Behind the Venue: The Honky Tonk Headquarters, Nashville Palace

If you want to honky tonk like a local, you have to stop by Nashville Palace. In a city where so much has changed, it’s nice to have a glimpse into what used to be. Nashville Palace keeps its roots intact, conjuring up the classic Nashville charm.

Videos by American Songwriter

The venue started in the ’70s as a watering hole for country stars to visit after performing on the iconic Grand Ole Opry stage. The wide-open venue makes it the perfect place for line dancing along to your favorite country offerings. Even today, it’s a mainstay for both country artists and their fervent fans.

Origins

Nashville Palace opened its doors in 1977. Given its proximity to the Grand Ole Opry (which moved away from its home at the Ryman Auditorium three years prior), stars would hop over to the venue after their slot on the country mainstay for something a little more intimate.

Among the early acts at the venue were Randy Travis (who also acted as a cook), Alan Jackson, and Lorrie Morgan. It’s an impressive list of country heavyweights. Those names alone would be enough to bolster the venue’s history, but the list doesn’t stop there.

Today, Jon Pardi, Brooks & Dunn, Randy Houser, Kane Brown, Priscilla Block, and Chapel Hart have all flocked to Nashville Palace to create their brand of country music excellence.

Line Dancing

The music is the focal point of Nashville Palace. The venue has pretty standard bar decor. Aside from the memorabilia on the walls, there isn’t anything flashy about Nashville Palace, which works in favor of highlighting musicians. All distractions are stripped away, leaving the audience with nothing else to do but hop on the dance floor.

Line dancing is a mainstay of a honky tonk. If you’re visiting Nashville with the goal of boot-scootin’ and boogie-ing, Nashville Palace is the place to do it.

Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images