Have you ever been to Franklin, Tennessee? It’s an amazing city, steeped in culture, southern charm, and history. In this video, we’re taking a look at our favorite things to do and see there. So join Viewcation, as we present: The Best Things to Do in Franklin, TN
Franklin on Foot
We don’t often start a video recommending you go on an official tour, because we think it’s fun to explore a city on your own first. But the folks who run Franklin on Foot have a great thing going, and it’s definitely worth checking out. Their well crafted and fun tours are a great way to explore Franklin to not only see the layout and attractions of the town, but also to get a history lesson of the area. Considering Franklin has been around since 1799, there’s a lot of amazing history to learn about. What’s clever about the Franklin on Foot tours is that they are thematically organized. So you can do a tour that’s centered around the Civil War. It focuses on Franklin as it existed in the war, and there are numerous sites and scars that you can see that are left over from that era. If you’re a foodie, you can take their food-centered tour, and get a taste of the best restaurants in the city. If you prefer something on the spooky side, you can take their ghost-centric tour, in which you’re ‘introduced’ to the many departed socialites and soldiers who haunt the city. And finally, if you aren’t looking for a themed tour, they also offer one called the Classic Franklin Tour that is a basic journey through downtown Franklin for a great overall sense of the city.
Regardless of which tour you pick, you won’t be disappointed. And heck, maybe you’ll want to take more than one on consecutive days!
Downtown
Speaking of downtown Franklin… it’s likely the first place you’ll want to head back to after your tour with Franklin on Foot is over. That’s because it’s the hub of the city, and has a ton to offer visitors and locals alike. It’s been called “America’s Favorite Main Street,” and does its best to keep living up to that moniker.
For starters, Franklin’s downtown maintains a charming and quaint feel because it has managed to keep so many historical buildings intact and usable. That’s likely why the National Register of Historic Places has included it in its lists. You’ll feel like you’ve traveled back 100 years or so as you walk around the streets of the downtown area, which is lined with well kept trees and gorgeous shrubs and flowers. There are storefronts that looks like they were snatched right out of Victorian England. Perhaps chief among them is the incredible looking Franklin Theater. It’s been providing the city with live entertainment since the late ‘30s, and it still a hub of culture and live shows today.
As you walk around, you’ll be able to get your fill of shopping and food options. If you’re a fan of books, you should definitely check out Landmark Booksellers. Not only are they situated in building that’s been around for more than 200 years, but they also have an impressive collection of rare books. And if you get hungry on the walk, you might want to pop into Gray’s and Main. Not only are they renown for having a killer Nashville hot chicken sando, but they also often have live music so you can listen while you wait.
The downtown area also offers some fun events, like on the first Friday of the month, when the local galleries open up their doors to the public as part of the “Downtown Art Crawl”. There’s also the main Street Festival, which you can check out if you happen to be visiting Franklin in April. It’s a fun outdoor event featuring live music, food trucks, craft sellers, and more. And if you’re there in October you’ll love the local pumpkin fest!
Lotz House Museum
The role that Franklin played in the Civil War has a lot of influence on modern day Franklin. In late 1864, the Lotz House inadvertently found itself a major part of a local battle during the war, when 25,000 Union soldiers descended upon it. They had retreated from nearby Spring Hill to avoid taking more losses and to regroup. They camped out on the land around the house and used it as a fortified home base in the area. But it was attacked by the Confederates and both sides were thrust into some grueling and gruesome hand to hand fighting. The battle became known as The Battle of Franklin, and there were many losses on both sides, which led to the assertion in modern times that it hosts the most Civil War soldier ghosts of anywhere in the area. As such, there’s a tour that focuses on the ghost element of the house and battlefield. You can also take a walking tour, where you’ll walk the grounds and learn about the battle, while getting to see remnants of it, like bullet holes in the walls of the house. There’s also a tour focused on the role that local women played in the battle. It’s a great way to immerse yourself in one of the most important and bloody battles of the Civil War.
Bowie Nature Park
Dr. Evangeline Bowie began cultivating this part in the 1950’s. And when we saw cultivating, we mean she was literally out in the fields digging lakes, building park structures, and planting half a million trees. When it was built up to her liking, she decided to gift it to the city of Franklin. The city has since maintained it and it’s a flourishing location that appeals to locals and visitors alike. It’s more than 700 acres of green space, interspersed with water elements, and is a gorgeous example of southern nature. It’s actually similar in size and scope to Central Park in NYC, but it’s filled with a lot more wildlife. So that gives it a much more wilderness feel than Central Park. And yet, it’s equally filled with green space for picnics, sports, outdoor classes and more. And there are great hiking opportunities, including guided hikes that are led by a naturalist. You can even go horseback riding in Bowie Nature Park! It’s a perfect oasis of green that even the most ardent of city folk will love to take advantage of while visiting Franklin.
GATEHOUSE at Dark Horse Recording Estate
It probably won’t surprise you that as a city in Tennessee, there are a lot of country music fans in the area. And if you’re a die hard fan, you can get a truly incredible experience in Franklin… staying in the famous Dark Horse Recording Studio. Legends like Keith Urban and Taylor Swift have recorded there, and mostly likely stayed their while they recorded. That’s because not only is it a world class studio, but it also has accommodations on the property. There are room located right under the studio, where folks like Faith Hill and Rob Thomas often stay while they record. Then here is the GATEHOUSE, a three bedroom house that other stars have opted to stay in while they’re churning out the hits. The rooms are open for rent to the public, provided there aren’t any superstars currently recording there. If you rent the house, you’ll be able to tour the studio and roam the property as if you’re the biggest new thing in the country music scene!
Natchez Trace Parkway
Anyone who is a fan of sunrises should be sure to head to the Natchez Trace Parkway, which provides one of the better sunrises you might ever see. The parkway traverses through several states, and heads through Franklin. People often hike it, bike it, and take photos of it. As the Parkway makes its way into Franklin, it meets a huge double-arch bridge that looks down over the entire area. You can either look at Franklin and the Tennessee wilderness from atop the bridge, or you can head below it to an observation point that is set apart from the car and bike traffic zooming by. Either way, you’re going to love the views you’re afforded. And, as we mentioned, the sunrise there is particularly riveting. You’ll cherish any photos you take from the parkway at dawn, even if you have to immediately go take a nap afterwards.
One recommended choice is to rent e-bikes from Pegado, which has a location in the downtown area. You can grab one for the day and bike along the Natchez Trace Parkway, or buy a spot in one of the cool tours they offer there.
Whiskey Time
Tennessee whiskey is nearly as famous as Tennessee country music, though the two often go hand in hand. And a trip to franklin wouldn’t be complete (assuming you’re a whiskey drinker) than getting a taste of the fine spirit at a local distillery. Company Distilling at Thompson’s Station is a fun first stop, and it has a cool founding story. It was created by a local lawyer, who first took it upon himself to lobby for a bill that would allow him to open the distillery. The county has still been operating on a century’s old prohibition law, so that meant there weren’t any local distilleries. But he managed to get the State Senate to pass the bill, allowing him to open up shop. This was an important step, because since then, more than 40 distilleries have been started up in the state.
There’s also Leiper’s Fork Distillery, which boasts a tasting room that is a legit log cabin. You’ll feel like you’re sipping whiskey in the 1800’s, as you look out onto their impressive grounds.
Clearly Franklin is a city worth visiting. So if you find yourself down in Tennessee, be sure to make a stop there!
Now it’s time to hear from you. Have you ever been to Franklin, TN? If so, did we miss any of your favorite places to go? If not, do you think you’ll ever get there? Let us know in the comments section below!