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Lane Motor Museum

One of Nashville's hidden gems, this quirky museum houses the largest collection of European cars and motorcycles in the United States.

What began as a personal collection of 70 vehicles has expanded into a museum of automobiles, trucks and motorcycles. The Lane Motor Museum specializes in vehicles you’re unlikely to see on U.S. freeways.

Housed in an enormous former bakery, the museum holds over 300 vehicles in its collection. Displaying around 150 at a time, the vehicles are continually rotated which means you’ll always see something new. Categorized by country of origin, most items are from the 1950s-70s. One of the newest pieces, a Mercedes Smart Car, was built in 2003.

Explore the world of microcars, three-wheeled wonders, propeller powered oddities, amphibious vehicles, snow racers, alternative fuel cars and military transportation. But there’s plenty to satisfy the speed freaks who will love the 1975 Maserati Bora and the Caterham Blackbird.

Lane Motor Museum prides itself on obscure finds. The smallest vehicle in the collection, a Peel P50, holds the Guinness World Record for being the "Smallest Street-Legal Car." The largest, a decommissioned U.S. Army amphibious landing vehicle has tires which are over nine-feet (3.8-meters) tall! Truly a working museum, 90 percent of the collection is in operational order and each car is treated to an oil change and tune up annually.

Drop the kids at the indoor play area where auto-themed toys and video driving games will keep them happy while you wander the rows of gleaming automobiles. Be careful; the museum does sell its exhibits from time to time, so you could end up taking home more than just a souvenir T-shirt.

Lane Motor Museum is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s. The museum is located three miles (five kilometers) southwest from downtown Nashville on the Murfreesboro Pike, and has lots of free parking.

Guide to Exploring around Lane Motor Museum

Grand Ole Opry

The pride and joy of Nashville residents and hallowed ground for country music fans the world over.

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Nashville Zoo

Song birds, mating calls and monkey screeches; the residents of this attraction make their own special brand of music.

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The Hermitage

From a humble frontier cabin to a stately plantation house, this grand southern estate is a slice of early American history.

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Belle Meade Plantation

Civil War bullet holes, log cabins and fine wine; Southern history and style come to life at this historic plantation house.

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Adventure Science Center

Kinetic, educational and entertaining, this attraction is the perfect way to introduce kids of all ages to the wonders of science and space.

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The Parthenon

Just a short ride from Nashville’s downtown honky-tonks, a much-loved replica of Greece's most famous temple serves as the high altar to the city's cultural life.

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Riverfront Park

The heart and soul of Nashville's outdoor music and festival scene is also a great place to hang out and watch the Cumberland River flow by.

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Tennessee State Museum

From mastodon bones to dugout canoes, cotton gins to 12-string guitars, it’s easy to follow the trail of Tennessee history at this museum.

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Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

You’re toes will be tappin’ in no time at this incredible country-music-history hoedown.

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Edwin and Percy Warner Parks

These two green spaces are home to old-growth forests, miles of hiking trails and Nashville’s most exciting horse race.

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Cheekwood

Visit the stately home of Nashville’s illustrious Cheek family, now a museum and public garden.

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Radnor Lake State Park

Walk along picturesque trails, spot myriad birdlife and paddle a canoe on a vast lake at this breathtaking park on the outskirts of Nashville.

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Tennessee State Capitol

Walk in the footsteps of former U.S. presidents and state governors on a tour of this elegant 19th-century legislative building.

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Ryman Auditorium

Take a tour of this historic performing arts venue and watch shows on a stage that has welcomed world-renowned names from Sarah Bernhardt to Johnny Cash.

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Centennial Park

Spend a day at one of Nashville’s most beloved green spaces, which features a walking trail, an ornamental garden, art exhibits and concerts.

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Fontanel Mansion

Spot music memorabilia and see a slice of the home life of the well-known country singer Barbara Mandrell at her former family estate.

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Johnny Cash Museum

Discover hundreds of original artifacts that retrace the life and career of one of the Music City’s most celebrated recording artists.

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Cumberland Park

This pretty riverfront park has children’s play areas, an open-air amphitheater, a waterfront walkway and great views of Downtown Nashville’s skyline.

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Lane Motor Museum Vacations

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