Nashville-based country stars love to play tourist at home

Visitors at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. Image: AP/Mark Humphrey

Tourism comes alive in the Music City during summer, but the thousands who flock here are not the only sightseers in town. Many Nashville-based stars enjoy playing tourist, too.

“I have been to the Country Music Hall of Fame a few times and … you always learn something new,” Russell Dickerson told Associated Press. “You cannot take in all that information at one time going, but like seeing some of Elvis’s old Cadillacs, like are you kidding me? It is crazy.”

He does not mind the attention of fans while he is out visiting Nashville landmarks.

“Everybody is super nice and we just take a little picture, say ‘What is up?’ and it is all good,” Dickerson said.

Hunter Hayes said in an AP interview that he constantly goes to concerts in Nashville when he’s not on the road.

“I realize that I am here all the time, which is hilarious,” he said. “But I just. Yeah, I love the energy of the city. I think we all do. You know once we moved here, I was like ‘Oh my gosh, it is so crowded’ and then we realized but there is a lot of cool things happening.”

Morgan Evans and his wife, Kelsea Ballerini, have been rediscovering the city by foot lately and enjoying the sights downtown.

“It is like one of our new favorite things to do since it started warming up,” Evans said. “After dinner, we will just go for a walk around town and it is so cool. You know, like a weeknight, you walk around and it is a good reminder that you get to… like we get to live here. Music City. You know, Broadway is right there and the Ryman Auditorium is right there and the Hall of Fame is right there. And yeah, I mean we love living in Nashville so much, so that is kind of our new thing.”

Sometimes, though, it is just good to be home.

Tyler Rich said he does not get out much when he’s in Nashville but likes to do touristy things in other cities when he is on the road.

“I have a weird thing where I like to go to zoos,” Rich said. “I love zoos. I like to go and just hang out and see all the animals. And any type of history. I like museums and I’m a dork. But it is cool.” HM/JB

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