This article was to document our Thanksgiving trip to Gaylord Opryland Resort at Nashville Tennessee in 2023. We only stayed for one night, but honestly, this place has so much to see and do. If you’re in Nashville for the holidays, it’s definitely worth a visit.

The Gaylord Opryland Resort has been a Nashville landmark since 1977. It originally opened with 580 rooms, right next to the famous Grand Ole Opry, and has since grown into a massive, self-contained destination. Over the years, they have added several indoor atriums filled with lush plants, waterfalls, and even a river.

One of its standout features is the Delta Atrium, which opened in the 1990s. It has a quarter-mile indoor river and enough shops, restaurants, and pathways to make you feel like you’re in a small town. The resort now has over 2,800 rooms, making it one of the largest hotels in the country. It’s part of Marriott, and there are a few other Gaylord resorts around the country, but Opryland is by far the most iconic.

The resort has a signature winter event ICE!. Every year, they choose a holiday theme and create a massive exhibit made entirely of ice sculptures. This year’s theme was The Polar Express, inspired by the beloved animated Christmas movie.

The entire exhibit was created by more than 2 million pounds of ice! The ice was shipped in massive blocks. And a team of master ice sculptors from Harbin, China (a city famous for its annual ice festival) carved these blocks into incredible sculptures. The process took about a month and involved tools ranging from chainsaws to hand chisels.

The experience was really cold. They gave us big parkas to wear, but I’d recommend bringing your own gloves, scarf, and hat because the temperature was kept at 9°F. The sculptures were stunning, and they even built a giant ice slide for visitors to enjoy. Despite the chill, it was worth it for how amazing everything looked.

Each Gaylord location did a different ICE! theme. Here’s what the others featured this year:

• Gaylord Palms (Florida): “A Charlie Brown Christmas”

• Gaylord Rockies (Colorado): “A Christmas Story”

• Gaylord Texan (Texas): “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”

• Gaylord National (Maryland): “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”

The Gaylord Opryland Resort offers so much more than just ICE! Here are some of the activities we tried:

Delta Atrium Light and Fountain Show: This spectacular show combines water fountains, colorful lights, and festive music. It’s free to watch and happens multiple times a day, so you can catch it while strolling through the atrium.

Delta Riverboat Christmas Cruise: We took a leisurely boat ride along the indoor river, surrounded by twinkling lights and holiday decor. It’s a relaxing way to see the Delta Atrium from a different perspective.

Merry Snoopy Christmas Scavenger Hunt: A fun, interactive activity that had us searching for Snoopy-themed decorations throughout the resort.

Pinetop Village: Located outdoors, this area had everything from ice tubing to bumper cars and an ice-skating rink. It felt like stepping into a winter carnival, complete with festive music and hot cocoa stands.

Magnolia Lawn Tree Lighting: The resort’s Christmas tree is massive and beautifully lit. We watched the lighting ceremony, which was a perfect way to get into the holiday spirit.

One of the best parts of staying at the Gaylord Opryland is simply exploring the atriums. These massive glass-covered spaces are filled with thousands of plants, waterfalls, and winding pathways. Each atrium has a unique vibe: The Garden Conservatory is a peaceful Victorian greenhouse. The Cascades Atrium is a tropical paradise with the sound of water in the background. The Delta Atrium is the liveliest, with restaurants, shops, and a river running through it.