Most Instagrammable Places & Best Views in Nashville

The top pick in each category, at a glance.

• Cumberland Park

  ◷ Blue hour

  The definitive skyline vantage: the entire downtown lines up across the river from an east-bank park below the pedestrian bridge, superb at blue hour.

  Pro tip: Use a 24-35mm on a tripod and time the sync of afterglow with tower lights for a balanced exposure across the water.

• John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge

  ◷ Blue hour

  An elevated walk over the Cumberland that puts the downtown towers on one flank and the river below; a classic Nashville frame.

  Pro tip: Shoot from the east truss at 35mm and rest the camera on the railing for a steady low-light exposure of the lit skyline.

• East Bank Riverfront by Nissan Stadium

  ◷ Golden hour

  The greenway strip in front of the stadium offers uninterrupted skyline angles over the river and easy repositioning.

  Pro tip: Get low near the water and use the river surface as a mirror; a wide 16-24mm exaggerates the reflected foreground.

• Love Circle

  ◷ Sunset

  A hilltop park west of downtown that compresses the towers into a compact skyline above the city, a favorite sunset perch.

  Pro tip: Reach for a 100-200mm to compress the distant towers into a dense stack above the neighborhood rooftops.

• Fort Negley Park

  ◷ Golden hour

  An elevated Civil War fort south of downtown with an open, layered view of the skyline over the treeline, quieter than the riverfront.

  Pro tip: Frame the fort's limestone walls as a foreground anchor at 24mm and expose for the warm-lit tower faces.

• Ascend Amphitheater Lawn

  ◷ Blue hour

  A downtown riverfront green with the skyline rising directly behind the sloping lawn and the Cumberland at its edge.

  Pro tip: Use the sloping lawn as a leading line at 28mm and keep a small aperture (f/11) to hold both grass and towers sharp.

• Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park

  ◷ Blue hour

  A long open mall that frames the Tennessee State Capitol on its hill, with the modern skyline stacking behind it.

  Pro tip: Place the Capitol off-center along the mall's axis and shoot at 50mm to keep both it and the towers crisp.

• Rolling Mill Hill Greenway

  ◷ Golden hour

  A bluff-top path south of downtown that sweeps toward the skyline beyond the river bend and the old trolley barns.

  Pro tip: Follow the greenway curve as an S-line at 24mm, keeping the river in the lower third of the frame.

• Shelby Bottoms Greenway

  ◷ Sunrise

  A far-east riverside path where gaps in the trees open onto a long, distant skyline over the Cumberland.

  Pro tip: Walk the trail to find a clearing, then use a 135mm to pull the far skyline large above the water.

• Cumberland River Greenway at Two Rivers

  ◷ Sunrise

  A far-northeast vantage near the river confluence with a long lens view that pulls the towers into a tight cluster.

  Pro tip: Set up with a long 135-200mm to compress the distant skyline over the wide river foreground.

• 'What Lifts You' Wings Mural

  ◷ Midday

  Kelsey Montague's giant angel wings in The Gulch, the city's most-tagged photo backdrop, made to stand inside.

  Pro tip: Center yourself between the wings and use a 24mm from across the alley so both tips stay in frame.

• Lower Broadway Honky-Tonk Neon

  ◷ Blue hour

  The stacked marquees of Tootsie's, Robert's, and Legends glowing over the strip, pure Music City energy at dusk.

  Pro tip: Shoot down Broadway with a 50mm to compress the neon signs into a dense wall of color against the fading sky.

• The Parthenon at Centennial Park

  ◷ Golden hour

  A full-scale replica of the Athens temple reflected in the park pond, dramatic columns and golden Tennessee marble stand-in.

  Pro tip: Get low at the pond's edge and use the water to mirror the columns as warm side light rakes across the facade.

• Ryman Auditorium

  ◷ Night

  The 'Mother Church of Country Music,' its red-brick Gothic facade and arched windows lit warm after dark.

  Pro tip: Cross Fifth Avenue and use a 35mm to keep the full brick gable and the glowing arched windows square in frame.

• John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge

  ◷ Blue hour

  The long truss walkway over the Cumberland River, a leading line straight into the downtown skyline.

  Pro tip: Stand center-deck at the east end and let the trusses funnel toward the lit skyline as a symmetrical leading line.

• AT&T 'Batman Building'

  ◷ Night

  The twin-spired tower that dominates the skyline, unmistakable from every riverside angle.

  Pro tip: Frame it from the pedestrian bridge with a long exposure so the twin antennae anchor the lit skyline at 35mm.

• 'I Believe in Nashville' Mural

  ◷ Golden hour

  The tri-star flag mural in 12 South, a bright, graphic hometown icon that reads instantly in a portrait.

  Pro tip: Shoot straight-on with a 35mm in soft late light so the flag colors stay saturated and the text stays crisp.

• Musica at Buddy Killen Circle

  ◷ Blue hour

  Alan LeQuire's soaring bronze figures dancing atop the Music Row roundabout, the largest group figurative sculpture in the country.

  Pro tip: Get low with a 50mm and shoot up into the ring of dancers so their forms spiral against the dusk sky.

• Printers Alley

  ◷ Night

  The narrow historic alley strung with vintage neon nightclub signs, moody and cinematic after dark.

  Pro tip: Stand at the alley mouth and use a 35mm to stack the neon signs receding into the dark for depth.

• Tennessee State Capitol

  ◷ Blue hour

  The Greek Revival statehouse crowning its hill, columns and cupola glowing above downtown at twilight.

  Pro tip: Shoot up the hillside steps with a 24mm so the columns rise dramatically against the deepening blue sky.

• Country Music Hall of Fame

  ◷ Midday

  The bold downtown building shaped like a bass clef, with piano-key windows and sweeping modern curves.

  Pro tip: Frame the piano-key window band with a 35mm and let the curving facade sweep diagonally across the frame.

• SkyDeck on Broadway

  ◷ Golden hour

  A multi-level Lower Broadway rooftop that opens onto the Cumberland River on one side and the honky-tonk strip on the other.

  Pro tip: Shoot the river side first, then pivot to catch warm light raking across the Broadway signs before they flip on.

• L27 Rooftop Lounge (Westin Nashville)

  ◷ Blue hour

  One of the city's highest rooftops, delivering the signature panorama with the AT&T 'Batman' Building spiking above the skyline.

  Pro tip: Press the lens hood to the glass to kill reflections and use a 24mm to fit the Batman Building's twin spires in frame.

• UP Rooftop Lounge (Fairlane Hotel)

  ◷ Blue hour

  A compact downtown rooftop with a clean sightline across the office towers and Church Street core.

  Pro tip: Shoot through the glass with a rubber hood and expose for the mix of office lights and the last of the sky.

• White Limozeen (Graduate Nashville)

  ◷ Blue hour

  A pink, Dolly-themed rooftop in Midtown that frames the downtown cluster from the west over Music Row.

  Pro tip: Use the pool deck's edge for a Midtown foreground and a 35mm to stack the skyline behind it.

• Acme Feed & Seed Rooftop

  ◷ Night

  A riverfront rooftop at the foot of Broadway looking straight over the Cumberland and the pedestrian bridge.

  Pro tip: Brace on the rail for a long exposure that catches the bridge lights and their reflections in the river below.

• Rare Bird (Noelle Hotel)

  ◷ Blue hour

  A rooftop above Printers Alley that gives an unusual close-in angle on the surrounding downtown towers.

  Pro tip: Lean into the tight vantage with a 35mm and expose for the deep-blue sky behind the neighboring facades.

• The Twelve Thirty Club Rooftop

  ◷ Blue hour

  A Lower Broadway rooftop that looks straight down the neon corridor of the honky-tonk strip.

  Pro tip: Compress the Broadway signs into a wall of neon with an 85mm pointed down the street.

• John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge

  ◷ Blue hour

  A free, publicly accessible elevated walkway over the Cumberland with a raised skyline-and-river perspective.

  Pro tip: Set up midspan and use a 35mm to layer the river foreground under the full downtown skyline.

• Bobby Hotel Rooftop Lounge

  ◷ Blue hour

  A downtown rooftop with a vintage bus parked on the deck, looking out over the Printers Alley towers.

  Pro tip: Use the bus as a foreground anchor and frame the lit skyline beyond it at 24mm.

• Love Circle

  ◷ Blue hour

  A residential hilltop west of downtown that is the classic open-air high point for a full skyline view.

  Pro tip: Use the hill's height and a 35mm to layer the treeline foreground under the distant downtown skyline.

• John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge

  ◷ Blue hour

  The downtown skyline and the AT&T 'Batman' Building glow above the Cumberland, and the deck gives clean foreground lines.

  Pro tip: Set a tripod on the deck and shoot the skyline at 24-35mm during blue hour to balance the lit towers with the sky.

• Lower Broadway Neon

  ◷ Night

  The honky-tonk marquees, from Tootsie's purple glow to Robert's Western World, blaze after dark over the strip.

  Pro tip: Isolate the stacked neon signs with an 85mm and expose for the marquees so the crowded street falls dark.

• Cumberland Park (East Bank)

  ◷ Night

  Long exposures catch the full skyline mirrored across the calm Cumberland from the river's east side.

  Pro tip: Use a 10-stop ND and a 30s exposure to glass off the river into a clean skyline mirror.

• The Nashville Parthenon

  ◷ Blue hour

  The full-scale replica is floodlit gold at night, its columns reflecting in the Centennial Park pond.

  Pro tip: Shoot from across Lake Watauga at f/11 to hold the lit columns and their reflection during blue hour.

• Tennessee State Capitol

  ◷ Night

  Perched on its hill, the illuminated Greek Revival capitol commands the north end of downtown.

  Pro tip: Frame the lit portico from Legislative Plaza with a 50mm and expose for the stonework so the sky goes black.

• Ryman Auditorium

  ◷ Night

  The Mother Church of Country Music glows red brick with its neon marquee just off Fifth Avenue.

  Pro tip: Return after the show lets out for empty sidewalks and expose for the marquee at 35mm.

• Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park

  ◷ Blue hour

  The Court of 3 Stars carillon and long fountains light up below the capitol on the hill.

  Pro tip: Line up the fountains leading toward the lit capitol and use a 4-8s exposure to smooth the water.

• Gateway (Korean Veterans Boulevard) Bridge

  ◷ Night

  The arched bridge and passing traffic frame the skyline and Nissan Stadium across the river.

  Pro tip: Use a 10-20s exposure to streak the bridge traffic into light trails beneath the lit skyline.

• Riverfront Park

  ◷ Night

  Right below downtown, the towers rise straight from the water's edge for clean reflection shots.

  Pro tip: Set a tripod at the water's edge and use a 4-8s exposure to let the tower reflections ripple smoothly.

• Love Circle

  ◷ Blue hour

  This small hilltop park offers an elevated, unobstructed panorama of the entire downtown skyline.

  Pro tip: Use a 70-200mm to compress the distant lit towers and bracket exposures to hold the deep blue sky.

• Cumberland Park

  ◷ Golden hour

  East-bank riverfront directly across from downtown; the sun sets behind the skyline with reflections on the river.

  Pro tip: Use the river surface as a foreground and a 24mm to catch the sun dropping behind the downtown towers.

• John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge

  ◷ Sunrise

  A span over the Cumberland with the skyline anchoring the west end and open sky over the water at dawn.

  Pro tip: Shoot down the river at first light using the truss lines as a leading diagonal toward the warming sky.

• Riverfront Park

  ◷ Sunrise

  Downtown west-bank green space facing east across the Cumberland toward East Nashville for sunrise.

  Pro tip: Expose for the sky as the sun clears the far bank and keep the river as a simple reflective base.

• Love Circle

  ◷ Golden hour

  A hilltop west of downtown with panoramic views, a big open western sky and the skyline glowing to the east.

  Pro tip: Work the open western sky for color, then turn to a 35mm to catch the skyline lighting up to the east.

• Fort Negley Park

  ◷ Golden hour

  A Civil War fort on a rise just south of downtown giving elevated warm-hour skyline views.

  Pro tip: Frame the stone fortifications as foreground with the skyline warming to the north at 35mm.

• Shelby Bottoms Greenway

  ◷ Sunrise

  East Nashville river-bottom nature area with open eastern skies for uncluttered sunrises far from crowds.

  Pro tip: Face the open eastern horizon with a 35mm and keep the foreground minimal along the river bottoms.

• Radnor Lake State Natural Area

  ◷ Sunrise

  A placid lake south of the city with misty pre-dawn reflections and wildlife on the water.

  Pro tip: Arrive pre-dawn for still water and mist, then use the lake reflection with a 50mm for a clean mirror.

• Warner Parks Scenic Overlook

  ◷ Golden hour

  Forested overlooks southwest of town where golden light rakes across rolling hills.

  Pro tip: Let the low sun sidelight the ridgelines and layer the hills with an 85mm to compress the folds.

• Bells Bend Park

  ◷ Golden hour

  A rural park inside a Cumberland River bend northwest of town with a wide-open western horizon.

  Pro tip: Let the open fields lead toward a broad western sky and a 24mm holds the whole sunset.

• L27 Rooftop Lounge

  ◷ Golden hour

  A downtown rooftop bar atop the Westin with west-facing and skyline views over the city grid.

  Pro tip: Shoot over the parapet as the sun sets over the grid, bracketing exposures for the dynamic range.

• River Queen Voyages (Cumberland River Cruise)

  ◷ Golden hour

  The most reliable way to shoot the downtown skyline from the river, with clean sightlines up the AT&T tower and along the waterfront.

  Pro tip: Shoot from the open deck with a 24-70mm and use a fast shutter to stay sharp against the boat's motion.

• Nashville Riverfront Park (Water's Edge)

  ◷ Blue hour

  The closest you get to water level downtown on foot, with the pedestrian bridge and towers reflected in the Cumberland.

  Pro tip: Get down to the water's edge and use the pedestrian bridge as a leading line back toward the lit towers.

• Kayaking the Cumberland River

  ◷ Golden hour

  A low, immersive vantage that puts you right beneath the bridges with the skyline rising above the east bank.

  Pro tip: Keep the camera in a waterproof housing low to the surface and shoot up at the skyline with a 24mm.

• Cumberland Park (East Bank)

  ◷ Blue hour

  An east bank water's edge where the full downtown skyline rises directly across the river.

  Pro tip: Line up along the riverbank and expose for the skyline mirrored in the Cumberland just after sunset.

• John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge

  ◷ Blue hour

  The elevated deck spans the Cumberland and frames the skyline over open water to the west.

  Pro tip: Use the bridge's steel trusses as a foreground frame and a 35mm to include the skyline across the water.

• Ascend Amphitheater Riverfront

  ◷ Golden hour

  A riverside lawn just south of downtown with the towers stacked above the Cumberland's west bank.

  Pro tip: Shoot north along the bank with an 85-135mm to compress the downtown towers over the river.

• Percy Priest Lake (Cook Recreation Area)

  ◷ Golden hour

  Open reservoir water east of the city, with wide reflective bays and wooded shorelines for calmer compositions.

  Pro tip: Wait for still air at the launch and use a 50mm to catch the tree line mirrored across the flat water.

• Radnor Lake State Park

  ◷ Golden hour

  A forest-ringed natural lake south of the city, known for glassy reflections and early morning wildlife.

  Pro tip: Shoot from the boardwalk overlook at first light and use a 70-200mm to isolate reflections and herons.

• Shelby Bottoms Greenway

  ◷ Golden hour

  A quiet Cumberland River bank northeast of downtown, with soft bends and wooded banks framing the water.

  Pro tip: Follow the greenway to a river overlook and use a 35mm to sweep the bend into the tree line.

• Two Rivers Park

  ◷ Blue hour

  Near the confluence of the Cumberland and Stones River, giving wide, quiet water-level views away from downtown.

  Pro tip: Stand at the water's edge with a 24mm to sweep the widening river into the low, wooded far bank.

• The Arcade

  ◷ Midday

  A glowing two-level Victorian shopping arcade under a gabled glass roof, modeled on Milan's galleria and a must for architecture photographers.

  Pro tip: Bracket exposures for the bright glass roof and shoot straight down the arcade from the upper balcony to capture the symmetry.

• Union Station Hotel Lobby

  ◷ Midday

  A former Romanesque train station whose barrel-vaulted stained-glass ceiling and gold-leaf medallions make for luminous interior frames.

  Pro tip: Use a tripod and a wide lens under the vaulted skylight, exposing for the glass to keep its colors saturated.

• The Gulch Wings Mural

  ◷ Golden hour

  Kelsey Montague's giant white angel-wings mural anchors a corner of painted brick and mosaic-tiled walls.

  Pro tip: Shoot the wings with raking side-light at 35mm and square up to the wall to keep the artwork undistorted.

• Germantown

  ◷ Golden hour

  Nashville's oldest neighborhood, with restored Victorian cottages and tree-lined brick streets for elegant, timeless street shots.

  Pro tip: Shoot down the tree-lined blocks with an 85mm to compress the row houses under dappled canopy light.

• Downtown Presbyterian Church

  ◷ Anytime

  A rare Egyptian Revival interior of lotus-topped columns and painted murals, a jaw-dropping indoor detail shot.

  Pro tip: Use available window light in the sanctuary and a wide lens to frame the lotus columns front to back.

• Tennessee State Capitol

  ◷ Golden hour

  A hilltop Greek Revival landmark of Tennessee limestone with sheer columned porticos from William Strickland.

  Pro tip: Stand centered below the portico and use a wide lens with a small aperture to hold the full colonnade in focus.

• Frist Art Museum

  ◷ Anytime

  An Art Deco former post office with marble walls and intricate aluminum grillwork for graphic interior compositions.

  Pro tip: Point straight at the grillwork with a 35mm and bracket exposures to capture the deco metalwork detail.

• 12 South

  ◷ Golden hour

  The 'I Believe in Nashville' mural, painted storefronts, and eclectic boutiques for lively street photography.

  Pro tip: Roam the main strip with a 35mm and catch warm light on the murals and vintage storefront signage.

• Printers Alley

  ◷ Blue hour

  A narrow historic alley crowded with vintage neon signage and old printing-district facades full of character.

  Pro tip: Wait for dusk and use a small aperture to render the neon signs as crisp starbursts against the brick.

• Scarritt Bennett Center

  ◷ Golden hour

  Collegiate Gothic archways, a soaring tower, and quiet cloisters make for storybook architectural frames.

  Pro tip: Frame the Gothic archways as a foreground portal and use a 35mm to catch stone glowing in low sun.

• Ryman Auditorium

  ◷ Anytime

  The Victorian Gothic 'Mother Church of Country Music,' with arched stained-glass windows and curved wooden pews.

  Pro tip: Shoot from the balcony with a wide lens and expose for the stained-glass windows to keep their colors rich.