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These Photos of Nashville Will Have You Packing Your Bags for Music City, USA

These 15 images from the archives of the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest give us a glimpse of life in Tennessee’s capital city

A man on a scooter in the street
A man on a scooter in the street
A busy scene unfolds on Broadway in Nashville, featuring a taxicab parked on the curb, a “pedal tavern” and a scooter rider. Cleo Bond, 2023

Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries

These Photos of Nashville Will Have You Packing Your Bags for Music City, USA

These 15 images from the archives of the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest give us a glimpse of life in Tennessee’s capital city

Photographs selected by Allison Scates

A man on a scooter in the street
A busy scene unfolds on Broadway in Nashville, featuring a taxicab parked on the curb, a “pedal tavern” and a scooter rider. Cleo Bond, 2023

Nashville is known for its country music scene, vibrant nightlife, bachelorette parties, food and cultivation of Southern charm. But the home of the Grand Ole Opry contains multitudes. Luckily, these photographers’ lenses found unique ways of highlighting all the things that make Nashville iconic. Explore raw scenes of architecture, festivals, animals and mundane daily life, all of which round out Tennessee’s capital city.

Nashville’s Parthenon
Nashville’s Parthenon glows at twilight. Originally built for Tennessee’s 1897 Centennial Exposition, this replica of the original Parthenon in Athens serves as a monument to what is considered the pinnacle of classical architecture. Jana Foster, 2010
Black and white photo of kids skateboarding on bridge
Skateboarders perform tricks on the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge while their friends film them for social media. Suzanne Asaturian, 2023
Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge at dusk
Birds fly above the Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge in downtown Nashville at sunset. Scarlett Collins, 2021
Fourth of July parade
During a Fourth of July daylong celebration on Broadway, pedestrians fill the street, wear cowboy hats and listen to live music. Justina Ray, 2019
A Black man drives past the Parthenon at dusk in a blue vintage car
A man in a vintage car passes Nashville’s replica of the Parthenon. Zili Zhang, 2022
A black and white image of an older Black woman walking down the street
In northern Nashville, a woman walks over a mile with a bag of groceries without once looking up, the photographer says.  Jaime Torres, 2019
A older man stands with a guitar in front of the American flag
Guitarist Billy Crain poses in front of an American flag mural outside of a local fire hall. Mark Maryanovich, 2017
John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge at sunrise
People stroll along the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge during a glowing and warm sunset. Urte Kortjohann, 2017
Downtown Nashville at night
This image of downtown Nashville captures the colorful energy of the city’s nightlife. The photographer layered three images on top of one another to create this buzzing scene. Mayur Phadtare, 2016
A black and white photo of an older Black man outside a tattoo shop
A man poses for a portrait on the streets of Nashville outside of a tattoo parlor. John Collins, 2015
A bridge reflects off the water in Nashville at night
The Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge glistens and reflects on the Cumberland River in downtown Nashville on a late-summer evening. Don McEwen, 2015
A fox stands with the city in the background
A young fox searches for food in front of a glowing Nashville. The photographer visited the lot where this photo was taken for days until he captured a photo of the fox. Patrick Maciel, 2024
A truck with "Jesus is Lord” sits parked alongside a barbed-wire fence.
A truck carrying the phrase “Jesus is Lord” sits parked alongside a barbed-wire fence. Sharon Hart, 2009
Sunset over Nashville
The sun sets and spreads colors over the Nashville skyline.  Scott Evers, 2009

Jess Daninhirsch

Jess Daninhirsch is a reporting intern focusing on museums for Smithsonian magazine.

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