Two years ago, during November 2025, my wife and I took our two boys to see the A Charlie Brown Christmas-themed ICE! Sculpture display at Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville.
We will share more about ICE, because that was also awesome, soon! Suffice it to say that our hours spent at Gaylord Opryland in conjunction with ICE reminded me that the hotel truly is an attraction all its own.
My family has lived in Tennessee since 2012 and we have visited Gaylord Opryland Resort on many occasions. We have enjoyed overnight stays, tasted gourmet cuisines, introduced our kids to the amazing waterpark-SoundWaves; we sailed the indoor river and spent countless hours strolling through the lush gardens.
That last part sounds odd unless you have been before.
Why would you go to a hotel just to walk around?
Once you actually see the Gaylord Opryland (the hotel in question), it makes so much more sense.
It houses 2,888 rooms and nine acres of indoor gardens under glass atriums. It is described on Nashville’s tourist website as being the largest hotel property (not a gaming hotel) in the United States.
Instead of feeling like you are walking through a hotel lobby, far more akin to walking through a large, indoor neighborhood.
And our kids love it.
Gaylord Opryland Is Almost an Attraction by Itself
The Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center (2800 Opryland Drive) is in the Music Valley/Opryland area of Nashville.
First-time Nashville visitors need to realize that this is not downtown Nashville!
You also are not going to walk out the front door of the hotel and find yourself in the thick of things with the honky-tonks on Lower Broadway.
It stands next to the Grand Ole Opry and alongside Opry Mills and a short car ride will take you to Nashville International Airport and downtown Nashville.
I think for families, the location is surprisingly reasonable given its surroundings.
You do not need to stay in the heart of downtown Nashville to discover the true essence of Music City; there is a lot going on around Opryland and you could even spend a chunk of your trip staying around the area.
Most uniquely, however, what lies inside.
The Indoor Gardens Are Spectacular
You often hear “the atrium” at Gaylord Opryland, but it actually has three main garden atriums: the Garden Conservatory, Cascades Atrium and Delta Atrium.
Between them, these three atria, (atrium is the Latin for central court/hall, think roman villa) make up nine acres filled with waterfalls, winding pathways, waterways and gardens beneath huge glass roofs.
Amazing.
Nothing ever seems to be out of place and there appear to be walkways going in every direction. You could cross into a garden across a bridge and go under a waterfall, pass a restaurant without stepping food outside.
Our children have always loved simply exploring.
That is another reason why
“This also changes on the section you are studying.”
“Garden Conservatory section is more of a traditional botanical-garden feel.”
Huge indoor waterfall dominates The Cascades area.
Then you are in the Delta Atrium & they take the whole thing up a gear.
Then it is on to a 4.5 acre indoor garden with a quarter mile river.
Yes, river inside the hotel.
You can even take a boat on it.
Take the Kids on the Delta Riverboat
We’ve done the Delta Riverboat with our children which is great.
It is not an amusement-park ride with drops or anything really exciting. It is a slow, relaxing flatboat ride through the Delta Atrium.
It travels through the gardens with the guide talking about all of the resort, plants, fish and telling some of the history of Gaylord Opryland.
Being on the water gives a completely different perspective to the gardens.
You have restaurants and balconies surrounding you, whilst you have this huge glass roof over you. Some of the time it is unbelievably hard and it is easy to forget and that you are inside a hotel.
Ideal if you have children because it gives everyone a chance to sit down and do something as well.
It is worth pointing out that the Delta Riverboat is all indoors.
It is not The General Jackson Showboat!
The General Jackson is the large paddewheel boat, that sails on the realumberland River nearby. The Delta Riverboat is the small boat that sails on the indoor river of Gaylord Opryland.
The two riverboats are worlds apart.
While the boat experience cannot be enjoyed, you are free to explore along the walkways and over the bridges etc., which are still beautiful.
Christmas Makes Gaylord Opryland Even Better
In November 2025, when we travelled to Gaylord Opryland, it was set for the Christmas Season.
If you have ever toured the resort during the rest of the year, Christmas is something else entirely.
The already epic looking atriums feel like a completely new place when you add in massive Christmas trees, lights and holiday displays everywhere.
As mentioned, ICE! Featuring A Charlie Brown Christmas was our primary reason for visiting in 2012, and the sculptures were amazing.
However, there is more than just ICE!
Part of what makes the whole experience so enjoyable is to walk around Opryland while all decorated for Christmas. The reflections in the gardens, atriums and various waterways make the experience magical for children and this year especially the children’s faces were lighting up just at the displays of dancing waters.
And we are again.
The film Home Alone is serving as the theme for ICE! In Christmas 2026. The Gaylord Opryland describes its Christmas celebration as beginning on November 6, 2026 and ending on January 2, 2027.
We’ll go back again this year now for Home Alone!
Staying at Gaylord Opryland
We have stayed at Gaylord Opryland before so thought that it would be interesting to stay overnight to get a different feel for the property.
Its 2,888 rooms make it much more than large.
These are different sections and some areas have multi level floors. There are bridges, hallways and atriums. It is safe to say there are plenty of spaces to make one disorientated.
If you do book a room, your main choices are an outside facing room or an atrium view room.
Atrium-view rooms have no view of scenery outside of the hotel rooms that look onto one of the hotels’ indoor gardens, which is obviously much more interesting than a normal hotel-room view. You can look out over the gardens, waterways and activity below, depending on whereabouts the room is.
At night, Gaylord also runs synchronized fountain and light shows in the atriums, currently listed at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Another piece of advice: pay attention to where your room is located!
This is a huge resort.
Do not assume you will just be walking straight out of the room, into an elevator and to the restaurant or attraction wanted. Allow enough time.
We’ve Always Enjoyed the Food
You probably won’t have to leave the property every time you need to eat, as there are many restaurants and options right at Gaylord Opryland.
The food has always been good (in our experiences) and plentiful!
On another visit, on recommendation, an excellent pizza was ordered and food is fast becoming something to experience at resort and not wander out for now at all.
There are also much more substantial sit-down restaurants along with casual restaurants, bars, coffee shops and quicker places to pickup food items.
This is useful when you are with kids!
After spending hours at the resort, the last thing that I want to do is cram everybody into the car and drive into Nashville for dinner.
SoundWaves Is Another Reason We Keep Coming Back
Then SoundWaves.
We have taken our boys here before to Gaylord Opryland’s SoundWaves inside/outside water park and loved it.
At about four acres it features both year-round indoor and seasonal outdoor attractions including water slides and play areas, a lazy river, and various attractions for all ages.
I am creating a separate article about our SoundWaves experience in its entirety, because there is far too much to write about in this journal for one sitting.
However, it is critical to remember that booking a standard room at Gaylord Opryland does NOT include admission to SoundWaves.
Marriott indicates the only way to guarantee access to SoundWaves is through a SoundWaves Experience Package booking.
That would be something I would want to check before booking a trip because one would assume that if you stay at the hotel you have access to the water park.
However, because our family enjoyed SoundWaves so much, we will also be going back there again.
Can You Visit Gaylord Opryland Without Staying There?
Yes.
You do not need to stay there to appreciate why it is an unusual landmark.
There are still many opportunities to come and eat, roam many of the public areas of the hotel, take a turn on the Delta Riverboat or book your spot at many of the different events held throughout the seasons.
If you have never been and I encourage you to do so, spend an hour or two just walking in the garden areas.
The one time this can be different is during the peak festive season when Gaylord sometimes has special conditions of entry as it becomes so popular, so I would advise checking with the resort directly for its most current Christmas position if visiting in Nov / Dec for the sole purpose of visiting the resort and expecting to walk around the entire grounds / gardens etc.
Do factor in parking, too. If parking fees apply then it can make a quick “we will just walk around for an hour” visit a great deal MORE expensive than it seems.
What I Would Know Before Visiting With Kids
What I would let another parent know about Gaylord Opryland is it is not a normal hotel, so do not expect it to act like one.
Give it time to explore.
If you don’t want to rush between atria (just to be in time for the next appointment), make sure not to pack your day too tightly.
Our boys enjoyed wandering around previously.
Catch the Delta Riverboat with your kids if they like boats. Walk through the several gardens. Find the waterfalls. Stop and look down at stuff from the bridges. At night, wait for a fountain show to begin.
And wear sensible shoes.
There is lots and lots of walking.
If you are staying overnight, remember the section your room is in. If you are going to SoundWaves, make sure you have paid for THAT package. Or, if it is Christmas, make sure you check room policy due to higher levels of occupancy on resort.
Would We Go Back?
Yes, and we are.
It became another Gaylord Opryland trip that our family seems to keep revisiting!
We have spent nights there, ridden the boat there, eaten there, explored the gardens there, swam at SoundWaves there and we have even been to Gaylord at Christmas.
Living in Murfreesboro means this is relatively close to home – 30 or so miles outside of Nashville.
I think what keeps us coming back is that Gaylord Op
Kids can explore; we
We remembered watching the show in November of 2025 during our visit (a revisit for myself) for A Charlie Brown Christmas (which we love).
Then there is Home Alone now at Gaylord ICE this Christmas, so we will be back there before long doing it all again.
