The Ryman Auditorium (also called the Union Gospel Tabernacle) is the home of what major music institution?
Ryman Auditorium Ryman Auditorium Ryman Auditorium (formerly Grand Ole Opry House and Union Gospel Tabernacle) is a 2,362-seat live-performance venue located at 116 5th Avenue North, in Nashville, Tennessee. It is best known as the home of the "Grand Ole Opry" from 1943 to 1974 and is owned and operated by Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. Ryman Auditorium was included in the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and was later designated a National Historic Landmark on June 25, 2001, for its pivotal role in the popularization of country music. The auditorium opened as the Union Gospel Tabernacle in 1892. Its construction
Ryman Auditorium and walls standing. Architect Hugh Cathcart Thompson designed the structure. Exceeding its construction budget, the tabernacle opened in debt. Jones sought to name the tabernacle in Ryman's honor, but Ryman denied the request several times. When Ryman died in 1904, his memorial service was held at the tabernacle. During the service, Jones proposed the building be renamed Ryman Auditorium, which was met with the overwhelming approval of the attendees. Jones died less than two years later in 1906. The building was originally designed to contain a balcony, but a lack of funds delayed its completion. The balcony was eventually built