Home to the Grand Ole Opry since 1974, the Opry House is right in front of you. The Opry began in 1925 as a Saturday night radio barn dance on WSM in Nashville — named as a deliberate contrast to the Metropolitan Opera broadcasts that preceded it on the network. WSM's signal reached much of the eastern United States, and for decades the Opry was how rural America heard country music, discovered new artists, and felt connected to a musical community that spoke their language.
The Opry moved to the Ryman in 1943 and stayed thirty-one years. When this suburban facility opened in 1974, a six-foot circle of the Ryman's original stage floor was cut out and installed here — a piece of sacred ground transported to a new setting. The Opry House has 4,400 seats and hosts the Opry show every week of the year.
Membership is the highest honor in country music. Induction ceremonies, in which a current member drapes a circle of honor around the new member's neck on this stage, are among the most emotionally charged events in Nashville. The tradition is genuinely alive.