An Insider’s Guide to Nashville’s Gaylord Opryland Resort & SoundWaves

Room Packages & Options

Situated in the heart of Nashville, the rooms of the Gaylord Opryland Resort are built around 9 acres of airy, indoor garden atriums. You'll forget about the winter blues—and hide from the sweltering summer—when you enter the doors and walk through paths teeming with tropical plants, bordered by waterfalls and illuminated by the natural light from the glassed-in ceiling. 

Good to Know: You can request a room that overlooks one of the gardens, and some even have patios that you can walk out onto from your room. 

Room Packages are offered seasonally. The Chill & Thrill Winterfest Package Includes one night room accommodations, SoundWaves indoor waterpark wristbands, ice skating passes and ice tubing passes through Feb. 28. The Spring It On Package includes a spring-inspired scavenger hunt, cookie decorating, a visit with the Easter Bunny on select dates and more, from March 5-May 8. 

Seasonal Programming

For a few more weeks, you can ice skate, drive light-up, spinning ice bumper cars, tube down an ice mountain, and enjoy live ice skating shows, carriage rides, and indoor riverboat cruises at Gaylord Opryland Resort. While you're there, you can purchase tickets to SoundWaves and enjoy all of the water park's indoor features, in a clean, warm, naturally-lit environment.

Beginning March 5, celebrate spring—whether on Spring Break to Nashville or during a quick weekend getaway—with an interactive painting and storytelling adventure, private horse-drawn carriage rides, a scavenger hunt throughout the gardens of the resort, an oversized egg hunt from a flatboat river cruise ride, plus crafts, cookie decorating choreographed indoor water fountain show. SoundWaves indoor features will be open all spring, and seasonal outdoor water attractions will typically be open Memorial Day through Labor Day. View calendar for the specific schedule to plan your visit. 

Dining

There is so much to do, see, eat and hear in Nashville that you might be tempted to leave the Gaylord Opryland Resort during your visit. Located in the heart of Nashville, an excursion is easy. However, with a dozen sit-down restaurants, 6 grab-and-go concepts, and two bars (a wine bar and a craft tavern that also offer snacks in addition to libation), you never really need to leave the resort if you don't want to. 

You'll find Italian, Mexican, upscale steakhouse, pizza, burgers, and more, including delicious Southern food at the only Jack Daniel's restaurant in the world. Sample hand-selected “Tennessee Sippin’ Whiskey” from the distillery and give your barbecue sandwich a shot of authenticity by ordering the slaw on top. 

Don't Miss: Cascades American Cafe offers well prepared fare that won't cause any dining drama with your kids (plenty of options like hamburgers and chicken tenders to choose from), and its dramatic setting in the garden atrium—with two multi-story waterfalls and surrounded by a coy-filled lagoon—means you'll enjoy a leisurely dining experience while the kids take it all in. 

Entertainment

In addition to the miles of meandering hothouse paths throughout the resort's atriums, you'll find live music, a water-light show, animal encounters with naturalists, flat-bottom riverboat cruises and more—all indoors—during your stay. And if nothing else piques your interest, the incredible multi-story waterfalls are worth a visit, alone. 

While You're in Nashville: Located on the banks of the Cumberland River, the hotel is near legendary Nashville attractions including the Grand Ole Opry®, Ryman Auditorium®, Wildhorse Saloon®, and the General Jackson® Showboat. And, as a hotel guest, you can purchase tickets to spend the day at the hotel's exciting indoor water park, SoundWaves. 

SoundWaves Indoor & Outdoor Water Park

SoundWaves is a 4 acre, 3-level upscale indoor/outdoor water attraction with dedicated recreation zones for adults, young children and families. Connected to the Gaylord Opryland Resort, getting there is as simple as walking through a corridor. Without a doubt, it's the cleanest, brightest and prettiest indoor water space we've ever seen, and everything from sleek finishes to the living walls and plant best makes being at SoundWaves a treat. And get this—the unique roof allows guests to sunbathe indoors, and the temperature stays a balmy 84 degrees indoors year-round. 

The indoor attractions, which features 5 indoor slides along with a designated toddler section, adult section, surfing feature, lazy river and more, are open year round. Outdoor attractions will open in 2022 on select dates from mid-May through Labor Day.  View the calendar here to plan your day. Keep in mind that while check-in time at Gaylord Opryland is 4 p.m., guests with the SoundWaves package may access the water attraction from the time it opens on the day of check-in until noon of the day of check-out.

Really Important Info: Guaranteed admission is available only with the exclusive SoundWaves Water Experience overnight package, which guarantees the capacity at SoundWaves will be manageable (which is exactly what you want when you're toting a group of multi-aged kids to a water park).

Good Idea: Pack a smaller bag with bathing suits and a change of clothes, and store the rest of your luggage with Bell Services so you can enjoy SoundWaves as soon as you arrive in Nashville.