RYMAN, INC.
WEEKI WACHEE, FLORIDA

Welcome to Ryman Auditorium When you walk through the doors of the historic Ryman Auditorium, one thing becomes clear right away: this isn’t just another nightly music venue, and it’s so much more than a daytime tourist stop. This place is hallowed ground. This is the exact spot where bluegrass was born, where Johnny Cash met June Carter, where souls were saved and a slice of history was nearly lost. It was right here that country music found an audience beyond its own back porch, and countless careers took off as deals were signed on napkins and paper scraps backstage. This is a building where anything is possible: a soul can find redemption, a crumbling building can find salvation, and an unknown kid with a guitar can find their name in lights. The Ryman is a History Book. Our story starts with an 1885 tent revival led by fiery evangelist Sam Jones and attended by 5,000 people, including steamboat captain and prominent Nashville businessman Thomas G. Ryman. The captain was so unexpectedly moved by the experience that he dedicated his life and fortune to build and construct the Union Gospel Tabernacle, a place where all people could gather and worship. When Ryman died, its name was changed to honor his legacy. When fearless show promoter Lula C. Naff leased the building and took the reins in the 1920s, the Ryman became the anchor of Nashville’s cultural offerings. The venue was known as the Carnegie of the South, hosting sought-after traveling acts including John Philip Sousa, Roy Rogers, Harry Houdini, Charlie Chaplin, W.C. Fields, Katharine Hepburn, Bob Hope, Mae West and even president Theodore Roosevelt. After the Opry changed venues in the early 1970s, the Ryman sat empty, neglected and facing demolition. It took the hands and hearts of Nashville to fight for it, shine it up, and eventually spearhead a complete renovation in the 1990s. The effort saved one of the world’s most significant music heritage sites and breathed new life into a one-of-a-kind performance venue that continues to make history, one night at a time. The Ryman is universal. Think the Ryman is just for country music hotshots and fanny-packed tourists? Think again. This venue draws artists from all corners of the globe and all entertainment genres, eager to experience the privilege of facing the pews. The outstanding acoustics, intimate atmosphere and the ghosts of legends past have beckoned to artists from Elvis to Emmylou Harris, from Paul Simon to the Pixies, from Kings of Leon to B.B. King. It’s one of the reasons a Ryman show is unlike any other—the artists, authors and comedians on the bill are truly humbled to take the stage. The Ryman is revered. The Ryman is known around the globe as one of the best performance halls in the world. Named Theatre of the Year in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 by the venerable trade publication Pollstar Magazine, the historic venue is currently ranked twenty-fifth in the world and nineteenth domestically based on year-to-date tickets sales in the Pollstar Theatre category. Other awards include Venue of the Year nods from both the Academy of Country Music and the International Entertainment Buyers Association, and recently named SRO Venue of the Year presented by Country Music Association. The Ryman is for listening. Why does the Ryman sound so good? It was born this way. Built to project the booming voices of evangelists and enhanced by cutting-edge technology, this room of century-old, wrap-around church pews and the signature curves of the room create a warm, clear sound environment like no other on the planet. The Ryman is a spiritual place. The Ryman was originally built for people to experience something transformative together, and it continues to provide that with backstage tours every day and incredible performances at night. The Ryman is a testament to all the ways a stage can connect people to one another, and when you visit us, you become a part of that story. This place still welcomes all of us to take a seat in the pews, just as the steamboat captain intended. We preserve its legacy by sharing it with the world, so that the next generation can tell good stories about the things we did together when it was ours. For nearly 125 years the Ryman has been serving up historically cool entertainment experiences for Nashvillians and visitors alike. Cafe Lula expands the Ryman’s offerings with a menu of noteworthy Nashville-centric food and drink. Cafe Lula is located at the center of the Music City universe – outside the front doors of the Ryman Auditorium. Dine inside and enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the action on lower Broadway through the floor to ceiling windows. If the weather’s nice, choose a seat on the covered porch. Cafe Lula is open from 9:00am to 8:00pm daily with extended hours when there are events at the Ryman. Happy Hour is from 3:00-5:00pm daily featuring drink and appetizer specials. The camera policy for concerts at the Ryman is set by the event promoter or performer. Please check your ticket to see if the policy is listed. If photography is allowed, you may bring in a digital, disposable or 35mm camera. Professional cameras with detachable or telephoto lenses are prohibited. During daytime tours of the Ryman, cameras are allowed. Cameras, however, are not permitted at anytime during the Backstage Tour. ), video cameras, monopods, tripods, audio recording devices (unless special permission is granted and/or “taper” tickets are offered to the ticket buyer) and cameras with telephoto or zoom lenses. Tennessee state law prohibits smoking at the Ryman and federal law prohibits ignition of an open flame in a National Historic Landmark. Accessible seating is available on the Main Floor and Balcony of the Ryman. Accessible seating is reserved exclusively for patrons with accessible needs and their companions. Patrons purchasing accessible seating may purchase one (1) accessible seat and one (1) companion seat adjacent to the accessible seat. Depending upon availability, seats for additional guests will be located as close as possible to the accessible space. This policy ensures that we are able to accommodate all those that need accessible seating.