Tour the Best Historic Homes of Nashville, TN 2024

Nashville, TN is well-known for its country music, classic southern fried chicken, and vibrant urban neighborhoods. However, those who study or simply admire historic architecture will find much to love about the Music City as well–Nashville is home to many historic home museums worth visiting. From homes featuring expansive gardens to homes showcasing artifacts from the years it was built and lived in, there is something for everyone to admire and love about these old beauties.

1. Belle Meade

5025 Harding Pike, Nashville, TN 37205

Belle Meade showcases a breathtaking Greek Revival plantation home style, coming into prosperity in the 19th century as it was renowned as being a successful stud farm. Notable winning horses such as the likes of Seabiscuit and War Admiral (among many others) can trace their lineage back to Belle Meade. Today, apart from self and tour-guided tours of the home, barn, and former stables, Belle Meade offers access to a bourbon distillery, Nashville's only winery, and a demonstration kitchen. There is a Journey to Jubilee tour where visitors can follow the very first African-American slaves brought to Belle Meade in 1807.

2. Cheekwood

1200 Forrest Park Dr, Nashville, TN 37205

Cheekwood is a beautiful Georgian Revival mansion built between 1929 and completed in 1932 by Leslie and Mabel Cheek. The already wealthy Cheek family gained more wealth with the Cheek–Neal Coffee Company then turned and sold for $45 million. Offering glimpses into the lives of the Cheek family, Cheekwood features original classical furnishings, as well as an original Art Deco Steinway-signed grand piano. The best current exhibits are from the '50s, with the top-floor collection varied. Outside, there is a sweeping 55-acre botanical garden, including wildflower plantings, a literary garden, perennial beds, a Japanese garden, and plenty of water features. Perhaps the most surprising of all is a children's garden, featuring a large toy train layout.

3. Belmont Mansion

1907 Belmont Blvd, Nashville, TN 37212

If you are looking to visit a mansion owned by one of Nashville's most interesting characters, then Belmont Mansion is for you. Owned by Adelicia Acklen, the Italian-themed Villa was constructed in 1853, the large country estate was a summer getaway from the Acklen family's Louisiana plantations. Many rooms of the Belmont Mansion have been restored, featuring original displays of furnishings, artwork, and statuary. Adelicia was an avid collector, with many finds singing ode to the wealth of 19th-century southerners. Among the paintings and furniture collected by Adelicia are the amusing stories told by experienced tour guides of how she hoodwinked both the Confederate and Federal troops to move her cotton crops past travel bans to a better market abroad.

4. Traveler's West

636 Farrell Pkwy, Nashville, TN 37220

The Memphis founder Judge John Overton owned the 1799 home of Traveler's West. Perhaps the oldest home open to the public of Nashville, it is one of the few Federal-period houses located in this part of Tennessee. Home to a settled population before Overton came there, the first archaeological explorations (among many more) happened in 1805. Traveler's West saw many more investigations and archaeological professionals visit the site where boundaries of an ancient Mississippi village were uncovered–believed to be 10 to 12 acres of home to advanced agricultural, social, and artistic skills. Visitors of this historic monument can do a self-guided tour or a group tour where stories along with pauses to look closely at artifacts can be enjoyed.

5. Carnton Plantation

1345 Eastern Flank Cir, Franklin, TN 37064

Carlton, once a grand home, saw itself turned into a field hospital. Today, the floors of the old home still hold blood stains from the wounded and dying soldiers of the American Civil War. Inside, visitors on a self-guided walking tour can find artifacts such as Civil War-era documents, decorative arts, photographs, archaeology, and personal effects owned by Tennessee Middle families of the 19th century. On the grounds, visitors can also find the Carnton Battlefield during a separate tour where you will explore the grounds while listening to why the battle occurred, the arrival of the Federal and Confederate armies, and details of what is now known as one of the greatest assaults of the Civil War.

Interested in spending a day exploring the best historic mansions in Nashville, TN? Nashville, known as Music City, is home to more than country and blues music. It was once the site of a bloody Civil War, seeing the days and end of slavery, as well as plenty of wealthy 19th-century Southerners, all showcased in the many beautiful historic mansions that still stand, resilient against time. Each home has been restored to its former glory, housing many artifacts from its original time of construction. What better way to appreciate these old beauties, and to visit them regularly, than by calling Nashville home? Let the professionals at Benchmark Realty guide you in finding your forever dream home in the many vibrant homes of Nashville, TN today!