Crossword Dictionary
Grand Ole Opry House
The Grand Ole Opry House is an iconic music venue that hosts talented and popular artists while also showcasing the longest-running radio broadcast in American history. The show includes renowned, groundbreaking singers, both traditional and modern, performing country, bluegrass, Americana, folk, and gospel music interspersed with comedic skits. The Grand Ole Opry began in 1925 on WSM Radio and has been through multiple changes in venue.
With such distinct culture and resolute tradition, the Grand Ole Opry House attracts hundreds of thousands of international visitors and millions more radio and internet listeners. Performances are broadcast live every week, and the venue hosts additional shows for special events throughout the year.
The Ryman Auditorium was home to the Opry until 1974. By the late 1960s, National Life & Accident desired a new, larger, more modern home for the long-running radio show. The Ryman was beginning to suffer from disrepair as the downtown neighborhood around it fell victim to increasing urban decay. Despite these shortcomings, the show's popularity continued to increase, and its weekly crowds were outgrowing the venue.
National Life & Accident purchased farmland owned by a local sausage manufacturer (Rudy's Farm) in the Pennington Bend area of Nashville. The new Opry venue was the centerpiece of a grand entertainment complex at that location, which later included Opryland USA Theme Park and Opryland Hotel. The theme park opened to the public in 1972, well ahead of the 4,000-seat Opry House, which debuted nearly two years later.
The theme park was closed and demolished following the 1997 season, but the Grand Ole Opry House remains in use.
The Grand Ole Opry continues to be performed every Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, and occasionally Wednesday at the Grand Ole Opry House from February through October each year, and the site was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 27, 2015.
The Grand Ole Opry House was also the home of the Country Music Association Awards from 1974 to 2004.