Updated in September 2026, this Frist Art Museum guide covers ticket prices, opening hours, parking, transport, accessibility and what to see.
The Frist Art Museum is a nonprofit exhibition space in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, housed in the city’s former main post office. The museum’s coat and bag check service remains suspended, with only self-serve storage available, so visitors are asked to leave bags at home or in a car. Opening hours and ticket prices were checked on the official website in September 2026, when this guide was last updated.
Quick facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Opening hours | Mon 10am–5:30pm; Tue–Wed closed; Thu 10am–8pm; Fri–Sat 10am–5:30pm; Sun 1–5:30pm |
| Ticket prices | Adults $20; 18 & under free; seniors/military/students $16 (in person only) |
| Address | 919 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203 |
| Nearest transport/parking | Downtown Nashville; on-site lot from $3/hour (validated) |
| Typical time needed | 1.5–2.5 hours |
The Frist Art Museum opening hours
The museum opens Monday from 10am to 5:30pm, is closed Tuesday and Wednesday, opens late on Thursday until 8pm, and keeps standard hours Friday and Saturday (10am–5:30pm) and Sunday (1–5:30pm).
The museum is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, and its Martin ArtQuest interactive space keeps the same hours as the main galleries.
5 great Nashville experiences to book
- 🍸 Discover secret speakeasies on a guided cocktail crawl.
- 🏠 On a homes of the stars tour, see where Music City’s celebs live.
- 🍽️ Taste Tennessee’s local delicacies on a Nashville food tour.
- 🚢 Take a lunch or dinner cruise on the General Jackson showboat.
- 🎤 Get to know the Grand Ole Opry on a guided backstage tour.
The Frist Art Museum ticket prices
Standard admission is $20 for adults; visitors 18 and under, and Frist members, are always free.
Seniors (65+), military (with ID) and college students (with ID) pay $16, though this discount is only available when buying tickets in person, not online. College students also get free admission on Thursdays from 5–8pm. Visitors using Museums for All, EBT, SNAP or WIC pay $0 for up to four adults with photo ID, and groups of 10 or more pay $16 per person with advance reservation.
The Frist Art Museum is not part of a bundled city pass; it operates independent ticketing both online and on-site.
Opening hours and ticket prices were checked on the official website and last updated in September 2026.
How to get to the Frist Art Museum
The museum stands at 919 Broadway, in downtown Nashville, a short walk from the honky-tonks of Lower Broadway.
Drivers travelling on I-40 or I-65 should take the Broadway or Demonbreun Street exits, then turn onto Ninth Avenue South just past the museum. Visitors can also use WeGo Public Transit, Nashville’s regional bus and rail network, or rideshare services.
Why book the Nashville Hop-on Hop-off Trolley Tour?
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- 🎤 Live Narrated Commentary: Learn about the city’s rich history, from its early pioneer days to its rise as the world’s country music capital, through entertaining stories from expert guides.
- 🚋 13 Convenient Stops: Explore at your own pace with a ticket that allows you to hop on and off at strategically located stops near the Gulch, Broadway, and Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park.
- 🕒 Sightseeing Made Simple: Avoid the hassle of downtown parking and traffic while enjoying a comprehensive loop that provides a perfect introduction for first-time visitors.
Parking at the Frist Art Museum
The Frist’s own guest lot is accessed from Demonbreun Street, between Ninth and Tenth Avenues, on a first-come, first-served basis.
Visitor rates are $3 per hour (with validation) for up to 3 hours, rising to $12 per hour beyond that; non-visitors pay a flat $12 per hour, up to $36 per day. Credit cards only are accepted; no cash. If the lot is full, nearby options include a lot on Tenth Avenue opposite Cummins Station and the Gateway Parking Lot behind Union Station, though the museum cannot validate tickets for these.
How long to spend at the Frist Art Museum
Most visitors spend 1.5 to 2.5 hours exploring the museum’s rotating exhibitions.
Families visiting Martin ArtQuest, the museum’s hands-on interactive art space, often add extra time for children to explore its activities.
Accessibility at the Frist Art Museum
Accessible parking spaces are located in the northeast corner of the guest lot, with a barrier-free crosswalk leading into the Turner Courtyard entrance.
Full accessibility details, including information on wheelchair loans and assistive services, are listed on the museum’s dedicated accessibility page.
Inside the Frist Art Museum
The Frist occupies Nashville’s former main post office, a 124,400-square-foot Art Deco building added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
As a non-collecting institution, the Frist has no permanent collection of its own; instead, it hosts a continually rotating programme of temporary exhibitions drawing on art from around the world, alongside local and regional artists.
Martin ArtQuest offers hands-on, interactive art-making activities for visitors of all ages, included with general admission.
The building retains many original Art Deco details from its postal service days, visible throughout its 45,000 square feet of combined exhibition and public space.
Practical visitor tips
| Focus | Tip |
|---|---|
| Timing | Visit on a Thursday evening, when the museum stays open until 8pm and college students enter free after 5pm. |
| Crowds | Weekend afternoons tend to be busiest, particularly during popular touring exhibitions. |
| Layout | Exhibition spaces are spread across the building’s ground and upper floors, around the central Turner Courtyard. |
| Entry process | Buy discounted senior, military or student tickets in person, as these rates aren’t available online. |
| On-site logistics | Coat check is suspended; leave bags at home or in your car, as only self-serve storage is available. |
Frequently asked questions about the Frist Art Museum
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is the Frist Art Museum suitable for children? | Yes. Visitors 18 and under are always free, and Martin ArtQuest offers hands-on activities. |
| Do you need to book tickets in advance? | No, though online booking is available if preferred. |
| Is the Frist Art Museum open on Tuesdays? | No. It is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. |
| Is there free admission at the Frist Art Museum? | Yes, for members, visitors 18 and under, and Museums for All/EBT cardholders. |
| Is parking free at the Frist Art Museum? | No, but validated visitor parking starts at $3 per hour for up to 3 hours. |
Things to do near the Frist Art Museum
- Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum — a major museum on country music history, a short walk away.
- Ryman Auditorium — the historic former home of the Grand Ole Opry, about a 10-minute walk away.
- Johnny Cash Museum — a museum dedicated to the country music icon, about a 10-minute walk away.
- National Museum of African American Music — a music history museum a short walk from the Frist.
- Lower Broadway — Nashville’s honky-tonk and live music strip, a short walk away.
Alternative attractions
- Cheekwood Estate & Gardens — about 20 minutes away, combining a historic mansion, art collection and 55 acres of gardens.
- The Parthenon, Centennial Park — about 15 minutes away, a full-scale replica housing a fine art collection.
- Hunter Museum of American Art, Chattanooga — about 2 hours away, overlooking the Tennessee River.
- Customs House Museum & Cultural Center, Clarksville — about 1 hour away, in a converted 19th-century post office and customs house.
- Fisk University Galleries — about a 10-minute drive away, home to an important collection of African American art.
More Nashville travel
Other Nashville travel guides on Planet Whitley include:
- Plan your visit to the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum, Legends of Country Music Museum and Johnny Cash Museum in Nashville.
- What to know before visiting Madame Tussauds Nashville.
- First time visitor guides to Belmont Mansion and Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage in Nashville.
- Practical visitor guide to Lane Motor Museum and the Tennessee State Museum in Nashville.
- Getting to Nashville: What to see on the Detroit to Nashville drive, Lexington to Nashville drive, Louisville to Nashville drive and Pittsburgh to Nashville drive.
