2025 marked 100 years of the Grand Ole Opry, but what about the show park that saved the Opry? Losing Opryland USA is Nashville’s trauma. Over 25 years later, the community is still coping with the decision. Shut down unexpectedly in 1997, the community was promised part of the park would remain intact. The park was the centerpiece of life in Nashville during its 25 years of operation, drawing talented performers from across the U.S., while also drawing 2.5 million visitors a year to Middle Tennessee. It’s past time to definitively answer the question “WHY was Opryland closed and replaced with a shopping mall?”