The Frist's curators built an inventory of the art hanging in parlors, living rooms and institutions about town. The resulting show, which includes works by Winslow Homer, Georgia O'Keeffe, Diego Rivera and Jackson Pollock, helps root the new museum to its city. The museum is open daily. With 136,000 square feet, it is more than four times the size of its predecessor. Besides the exhibition halls, which were designed by Ralph Appelbaum, who worked on the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, there are several small theaters for films and live performances.
Academics can study more than one million artifacts and virtually every country recording ever made.
The museum is open daily, including until 10 p.m. on Thursday. It was long renowned as a thoroughbred stud farm. The grounds include the 1853 Greek Revival mansion and 10 outbuildings, among them an 1832 slave cabin. Guides in 1860's dress provide tours daily. Its 330 suites are elegantly appointed in traditional fabrics, with refrigerators and microwaves, among other amenities.