A Bittersweet Farewell. In 1969, the Grand Ole Opry announced it would be moving to a new theater that could accommodate the show's growing audience and was far from the debauchery of downtown Nashville at the time. The Grand Ole Opry had its final show at the Ryman on March 15, 1974.

On March 15, 1974, the Opry made its last broadcast from Ryman before moving to its new custom-built home, The Grand Ole Opry House at Opryland. In 2004, the Opry House surpassed the Ryman as the Opry's most enduring home.

The Grand Ole Opry moved to the Opry house in 1974 because it was determined the show needed its own, permanent home. Ryman Auditorium was home to the Grand Ole Opry for more than 30 years, from 1943 to 1974.

The Ryman's role in country music history started when it became home to the Grand Ole Opry in 1943. From that moment, Ryman Auditorium became synonymous with the genre, hosting the live radio show twice a week and launching country performers, like Roy Acuff and Dolly Parton, into living rooms across America.