The Nashville center point is about 11 miles west of Camp Atterbury and 16 miles west of Smith's Row Food and Spirits.
Nashville has hot, humid summers and cool, mild winters, so take the weather into account when making travel plans. During summer, enjoy a day at Brown County State Park, or hit the links at Salt Creek Golf Retreat. There's always something to do at Bill Monroe's Music Park and Campground in nearby Bean Blossom. Bikerfest, billed as "Southern Indiana's Best Old School Biker Party," is held there in September, and the annual Bean Blossom Bluegrass Fest takes place in August.
Hotel rates can be lower during the chilly winter months, and there's plenty to do inside, too, as the city's website lists 20 art and photography galleries, museums, craft and design studios, and more, including glassmaking studios. Take in a live theater show at the Brown County Playhouse, which also features blues jam sessions, first-run movies, and even panning for gold. Stop by Chateau Thomas Winery downtown, or take a short trip to Oliver Winery in nearby Bloomington. Dining options in town include everything from pizzerias to cafes and coffee shops to a microbrewery/restaurant.
Quality Inn, just southeast of downtown Nashville, offers AAA, senior, and military/government discounts. Guests can enjoy an unusual feature in an arcade/game room, along with amenities including an indoor pool, free Wi-Fi and newspapers, complimentary hot/cold buffet breakfast on weekends, fitness and business centers, and a garden. Children 18 years of age and younger stay free with an accompanying parent, and connecting/adjoining rooms are available upon request.
AAA members can save 9 percent at Days Inn in Bloomington, home of Indiana University, located 17 miles west of Nashville. Rooms feature refrigerators and microwaves, so travelers can save even more by staying in for a meal or two. Complimentary breakfasts include healthy options, such as yogurt and fruit, along with bread, cereal, oatmeal, coffee, and juice. RV, truck, and bus parking is available at the hotel, which offers free self-parking.
Looking for value but want to avoid the hotel chains? Allison House Inn, within walking distance of Big Woods Brewery, puts you in the center of the arts in downtown Nashville. Each of the inn's seven suites, each with a smart TV and private bathroom, is distinct: There's a three-room honeymoon suite with a private entrance, a "girls' getaway" room with three beds and two makeup areas with chandeliers, the king-size Alonzo room (named after the man who built the home in 1867) equipped with a kitchenette, and more. Animal lovers, be sure to check out the innkeepers' nearby farm, Donkeytown, just 8 miles away.
Another mid-range choice is Lil Black Bear Inn, located a few miles east of downtown Nashville. The six-room inn, built in 1966, has a cozy fireplace in the lobby and offers amenities such as free parking and Wi-Fi, concierge service (including assistance with tickets and tours), complimentary breakfast and baked goods, a hot tub, and a library. Guests can walk their dogs around the pond at this pet-friendly hotel, which also offers spa treatments and in-room massage.
Comfort Inn in Edinburgh, 15 miles northeast of downtown Nashville, offers receptions where guests can mingle on select days. Amenities at the hotel, which is a one-minute drive from Edinburgh Premium Outlets, include fitness and business centers, free Wi-Fi and newspapers, complimentary breakfast buffet, express check-in, laundry facilities, and a fireplace in the lobby. Rooms feature refrigerators and microwaves, and children 18 and younger stay free with accompanying parent or guardian.
Instrumental in the roots of the Brown County Art Gallery, painter T.C. Steele built his home, House of the Singing Winds, in 1907 in Nashville with his wife, Selma. Today, it's the site of the 211-acre T.C. Steele State Historic Site, which offers tours, workshops, and art programs and invites visitors to set up places to paint. Guests can stroll through the gardens or enjoy the five hiking trails to see the southern Indiana landscapes that inspired Steele's work. Fifty paintings are on display in the house and studio.
Contemporary artists in Nashville include Anne Ryan Miller, a glassmaker who pioneered the copper overlay technique in 1978. She maintains a studio downtown and invites visitors to see her work. The Brown County Art Guild displays works by about 40 local artists in its two floors of gallery space. Lory Williams Winsford works in pastels, specializing in winter scenes, at her studio, called Hereshome. Painter and jeweler Monique Cagle may have the most unique workspace of all: a converted grain bin called Sleepy Cat Studio, where she teaches workshops.
Want to get in on the art action? Classes and workshops are offered in Nashville throughout the year. Consider Nashville for a great arts vacation to view the work of local artists and learn from some of them.
Below are reviews of the city of Nashville, IN from an actual visitor's perspective.
I love everything about Nashville!
All the food we ate was delicious…
Downtown is good!
Food and scenery!
Lots of nice shops with many hand crafted items.
We went to Nashville for a concert at Brown Co. Music Center which was a very nice, huge building. Antique Mall a couple of miles outside of town was very nice and we enjoyed looking around.
The shops in the town!
Nashville, Indiana is a nice place to visit!
We love everything about Nashville!
We love Bronzinnis, Hob Nob Corner, Big Woods Pizza, mining for gems, Nashville Fudge Kitchen, Michael's, Antique Alley, Bathology, breakfast at Brown County Inn! Horseback riding at Brown County SP, Nature Center! Mens Toy Shop. I know there are others but don't know the names. Oh Trolley's BarBQ!
More like an English Village!
Nice and peaceful. People were friendly.
All the shops!
The room was clean. Hard Truth restaurant.
All the shops, restaurants, people, coloring of the trees.
Charming
Charming
The crafts and shopping opportunities!
Fun things to do!
I love everything about Nashville, Indiana! The small town feel with the small downtown area with all of the original, quaint, mom and pop shops, unique restaurants you won't find anywhere else, and the countless choices of cabins, resorts, bed and breakfasts and hotels you can think of. There is a lot of hustle and bustle during the morning through early evening, then there is complete peace in this mostly primitive landscape. They don't call it the Little Smokies for nothing.