Gaylord Opryland Resort restricts weekend hours for Christmas in Nashville 2021

Rachel Wegner, Nashville Tennessean
·2 min read

Making weekend plans to see the Opryland lights this holiday season? If you're not an overnight guest at the resort or attending another event there, you'll need to arrive before 2 p.m.

While visitors are still allowed anytime on weekdays for Christmas in Nashville activities, weekend hours are limited to help mitigate crowds during the peak season, according to a Facebook post by the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center.

Guests who arrive before 2 p.m. on Friday through Sunday can stay as long as they like, the resort said.

Face coverings are required indoors for unvaccinated guests and advance event reservations are also required. There is no on-site box office. Tickets can be found at ChristmasAtGaylordOpryland.com. The restrictions are part of an ongoing effort to curb COVID-19 as the pandemic continues.

Guests look out at the Opryland lights on Nov. 13, 2020.
Guests look out at the Opryland lights on Nov. 13, 2020.

While several events are ticketed and come at a cost, there are still several free activities, including seeing the nearly 3 million lights hung around the resort, strolling through the Parade of Trees and joining the nightly tree lighting and Christmas caroling.

The new rules took effect Nov. 26 and will last through Jan. 2.

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The resort first announced the restrictions on Oct. 1 in a news release and added the information to an FAQ section on its website. It also began posting to social media about the rules on Nov. 16, along with daily updates starting Nov. 26.

In 2020, the resort limited Christmas in Nashville guests to only those who were staying there or who had a ticket to an event.

"After evaluating our 2020 restrictions, this year’s resort access plan is designed to manage capacity on high traffic, peak dates ... and to ensure an enjoyable experience for our overnight hotel guests and event ticketholders," spokesperson Tammy Henry said in an email.

Find reporter Rachel Wegner at rawegner@tennessean.com or on Twitter @rachelannwegner.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Gaylord Opryland Resort limits hours for Christmas in Nashville 2021