Nashville Unscripted · Things to Do in Nashville
A 1934 marble post office turned art museum, a rainbow of thread stretched across the atrium, and exhibitions that change every few months. Here’s everything to know before you visit the Frist.
The Frist Art Museum sits at 919 Broadway, a short walk from the honky-tonks, and it’s one of the best-value afternoons in downtown Nashville. Adult tickets are $20, everyone 18 and under gets in free, and because the Frist has no permanent collection, there’s always something new on the walls. We visited in September 2026, on the opening day of its newest exhibition.
Frist Art Museum at a Glance
Address: 919 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203
Hours: Mon, Fri & Sat 10am–5:30pm · Thu 10am–8pm · Sun 1–5:30pm · Closed Tue & Wed
Admission: Adults $20 · Seniors, military & college students $16 (in person) · 18 and under free
Parking: $3/hour with validation, up to 3 hours · credit cards only
Time needed: About 2 hours
Staying Downtown?
Walk to the Frist, Broadway & Bridgestone
Book a downtown hotel and skip the parking entirely. The Frist is steps from Broadway, the Gulch, and Bridgestone Arena.
Browse Nashville Hotels → Browse Nashville VRBOs →The Building: Nashville’s Old Post Office, Reborn
Before you reach a single gallery, the Frist makes an impression. The museum lives in Nashville’s former main post office, a marble Art Deco landmark from 1934 that’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The city bought the building in 1999 specifically to turn it into a museum, and the Frist opened in April 2001, which makes 2026 its 25th anniversary year.
The part most visitors don’t realize: the Frist has no permanent collection. Every exhibition rotates in and out, usually every few months, so a return visit always means something new.
Plexus No. 47: A Rainbow Made of Thread
Walk into the atrium and look up. Dallas-based artist Gabriel Dawe stretched long runs of colored sewing thread from wall to wall, zigzagging the full length of the space like beams of light bouncing off a prism. With sun pouring in from the clerestory windows above, the threads blur into what looks like a colorful mist.
It’s a long-term installation, on view through April 30, 2028, and British Airways’ High Life magazine named it one of its “50 Unmissable US Experiences.”
Photo Tip
Head upstairs to the balcony overlooking the atrium. The view down the length of the installation is the best shot in the building, and the colors shift as the daylight changes.
Now Showing: Shimmer: Dreaming the Posthuman (Through January 3, 2027)
We visited on September 25, 2026, opening day of Shimmer: Dreaming the Posthuman, and it was the highlight of our Nashville trip. The exhibition brings together 17 artists who use everything from digital animation and motion capture to virtual reality and hand-blown glass to explore how people are connected to other species and to the planet itself.
That sounds heady on paper. In person, it feels like wandering through a series of dreams: dark rooms glowing with projections, screens tucked inside glass sculptures, and one room you can literally sit down in.
The Immersive Room
Don’t Rush This One · Floor Cushions
Wall-to-wall projections of shifting mandalas, clouds, and flowers, a star-speckled floor, costumed figures on pedestals, and big cushions scattered around. Grab a cushion and let the projections cycle.
Jacolby Satterwhite’s Animated World
Video · 24 Minutes · Our Favorite
We Are in Hell When We Hurt Each Other (2020) follows dancing avatars through a dreamlike, post-apocalyptic landscape. My 24-year-old daughter sat down “for a minute” and couldn’t step away. The film closes with a tribute to Breonna Taylor, the Louisville woman killed in a 2020 police raid, which gives the ending real weight.
Tiny Ocean Worlds in Glass
Katja Loher · Video Sculptures
Small screens set inside hand-blown glass forms play looping videos of dancers costumed as plankton. The idea behind them is a lovely one: microscopic ocean life produces more than half the oxygen we breathe, so our lives depend on creatures we’ll never see.
Virtual Reality Station
Headsets Provided · Staff on Hand
On opening day, the gallery staff were genuinely enthusiastic, helping visitors get set up and chatting about the work. If you’ve never tried museum VR, this is an easy, low-pressure place to start.
Good to Know for Families
Shimmer is visually magical for all ages, but a few video works touch on mature themes, including violence and loss. Parents of younger kids may want to preview the Satterwhite film first, or head to Martin ArtQuest instead.
Martin ArtQuest: The Hands-On Gallery
Visiting with kids, or just want to make something? The Martin ArtQuest gallery upstairs has hands-on stations for painting, drawing, and printmaking. It keeps the same hours as the museum, it’s included with adult admission, and it’s always free for anyone 18 and under.
Frist Tickets: Discounts and Free Days
Adult admission is $20. Seniors 65 and up, military with ID, and college students with ID pay $16, but only when buying tickets in person at the museum. Ways to save:
- Kids and teens — everyone 18 and younger is always free.
- College students — free on Thursdays from 5 to 8pm with ID.
- Bank of America cardholders — free general admission the first full weekend of every month through Museums on Us.
- EBT, SNAP, and WIC cardholders — free for up to four adults with photo ID.
- Hotel perks — some downtown hotels include Frist tickets. Ours did, as part of its destination fee (more below).
Frist Parking: Validate Your Ticket
The Frist has its own lot, and museum visitors pay $3 per hour with validation for up to three hours, then $12 for each additional hour. Without validation, it’s $12 an hour. The lot takes credit cards only. If it’s full, the museum points visitors to a lot on 10th Avenue across from Cummins Station and the Gateway lot behind Union Station.
Downtown lots fill fast on weekends and event nights. See our Nashville parking guide for more options, or skip the car with our rideshare guide.
How Long to Spend at the Frist
Give yourself about two hours, and more if you want to watch the video works in full. Several pieces are long films, and the dark, immersive galleries make it easy to lose track of time. Thursday is the best day for a relaxed visit, since the museum stays open until 8pm.
Where to Stay: Right Next Door at Union Station
We stayed at The Union Station Nashville Yards, the historic 1900 train station turned hotel, just steps from the Frist on Broadway. One perk of its daily destination fee is a choice of activity, and two tickets to the Frist was one of the options, which is how we got in free.
Staying downtown means you can walk to the Frist, Broadway, Bridgestone Arena, and dozens of restaurants without dealing with parking at all.
Plan Your Nashville Trip
Hotels, VRBOs & Experiences
Pair the Frist with a downtown stay and a few top-rated Nashville experiences.
Browse Nashville Hotels → Browse Nashville VRBOs →Top-Rated Nashville Experiences
🚌 Hop On Hop Off Trolley → 🌮 Nashville Food Tour →Frist Art Museum FAQ
How much does the Frist Art Museum cost?
Adult admission is $20. Seniors, military, and college students pay $16 when buying in person, and everyone 18 and younger is free.
Is the Frist Art Museum free for kids?
Yes. Guests 18 and younger always get in free, including the hands-on Martin ArtQuest gallery.
What days is the Frist Art Museum closed?
The Frist is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, plus Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. It’s open until 8pm on Thursdays.
What exhibitions are at the Frist right now?
As of fall 2026, the main exhibition is Shimmer: Dreaming the Posthuman, on view through January 3, 2027, plus Gabriel Dawe’s Plexus No. 47 in the atrium through April 2028.
Where do you park for the Frist Art Museum?
The museum has its own lot at $3 per hour with validation for up to three hours. It’s credit card only, and nearby overflow lots include the Gateway lot behind Union Station.
How long should you spend at the Frist Art Museum?
Plan on about two hours. Allow extra time for long video works, which are worth watching in full.
→ Things to Do in Nashville: The Complete Guide
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Hours, ticket prices, and exhibitions were confirmed with the Frist Art Museum in September 2026 and can change. Always verify current information at fristartmuseum.org before your visit. This post contains affiliate links.