Built as the Union Gospel Tabernacle by Nashville riverboat captain Tom Ryman in 1892, the Ryman was designed an auditorium, with a 100ft-high ceiling and stellar acoustics. In 1943 the auditorium became the site of the Grand Ole Opry, staging many country greats. After the Opry moved to its current home at Opryland USA in 1974, the "Mother Church of country music" sat vacant until it was restored 20 years later. Today visitors can take a self-guided tour of the Ryman, which still hosts a variety of performers and occasionally, the Opry itself.