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Nashville and Davidson County consolidated governments in 1963, creating one of the nation’s largest cities in territory; its land area is 473.2 square miles. Nashville’s metropolitan area is much larger, covering, in addition to Davidson, the counties of Rutherford, Sumner, Williamson, Wilson, Robertson, Dickson, and Cheatham. The metropolitan area has 4,073.1 square miiles. The important cities and towns in the metropolitan region include Franklin, site of a major battle of the American Civil War (1861-1865), Murfreesboro, Gallatin, Lebanon, and Springfield. Nashville’s suburbs have spread into adjacent counties in recent years, particularly Williamson County to the south.

Nashville’s downtown is located on high, limestone bluffs overlooking the Cumberland River, with four bridges connecting the east and west sides. Along the riverfront, historic Second Avenue is a thriving street of restaurants, dance halls, and nightclubs. The principal shopping district extends along Church Street. Union Station, a former railroad station near downtown, has been restored as a hotel and restaurant. Surrounding the downtown are historic suburban neighborhoods, including Rutledge Hill, Germantown, and Edgefield. Music Row, the center of the recording industry, and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum lie 5 km (3 mi) from the city center near the Vanderbilt University campus.

A downtown architectural landmark is the Tennessee State Capitol, a neoclassical building designed by William Strickland and completed in 1855. On the grounds of the capitol is the tomb of James K. Polk, a United States president from Tennessee. Fort Nashborough, a replica of the city’s original settlement, stands on the bluffs of the Cumberland River. The Ryman Auditorium, built in the 1880s and named in honor of steamboat captain Tom Ryman, was home to the Grand Ole Opry radio show until 1974. It has since been restored for live entertainment and includes a museum devoted to the building’s history.

Several historic sites are away from the downtown along the former turnpikes that radiate from the city center. To the east of the city is the Hermitage, the former home of Andrew Jackson, president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Its features include a museum, Jackson’s mansion, and former slave cabins. Nearby is Tulip Grove, the home of Andrew Donelson, Jackson’s private secretary. In the south of the city, Travellers Rest, the home of Jackson’s law partner John Overton, is another of the many historic homes in Nashville. To the west of downtown stands the Parthenon (1897, rebuilt in the 1920s), a replica of the original in Greece and built for the Tennessee Centennial. Fisk University, founded after the Civil War to educate former slaves, contains Jubilee Hall. Belle Meade, known as the Queen of Tennessee plantations, was a major horse breeding farm, which in the 20th century became one of the South’s most luxurious suburbs.

Universities and colleges in Nashville include Vanderbilt University, Tennessee State University, Belmont University, David Lipscomb University, Trevecca Nazarene University, Fisk University, Meharry Medical College, Free Will Baptist Bible College, and American Baptist College. Several junior colleges and technical schools are located in Nashville.

Many of Nashville’s museums and attractions are related to the country music industry, including several museums devoted exclusively to a single artist. But the city abounds in other cultural sites. Cheekwood, a former private residence, is now the home of the Tennessee Botanical Gardens and the Museum of Art, with an extensive collection of porcelain and American paintings. The Cumberland Science Museum offers daily science programs, and the Tennessee State Museum features exhibits on the state’s history. The Parthenon houses an art gallery and a full-scale replica of the statue of Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, that once stood in the Athens original. Fisk University features the Carl Van Vechten Gallery, which displays a collection of photographs by Alfred Stieglitz, and the Aaron Douglas Gallery of African American painting. Vanderbilt University includes a Fine Arts Gallery. The Tennessee Performing Arts Center hosts in its three theaters live performances of music and drama by the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, Tennessee Repertory Theater, Nashville Ballet, Nashville Opera, and many visiting performers.