Antebellum Mansions & Gardens

Hours of operation may change without notice. Please call ahead to confirm times and gallery locations.

Cheekwood Mansion and Botanical Gardens
1200 Forrest Park Drive, Nashville. 615-353-2148 or 615-356-8000
If you like gardens and art, don't miss Cheekwood. A 55-acre estate which includes a botanical garden,a mile-long sculpture trail, a learning center, and the Museum of Art. Site of Nashville's Swan Ball each spring. Many activities for children and adults scheduled throughout the month, including a wildflower festival in the spring. The museum is housed in the former mansion home of the Cheek family.

Belmont Mansion (Read BlueShoe's Essay about Belmont)
Belmont University, 1900 Belmont Blvd. Nashville, TN 37212-3757 (615) 460-5459
Three miles west of downtown Nashville, the mansion--inspired by the architecture of Italian villas--is located on the campus of Belmont University. The expansive lawns and gardens of the original estate included a private zoo of exotic animals, including alligators and monkeys, and a bear house. Call for information about hours and admission fees: 615-460-5459.

Belle Meade Plantation
5025 Harding Road, Nashville 37205. 615-356-0501 or 800-270-3991
Built in 1853 after the plantation became known for its thoroughbred racehorses. Greek Revival architecture; guided tours. Carriage house, outbuildings, stables, restaurant. Open 7 days a week; closed some holidays. Jazz concerts in the summer on the lawn. Special decorations at Christmas. Call for more information. The famous Loveless Cafe has an annex site at the Belle Meade Plantation.

The Hermitage
Old Hickory Blvd., Hermitage, TN. 615-889-2941
A National Historic Landmark, The Hermitage is the home of President Andrew Jackson. Located on 650 acres, the existing Greek Revival facade is the result of a renovation in 1836. The original mansion was done in the Federal style in 1821. Allow two hours for a guided tour that includes a film, self-guided archaeology tour, and a visit to the Old Hermitage Church and Tulip Grove mansion. Special events: Garden Fair in May and Hermitage Harvest Fair in September.

Art Galleries

Art at the Arcade
Between 4th and 5th Avenue Downtown Nashville, TN 37219. 615-255-1034
Hours :: Thursday and Friday 11 am-5 p.m and Saturdays 11 am-3 pm
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Art & Invention Gallery
1106 Woodland Street, Nashville, TN 37206. 615-226-2070
Hours :: Fri-Sat 11 am-6 pm; Sun noon-5 pm
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The Arts Company
215 5th Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37219. 615-254-2040
Hours :: Tues-Sat 10 am-5 pm
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Bennett Galleries
2104 Crestmoor Road, Nashville, TN 37215. 615-297-3201
Hours :: Mon-Fri 9:30 am-5:30 pm; Sat 9:30 am-5pm
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Carl Van Vechten Gallery
1000 17th Avenue, North Nashville, TN 37208. 615-329-8720
Tues-Sat 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Website

Cheekwood Botanical Gardens & Museum
1200 Forrest Park Drive, Nashville, TN 37205. 615-356-8000
Hours :: Tue-Sat 9:30 am-4:30 pm; Sun 11 am-4:30 pm
Website

Cumberland Gallery
4107 Hillsboro Circle, Nashville, TN 37215. 615-297-0296
Hours :: Tues-Sat 10 am-5 pm
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Fine Arts Gallery at Vanderbilt
23rd Ave at West End Avenue, Nashville, TN 37203. 615-322-0605
Mon-Fri noon-4 pm; Sat-Sun 1 pm-5 pm
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Frist Center for the Visual Arts
919 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203. 615-244-3340
Hours :: Mon-Wed 10 am-5:30 pm; Thurs-Fri 10 am-9pm; Sat 10 am-5:30 pm; Sun 1 pm-5:30 pm
Website

Gallery One
5133 Harding Pike, Nashville, TN 37205. 615-352-3006
Hours :: Tues-Sat 10 am-5:30 pm
Website

LeQuire Gallery
4304 Charlotte Avenue, Nashville, TN 37209. 615-298-4611
Hours :: Tues-Sat 10 am-3 pm
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Lyzon
411 West Thompson Lane, Nashville, TN 37211. 615-256-7538
Hours :: Mon-Fri 9 am-5 pm
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The Parthenon Gallery
Centennial Park on West End Avenue, Nashville, TN. 615-862-8431
Hours :: Tues-Sat 9 am-4:30 pm; Sundays 12:30-4:30 pm. Call for admission fees.
Website

Plowhaus Artists Cooperative
211 South 17th Street, Nashville, TN 37206. 615-349-3777
Hours :: Sat 11 am-6 pm; Sun 1 pm-5 pm
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Ruby Green Foundation
514 5th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37203. 615-244-7179
Hours :: Wed-Sat 10 am-4 pm
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Sarratt Gallery at Vanderbilt University
207 Sarratt Student Center, Nashville, TN 37240. 615-322-2471
Hours :: Mon-Fri 9 am-9 pm; Sat-Sun 10 am-10 pm
Website

Stanford Fine Art
6608-A Highway 100,Nashville, TN 37205. 615-352-5050
Hours :: Mon-Sat 9 am-5:30 pm
Website

Take 121 Arts
3656 Trousdale Drive, Suite 112, Nashville, TN 37212. 615-256-4805
Hours :: Tues-Fri 11 am-6 pm; Sat 11 am-3 pm
Website

Zeitgeist Gallery
1819 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37214. 615-256-4805
Hours :: Tues-Sat 11 am-5 pm
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Frist Center for the Visual Arts
919 Broadway 615-744-3998
The Frist Center for the Visual Arts is a nonprofit art-exhibition center, with approximately 24,000 square feet of gallery space, dedicated to presenting the finest visual art from local, state and regional artists, as well as major U.S. and international exhibitions.

In May 2001, The Frist Center for the Visual Arts opened in the renovated building on Broadway that once housed the main Nashville post office. Originally designed by Marr and Holman Architects, the post office was completed and opened in 1934. The exterior of the building is a hallmark example of the stripped classic or "Classic Moderne" style that distinguished many public buildings constructed in the early 1930s. For current exhibits at the Frist and other galleries, check BlueShoe's Art Exhibits.

The Parthenon at Centennial Park (in snow storm)
West End Avenue. 615-862-8431
A permanent art collection and visiting exhibits housed in the world's only exact replica of Athens' ancient temple. Giant statue of Athena inside the Parthenon.

Van Vechten Art Gallery
Jackson Street and D.B. Todd Blvd. on the campus of Fisk University. 615- 329-8720
A small, intimate gallery of wonderful pieces--Rivera, O'Keeffe, Cezanne, Picasso, and more. The well-organized gallery houses the Alfred Stieglitz Collection of Modern Art. The building was constructed in 1888 as a gymnasium and rededicated in 1949 to the memory of Carl Van Vechten, a New York critic and art collector who encouraged Georgia O'Keeffe to give Fisk University part of the art collection of her late husband, Alfred Stieglitz. O'Keeffe also provided funds for the renovation of the building to house the collection.

More Museums

Adventure Science Center
800 Fort Negley Blvd. 615-862-5160
Formerly Cumberland Science Center. Interactive traveling exhibits, daily planetarium shows at Sudekum Planetarium, special programs, hands-on exhibits related to health, natural, and physical sciences.

Country Music Hall of Fame
222 Fifth Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37203. 615-416-2001
The new Hall of Fame opened in May 2001 in a distinctive $37 million structure that is located in the heart of downtown Nashville. Museum exhibits and special programs.

TN State Museum
5th and Deaderick. 615-741-2692
Historical and cultural museum with over 70,000 sq. feet of exhibits on life in Tennessee. Largest collection of Civil War artifacts from the western battlefield.

Travellers Rest Historic House Museum
636 Farrell Parkway, Nashville. 615-832-8197
Built by John Overton in 1799, this Federal-style farmhouse boasts the state's largest collection of pre-1840 Tennessee-made furniture. Overton also built the original Maxwell House Hotel in downtown Nashville (some called it Overton's folly because it was such a huge hotel for such a relatively small city).

Vanderbilt Fine Art Gallery
23rd and West End Avenues. 615-322-0605. Ancient through contemporary, Eastern and Western art, with strengths in East Asian art. Call for current exhibit information.