After the Nashville Flood: Grand Ole Opry House Reopens

Travel Blog  •  Eva Holland  •  09.28.10 | 2:15 PM ET

USA Today has video from the restored venue, which opens its doors again tonight for the first time since Nashville’s disastrous spring flooding. The Grand Ole Opry itself stayed on the airwaves—as it has since 1925—broadcasting from other, undamaged locations around the city while its home received a $20 million renovation. Says longtime Opry member Marty Stuart: “It was time for a freshening up, so on the silver side of the flood, it’s like, ‘Thanks, God, for the flood and the insurance check.’”

World Hum columnist Tom Swick made it to one of those relocated Opry broadcasts, at the Ryman Auditorium, this summer. He wrote:

There was still the homey banter and the chummy words from sponsors, the easy mixing of newcomers and old-timers. A student at the New England Conservatory (playing fiddle and singing) followed Jack Greene (singing “Statue of a Fool”). As natural as this assemblage of young and old seemed—conscious preservation of the unbroken circle—it constituted something rarely seen in popular music today.


Eva Holland is co-editor of World Hum. She is a former associate editor at Up Here and Up Here Business magazines, and a contributor to Vela. She's based in Canada's Yukon territory.


4 Comments for After the Nashville Flood: Grand Ole Opry House Reopens

Hunter 09.30.10 | 12:56 AM ET

I visited the Grand Ole Opry a few times when I was younger, so I was sad to hear that it flooded, but I’m sure it was time for a face lift inside, and as I believe things happen for a reason, perhaps that’s what it was all about…

Darlene Turner Taylor 10.02.10 | 8:57 PM ET

I am from East. Texas, and I lived in Murfreesboro, Tn. for awhile after my husband got out of the Navy.  I visited Nashville quiet a bit while living there, and the people in Nashville were awesome kinfd people.  We moved to East Texas in 1983 and stayed from then on, but have family in Tenn. we go back to visit.  I am sorry to hear about the flood,  but I knew that the Opry House would bounce back, because thats what musicians do,  I fell bad for all the people that their homes suffered and still have not been able to recover. I pray that the music people of Nashville help these people get their lives back, because alot of those people are why the musicians get to be there.  We will be coming in to Nashville, / Murfreesboro in Oct. to Nov.  to see family and visit the grave of my Mother n law, and we plan to visit the Opry to listen to some awesome artists there. And I pray I see alot of rebuilt homes there as well.
God Bless to all.

Bruce Doty 10.03.10 | 12:14 PM ET

Looking to visit Nashville, want to tour the Grand Ole Opry wondering if you have tours Oct 5th around mid day.

Hardwood Flooring 10.04.10 | 2:21 PM ET

This is a great news as I had visited the Grand Ole Opry in the past and was a great site.  Very unfortunate to have the place destroyed by the flood but am glad that it has been restored.

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