Crews pull down the commemorative statue of Tom Ryman at Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn., Oct. 1 as the media and spectators watch.
REPORTING FROM NASHVILLE, TENN. — Ryman Auditorium has a storied history, with a legacy of notable events and a tentative teardown.
Ryman Hospitality Properties (formerly Gaylord Entertainment) broke ground on a $14-million expansion Oct.1 with the removal of the statue of Tom Ryman, the steamboat magnate who spearheaded the building of the tabernacle.
“When the pieces of the statue came apart, it’s funny because it looked like he was giving us a thumbs-up,” said facility GM Sally Williams. “He was such a visionary and was so passionate about this mission to create a building where people can come together, I just wonder if he could have imagined that nearly 125 years later people would still be so passionate about it.”
In recent years, the facility has seemed to follow 20-year cycles.
After opening in 1892, the venue served as the home for the Grand Ole Opry from 1943-74 and hosted programs such as ‘The Johnny Cash Show.’ Ryman Auditorium fell into disuse from about 1974-1994, but reopened in 1994 after a $9-million renovation, restoration and expansion that began in 1993. The initial restoration 20 years ago and expansion of lobby space, backstage and bathrooms revitalized the facility, which now hosts about 250 events each year.
“It basically added a separate building onto the Fourth Avenue side, creating a walkway so that when you’re passing from the expansion into the tabernacle on the second floor, you’re walking through the original window opening of the 1892 auditorium,” said facility historian Brenda Colladay.
In its original configuration, the stage at the Ryman Auditorium was in the round, without amenities.
“There wasn’t really a front of house or guest services areas, which is why the Ryman alley is so historic — that was their green room,” said Williams.
The proposed view for the expansion of Ryman Auditorium, which will include a cafe and expanded lobby space. (Photo by Hastings Architecture Associates)
The latest expansion and renovation will only touch the auditorium’s 1994 addition, not the historic facility. This means that the concert business will be unaffected through the whole process, which broke ground Oct. 1 and is scheduled for completion in early June 2015.
“It’s really all designed to give guests of the Ryman a better guest experience, including adding an external ticketing window,” added Colladay.
The space will improve and expand the experience for concert attendees, but really focus on business like tours that run year-round. A new event space, featuring a new multimedia interactive daytime tour attraction, will be available for private functions in the evenings.
“It will be a one-of-a-kind multimedia museum experience with an introductory film in a specially designed theater space where guests will be able to connect with the Ryman in a very emotional way before they enter,” Colladay said.
All of the exhibits will be updated to include new pieces that highlight the history of country music.
The concessions, which are done in-house, will enjoy the addition of a dedicated café space.
“We see a lot of people during the daytime hours for tours and typically hadn’t had food and beverage available for them, since our configuration had been geared toward nighttime concerts with bars and standard concessions items,” Williams said.
The expansion will grow the retail area that will include both interior and exterior access. Renovation plans also include added restroom facilities and expanded lobby space.
R.C. Mathews, the company responsible for the 1994 expansion, serves as the contractor on the project, along with Hastings Architecture Associates. The facility staff hosts weekly meetings with the contractor to review the venue’s concert calendar and talk about the renovation process.
Williams said that with the success of Ryman Auditorium, which was recently honored with IEBA’s 2014 Venue of the Year distinction, the guest services areas from the original expansion have become inadequate.
“The tabernacle is just about perfect — it sounds beautiful and there’s a spirit you feel when you walk through that door that is never more prominent than the moment when the artist takes the stage,” said Williams. “I’m just excited that we’re going to be improving the experience for guests prior to them walking into that tabernacle.”
Interviewed for this story: Brenda Colladay and Sally Williams, (615) 458-8715