Gaylord Opryland hit a key construction milestone this week as crews raised a ceremonial final beam on the resort’s $131 million convention-center expansion. The topping out means the steel-and-concrete frame is now in place for a fresh batch of carpeted ballrooms and breakout rooms, and the focus shifts to closing in the building and finishing the interiors. It is the latest chapter in a multi-year reinvestment at the Opryland campus aimed at keeping the property in the running for big conventions and family-focused groups.
Project details and scope
According to Ryman Hospitality Properties, the expansion will add roughly 108,000 square feet of premium, carpeted meeting space. That includes an approximately 31,000-square-foot ballroom, about 38,000 square feet of breakout space, and roughly 39,000 square feet of pre-function area. With the additions, Gaylord Opryland’s total exhibit and meeting space is expected to reach approximately 756,000 square feet, keeping it among the largest non-gaming meeting properties in the country. Company materials also fold this $131 million project into a nearly $225 million multi-phase investment program across the Opryland campus.
Construction milestone
The ceremonial beam set this week marks the vertical completion of the structure, as reported by the Nashville Post. Event photos credited to Samantha Graessle show Ryman executives and construction crews on site celebrating the topping out. In the construction world, this moment typically comes just before a project moves fully into enclosure, mechanical and electrical work, and interior finishes.
What it means for Music City
Local tourism and business leaders are treating the expansion as a wager on continued demand for large conventions in Nashville. WSMV reports that Ryman leaders point to the property’s mix of family attractions, seasonal programming and new venues like Foundry Fieldhouse as fuel for longer, multi-day bookings. Trade outlet Pollstar has noted that the added meeting capacity could reshape regional group business and help pull larger national events into Music City.
Timeline and financing
Company disclosures put the project’s completion in 2027, with a mid-year 2027 finish projected in Ryman Hospitality Properties' first-quarter 2026 report. The firm expects to fund the expansion with cash on hand and availability under its revolving credit facility, and recent filings describe broader capital moves intended to preserve liquidity. The city’s own financial documents list the expansion in local planning materials, signaling that municipal officials are tracking the project’s progress, according to Nashville.gov.
What’s next
With the frame now up, crews will turn to enclosure and interior fit-out over the coming months, with the new ballrooms and meeting rooms slated to open in 2027. The company has told local outlets it may look at additional guest-room expansions after the convention-center work wraps, according to the Nashville Post. For Nashville, the project is one more sign that the city’s hospitality footprint keeps evolving to chase bigger meetings and fresh streams of visitor spending.
