The Hermitage
4580 Rachels Ln, Hermitage, TN 37076-1331   Phone: (615) 889-2941

Andrew Jackson was the first President not to come from aristocracy. Despite his ordinary heritage, he built the Hermitage, a large Antebellum plantation now restored as a museum dedicated to Old Hickory. In addition to revolving exhibits, a film on the history of the President and costumed tour guides, visitors will certainly want to see the first Hermitage cabins, where the former penniless orphan and future political leader and his wife, Rachel lived before achieving financial and political stability. In 1804, when Jackson bought the first 425 acres of what would become The Hermitage, middle Tennessee was still dangerous frontier. Most of the furnishings are original and six rooms retain the original wallpaper.

Hours: Daily 8:30am-6pm

Belle Meade Plantation
5025 Harding Pike, Nashville, TN 37205   Phone: (615) 356-0501

The 1853 Greek Revival mansion is commonly referred to as the "Queen of Tennessee Plantations." A log cabin on the premises dates back to 1790, although the mansion remains in mid-19th century furnishings. Guides in period costume take groups through the home, pointing out things like bulletholes in the limestone columns. The 30-acre grounds hold summer concerts and the annual Fall Fest. During Christmas, the mansion is decked out in period garlands.

Hours: Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 11am-5pm

Belmont Mansion

1900 Belmont Blvd, Nashville, TN 37212   Phone: (615) 460-5459

The university campus grew up around this Italian villa built by Adelicia Acklen between 1849 and 1852. At the time, Acklen was one of the wealthiest women in America and built, furnished and landscaped one of the most elaborate pre-Civil War homes in the South. The 36 rooms take up 19,000 square feet. Visitors can tour 16 rooms of the mansion as well as the manicured gardens with marble statues and five cast-iron gazebos.

Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-4pm, Sun 1pm-4pm

Ryman Auditorium

116 Fifth Ave N, Nashville, TN 37219   Phone: (615) 458-8700

Built in 1892, Ryman Auditorium has hosted countless visionaries, including Enrico Caruso, John Philip Sousa, Sarah Bernhardt and Charlie Chaplin. But the Ryman will forever be known as the mother church of country music. When the Grand Ole Opry settled into this brick tabernacle in the heart of downtown in 1943, the Ryman instantly became the stage where every country star wanted to perform. In the summer, don't miss the amazing bluegrass shows.

Hours: Box office: Daily 9am-4pm

Tennessee State Capital Building

The cornerstone of the State capitol was laid on July 4, 1845, and the final stone was put in place on July 21, 1855, more than ten years later. The Capitol is modeled after a Greek Ionic temple, and stands 236 feet long, 109 feet wide, and 206 feet from the ground to the tower top.  The Portico at each end resembles the Erectheum in Athens and the tower is patterned after the choragic monument of Lysicrates in Athens. The tomb of President James K. Polk is on the grounds of the Capitol.  The statues of President Andrew Jackson, Sam Davis, and Sgt. Alvin C. York also surround the Capitol.

Tennessee State Museum

505 Deaderick St, Nashville, TN 37243-1402   Phone: (615) 741-2692

This museum, one of the largest in the Southeast, traces the history of the Volunteer State and the nation from American Indian settlements through the Civil War and into the early 1900s. Paintings, quilts, furniture and firearms are only parts of the treasure chest of unique artifacts on hand. There's Davy Crockett's powder horn as well as Andrew Jackson's hat and the Medal of Honor that Alvin York earned in World War I.

Hours: Tue-Sat 10am-4pm, Sun 1pm-4pm

Union Station

231 N Sixth Ave, Nashville, TN 37219   Phone: (615) 244-3121

Union Station is the ideal choice for discerning guests who wish, and expect, to be delighted. This one time historical train station has now been made into a luxury hotel. The history and heritage of this treasured landmark have been painstakingly restored and preserved through an 11-month $19 million renovation. From the stained glass lobby ceiling, marble columns and staircases, to the Russian walnut paneling, the original colors and impeccable detail has been made new again.

Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum

1200 Forrest Park Dr, Nashville, TN 37205   Phone: (615) 356-8000

The former estate of the Cheek family (think Maxwell House coffee fortune) perches on a hill surrounded by splendorous Warner Parks. The Georgian mansion houses Nashville's premier art museum, including regular collections of paintings, silver and porcelain. Outside, the sprawling botanical gardens include a Japanese garden, an herb garden, two perennial gardens, a color garden, water garden, seasons garden and wildflower garden. Each year, the museum and gardens attract more than 170,000 visitors.

Hours: Tue-Sat 9:30am-4:30pm, Sun 11am-4:30pm

The Parthenon

307 31st Ave., N., Nashville, TN 37201   Phone: (615) 862-8431

Created as a replica of the Parthenon in Athens for Tennessee's centennial celebration in 1897, the building houses Athena Parthenos, the largest piece of indoor sculpture in the Western world. Downstairs, the Parthenon art galleries include the Cowan Collection, a permanent exhibit that contains 63 works by American painters like William Merritt Chase and Winslow Homer. This city-owned museum also hosts national touring exhibits.

Hours: Tue-Sat 9am-4:30pm, Sun 12:30pm-4:30pm, (Sundays, April-Aug only)

Mansker's Station and Bowen House

705 Caldwell Dr, Goodlettsville, TN 37072-3446   Phone: (615) 859-3678

Located in Moss-Wright Park in Goodlettsville, this historic frontier life center features a "living history" museum, a reconstructed 1779 fort and historic interpreters in period dress. The Bowen House, located on the park's grounds, is the oldest standing brick structure in Middle Tennessee, having been completed in 1787 by Captain William Bowen of Virginia for his wife and nine children.

Hours: Mon-Sat 9am-4pm, Sun 1pm-5pm

Travelers Rest 

636 Farrell Pkwy, Nashville, TN 37220-1218   Phone: (615) 832-8197

Built in 1799 by Judge John Overton, law partner and lifelong friend of Andrew Jackson, this white clapboard house stands gracefully among ginkgoes and magnolias on beautifully manicured grounds. Inside is one of the largest collections of early 19th-century Tennessee-made furniture in the state, many original to the home. Costumed docents offer guided tours daily. The educational programs for kids and families draw praise and admiration from locals and tourists.

Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-4pm, Sun 1pm-4pm

Carnton Plantation and Confederate Cemetery

1345 Carnton Ln, Franklin, TN 37064-3259  Phone: (615) 794-0903

Built in 1825 by Randal McGavock and later used as a field hospital, Carnton played a central role in the Civil War when four Confederate generals were during the bloody Battle of Franklin. Their bodies were placed on the rear veranda of this stately Greek Revival. Bloodstains are still visible on the floorboards. Adjacent to the home is the historical McGavock Confederate Cemetery. Today, visitors tour the distinctive large brick house to learn of 19th century Tennessee life.

Hours: Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 1pm-5pm

Fort Nashborough

170 First Ave N, Nashville, TN 37201-1924   Phone: (615) 862-8424

On Christmas Eve in 1779, a group of determined pioneers traveled down the Cumberland River on flatboats, settling on its banks in what was still the Wild West. They carved a new life out of the rugged terrain, struggling against the elements and many other hardships to build Fort Nashborough. A replica, one-fourth the size of the original fort, now stands in Riverfront Park and is open for history buffs to take 20 minute tours.

Hours: Daily 9am-5pm

Historic Rock Castle

139 Rock Castle Ln, Hendersonville, TN 37075-4522   Phone: (615) 824-0502

Rock Castle was the home of Daniel Smith and remains one of Tennessee’s most important structures of the early Republic. Its noteworthy architectural character reflects the taste of a man of culture and education who chose to build a new life for himself and his family on the frontier. The once 3,140 acre plantation now consists of 18 acres, the house, a smokehouse and cemetery.

Hours: Feb 1-Dec 31, Wed-Sat 10:00am- 4:00pm, Feb 1-Dec 31, Sun 1:00pm- 4:00pm