NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — One of the most sacred live music rooms in the country has just become a little sleeker.
The Tennessean reports (http://tnne.ws/1ImX0Dq ) Nashville's Ryman Auditorium is ready for its grand reopening after a yearlong, $14 million expansion.
Beginning Tuesday, visitors can tour the historic theater, where upgrades include a renovated lobby, more concessions, more bathrooms and more space.
The venue's new restaurant, Cafe Lula, sits outside the theater next to an expanded outdoor box office.
The Ryman building was established in 1890 as the Union Gospel Tabernacle. For decades it was home to the Grand Ole Opry. Through the years, its keepers have worked to preserve its signature features.
All of the new construction has been done on the portion of the venue that was added in the early 1990s.