Nashville Travel Guide

Belle Meade Plantation

One popular Nashville attraction that is not music-related is the Belle Meade Plantation, known as 'the queen of Tennessee plantations', boasting an 1853 Greek Revival mansion that has been carefully restored to show its original elegance. The plantation was founded in 1807 by John Harding, who brought thoroughbred racing and breeding to Tennessee from the commonwealth of Virginia. Despite a horse racing hiatus during the Civil War, the Belle Meade Plantation developed under Harding and in 1867 Harding held the first sale of horses bred on his farm. In that same year and the one following, he also won more horse races than any other man in the fledgling United States up to that point. Harding's son-in-law, General William Hicks Jackson, continued breeding thoroughbreds and managing the plantation after Harding's death. However, the economy was weakening and as a result, parts of the plantation were auctioned off bit by bit. By 1906, the entire estate had been auctioned off, includi
Address: 5025 Harding Pike
Website: www.bellemeadeplantation.com
Telephone: (615) 356 0501
Transportation: The estate can be reached by public bus number 3 from Riverfront Park
Opening Time: Daily tours are from Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm and Sunday 11:30am to 5pm. Last tour starts at 4pm
Admission: $16 (adults); $8 (children); Free for children under five years of age