tours boosts that they provide the best sighting seeing tours for various cities across the country, so of course I had to check out the Nashville version!

The Hop On/ Off Tour is a great way to see the city by foot and trolley. With 13 stops along the way, a guide narrates the history, the local attractions, and even points out great food recommendations along the way. Nashville's city center has expanded, so this was the perfect way to check out the various locations, including the Gulch and Midtown areas! Hop off at any of the stops or stay on for an entire hour half experience. Just be sure to listen to the times and locations along the way so that you don't get stranded!

Nashville's current Hop On/ Off tour runs 9:30–4:00 PM, but the buses aren't allowed into certain sections downtown at certain afternoon times. Times can vary depending on season, so be sure to ask the driver along the way.

We decided to hop on at stop #7, which is located near the Country Music Hall of Fame. This was because we were downtown for the day, but still wanted to experience the entire tour. The three of us stayed on the trolley the whole time, which was slightly over an hour half. We witnessed some fun attractions, "dad jokes", and even had an almost-stuck trolley experience due to an illegally parked car blocking a portion of a road when we were turning.

I'll say, pack your patience because you don't know what you might experience. We opted to join the tour at the earlier part of the day, but we noticed as the day progressed, the trolley became filled and groups often had to wait for another to arrive. There were 8–10 trolleys running that day, and they were filled to the brim as the morning wore on. One of Nashville's rules is that everyone must be seated, so no standing allowed, which means that if one bus is full, a group has to wait to the next, or even potentially split up. Plan accordingly if you have littles that need naps or meals.

City attractions like the Belmont Mansion (Belmont University area), Centennial Park, Marathon Motor Works, and Frist Art Museum are all along the trolley stop route. Learn about the city's beginnings as a rugged river fort town, learn about the creation of country music, and even the racial division and injustices of the 60s, as riots and protests took to the streets.

The tour guides even stop at certain areas so that you can get good photos of places like the Capitol! Video accompaniment to the narrators tour was great too, as I haven't experienced that in other locations.

Be sure to pack your coat if you are sitting on the back of the trolley in the winter, as the windows are made of plastic coverings. There is a heater, but it only does so much when the wind is blasting by.

The trolley is the tallest vehicle allowed in Nashville, so no matter if you sit in the front or the back, you have a unique bird's eye view and can see a lot as you pass by. The open-plastic covering allows for easy access to snap great pictures!

I highly recommend that you complete a tour with Old Town Trolley. You can certainly hop on/off along the way, but staying on the entire way gives you a great overview of the city and helps you figure out what are the musts for your family to do & see. Of course, the littles in your family would become squirrelly after an hour half ride, so ride at your own discretion.

Maybe you hop off at the park for a while and check out the Parthenon before heading back downtown. Maybe you get off in the Gulch area and go find the unique butterfly mural before grabbing some lunch. Perhaps you wander over to Marathon Motor Works and check out the unique Marathon motor vehicles, which no longer exist and are houses in a museum.

Along the way, our trolley operator shared the history, the local attractions, and his own personal recommendations of where to eat depending on the area we were located in. Some of his favorites included Puckett's in downtown Nashville, Princes Hot Chicken, Hattie B's Hot Chicken, and several places nearby Music Row and Vanderbilt.

Whatever you decide to do, you won't be bored along the Old Town Trolley Route, for sure. You can even purchase discounted tickets to other Nashville attractions, like the Ryman Auditorium tour, through Old Town Trolley attendees, which are cheaper than other locations. Each bus has maps to pick up so you can see the stops along the way, and be sure to check out the website to purchase your tickets prior, as they can sell out. Also on the website are attractions to visit along each stop, which I recommend checking into as well.

Next time you are in Nashville, check out the city from the tallest vehicle allowed: The Old Town Trolley! There are so many attractions along the route to visit and you just might learn something new!

Want to visit?

The Old Town Trolley has 13 different hop on/ off stops across Nashville. Purchase tickets online or at a booth located at certain areas downtown and at Marathon Motor Works. Just show your phone ticket and be on your way to an exciting attraction & experience!

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Do you like taking tours of the city you are visiting?