Ryman Auditorium

The Ryman Auditorium stands out with its heavy red brick facade and the tall, arched windows that line its walls. Thomas Ryman, a steamboat captain, built this structure in eighteen ninety-two to serve as a tabernacle for religious revivals. His perspective shifted after hearing a sermon by Sam Jones, moving him to replace his tent revivals with a permanent hall. The building held thousands of congregants long before it became the stage for the Grand Ole Opry and its legendary radio broadcasts.