Belmont Mansion
Belmont Mansion
4.5
11:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Sunday
11:00 AM - 3:30 PM
About
Belmont Mansion is the largest house museum in Tennessee and one of only a few whose history revolves around the life of a woman: Adelicia Acklen. The historic house is open to visitors for tours. Tickets may be purchased in advance or at the door. The house is also one of Nashville's most popular rental venues for weddings and events.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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Neighborhood: Bellmont/Hillsboro
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Popular mentions
4.5
1,135 reviews
Excellent
768
Very good
281
Average
70
Poor
11
Terrible
5
RandyRoss
Ridgetown, Canada12,803 contributions
Jan 2024 • Couples
We began our second full day in Nashville by visiting Belmont Mansion on the property of Belmont University. Although the estate originally consisted of 180 acres, the mansion is all that remains of it. That said, it was my favorite of the 3 mansions that we toured in Nashville. We loved the tour!
In 1849, after the death of her husband, the infamous slave trader Isaac Franklin who bequeathed his slave-trading fortune to her, the extremely wealthy widow Adelicia (Hayes) Franklin married Joseph Alexander Smith Acklen, a young attorney from Alabama. They built Belmont Mansion, also known as Acklen Hall, and originally known as Belle Monte, Belle Mont or Belmont to serve as the center of their summer estate in what was then country outside the city, and featured elaborate gardens and a zoo. It was completed by 1853 as an Italian villa-style summer home. They lived the rest of the year on one of her seven Louisiana cotton slave plantations, which totaled 8,600 acres.
Today the mansion is owned by the Belmont Mansion Association and Belmont University and is operated and preserved by the Belmont Mansion Association. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.
Parking was free but vehicles had to be registered. I did this online the evening before but one could also do so at the door. You will need to know your license plate number.
In 1849, after the death of her husband, the infamous slave trader Isaac Franklin who bequeathed his slave-trading fortune to her, the extremely wealthy widow Adelicia (Hayes) Franklin married Joseph Alexander Smith Acklen, a young attorney from Alabama. They built Belmont Mansion, also known as Acklen Hall, and originally known as Belle Monte, Belle Mont or Belmont to serve as the center of their summer estate in what was then country outside the city, and featured elaborate gardens and a zoo. It was completed by 1853 as an Italian villa-style summer home. They lived the rest of the year on one of her seven Louisiana cotton slave plantations, which totaled 8,600 acres.
Today the mansion is owned by the Belmont Mansion Association and Belmont University and is operated and preserved by the Belmont Mansion Association. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.
Parking was free but vehicles had to be registered. I did this online the evening before but one could also do so at the door. You will need to know your license plate number.
Written April 30, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sophiapearson1
1 contribution
Jul 2022
On a road trip going west I decided to stop in Nashville for a few hours. I saw the Belmont Mansion was an attraction and I love visiting older houses and learning about the history of different areas, so I decided to go. The house itself is interesting to see, but the best part is the staff! Everyone is very kind and knowledgable. Usually when you do self-guided tours in places like this you have to hold your questions until you find a guide near the end of the tour, but here there are staff everywhere! They answered my questions, gave great insight, and there was always someone there to ask! The mansion is located on the Belmont campus which is beautiful as well. If you like this kind of attraction, definitely check it out!
Written July 17, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
froghop96
Pataskala, OH171 contributions
Mar 2022 • Family
My daughter and I took the curator's tour that is offered at 10:00. We were the only people on the tour, and we HIGHLY recommend it. We were able to discuss with the curator questions about the house, step into rooms beyond the rope barriers, and ask questions about accquiring the items in the house. We thoroughly enjoyed our tour and loved being able to ask questions we were specifically interested in knowing. The house has many of the original items, and it is being continually restored/preserved. We saw several things we have not seen anywhere else including a system like an extension cord to connect a desk lamp to the ceiling gas light. We went on several other home tours in the area, and if you are doing one, do this one. We were actually very disappointed in the other homes we visited in the area. While seeing the home through a regular visit would be nice, seeing the tour with the curator was very worth the additional cost. Be sure to make reservations ahead of time.
Written April 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kris10c303
Parker, CO1 contribution
Nov 2021 • Family
There was a short (approx 5 min) history given in the main salon by a staff member at the very beginning of the scheduled tour time but then we were on our own to walk around and see the rest of the house. The vast majority of the house was blocked off for “staff only access” so the space available to explore was exceptionally limited. I would have enjoyed this much more if the “tour guide” accompanied the group, or there was a staff member in each of the rooms to give a little history, instead of having guests wonder around aimlessly on their own. Instead they had a number of young college kids silently lurking around watching your every move to make sure you didn’t try to touch anything, but they didn’t actually interact with the guests - it was pretty awkward and uncomfortable, to be honest.
The gift shop was cute, but a significant amount of the merch was tchotchkes unrelated to the mansion.
I definitely DO NOT recommend this for anyone with small children, or people with mobility issues.
The gift shop was cute, but a significant amount of the merch was tchotchkes unrelated to the mansion.
I definitely DO NOT recommend this for anyone with small children, or people with mobility issues.
Written November 29, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
zimmy
York, PA2 contributions
Jun 2023 • Couples
What a beautiful and interesting place. Our tour was so informative and interesting- our tour guide was friendly and we enjoyed our time with her. They have done such a nice job restoring the mansion to its original look- you get a great sense of what it would have been like. The college grounds are impeccable - beautiful walk!!
Written July 1, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sherry S
3 contributions
Sep 2021
Nice stroll through time. The mansion is well cared for. The stained glass windows carry a great history and relevance to ones status during the time period of the original occupants. The last family to live there had a very interesting history as did the Lady of the Mansion. The docent are very knowledgeable about the home, grounds, family and the area dating back to the time the house was lived in. They also have a nice gift shop attached to the Mansion. Purchase your tickets and tour times ahead of time so you don't have to wait long or not be able to tour the house.
Written September 30, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cynthia B
Tennessee5 contributions
Oct 2023 • Friends
Reserving the Curator and architectural expert, Mr Trescott, was a genius move-/ worth way more than the price of the special tickets. He is a fascinating guide and lecturer— of course Adelicia Acklen, her world, snd the journey to re-creating it all is a fascinating topic. The house, the history, the grounds— it was an excellent investment of time and money to have that experience.
Written October 18, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Julie B
Sebring, FL57 contributions
Aug 2022
The mansion is beautifully-restored, and the docents are well-informed. There's also a lovely gift shop. Parking is limited, but it is a stop on the Old Time Trolley tour which is always worth the price of the ticket. Be sure to check out their website and Wikipedia for more information about the property and its original owners.
Written August 31, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cmariexoxo94
1 contribution
Jan 2023
We visited the Belmont mansion during a trip to Nashville and had a great experience. We loved that you ring a doorbell and an employee greets you at the door as if you're an old friend coming to visit, it made the experience feel more personal as soon as you arrived. We also liked that they invite you to put your things down in a safe spot in the giftshop so you don't have to carry oversized bags and coats around. We had Greg do our intro and he was phenomenal. So incredibly informative and really knew his stuff! We definitely recommend visiting the Belmont mansion to learn more about the history of the area.
Written January 5, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Paulofromthebloc
London, UK42 contributions
Dec 2023 • Solo
This visit was incredible. Thank you to Greg the amazing tour guide.
When considering what to do when I was in Nashvillle I found that a lot of the popular tourist attractions were a long coach journey away. I opted out of that and instead chose my visits by distance - and fortunately Belmont Mansion was only ten minutes walk from where I was staying. I got lucky! What a find. The Mansion is beautiful and steeped in history. Usually I choose not to follow tour guides but I chose to book a tour in advance and I am so pleased that I did. Greg was knowledgable and interesting and it was an absolute pleasure having him explain the history of the house and the family who lived there.
When considering what to do when I was in Nashvillle I found that a lot of the popular tourist attractions were a long coach journey away. I opted out of that and instead chose my visits by distance - and fortunately Belmont Mansion was only ten minutes walk from where I was staying. I got lucky! What a find. The Mansion is beautiful and steeped in history. Usually I choose not to follow tour guides but I chose to book a tour in advance and I am so pleased that I did. Greg was knowledgable and interesting and it was an absolute pleasure having him explain the history of the house and the family who lived there.
Written December 12, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Belmont Mansion
Nashville, Tennessee
Hello, visitors to the mansion who need wheelchair access can enter through an elevator. The first floor is completely accessible by wheelchair. A video tour of the upstairs can be viewed in the gift shop. If you will call the day of your visit we can assist you in accessing the mansion through the elevator.
Written July 31, 2019
Did the tour include any behind-the-scenes areas such as the kitchen or laundry area? Thanks.
Written July 27, 2019
I don’t believe so. Some parts of the house were not intact or restored. The main areas you see are great room, dining room, bedrooms, and sitting areas. Fun tour and worth time and money.
Written July 27, 2019
What are the pros and cons to chose between Belle Meade or Belmont Mansion?
Written January 15, 2019
Definitely Belmont Mansion. Our guide was great, the house beautiful, and the story line on ownership was most interesting and exceptional. Belle Meede tour was disjointed as you get different guides in each room and the story became confusing.
Written January 16, 2019
My husband has dementia and has a small emotional support dog. Will his dog be able to accompany him at Belmont?
Written July 7, 2018
I’m not sure but if you call I’m sure the staff could tell you if that would be possible.
Written July 10, 2018
How is the parking at the Mansion?
Written April 21, 2017
There is a parking lot adjacent to the Mansion that is available for visitors. We look forward to seeing you!
Written April 21, 2017
Is the self guided garden tour free?
Written April 15, 2017
Is this a good tour to go with kids (9,7 and 3.5)? We've done the Carter and Lotz house already.
Written March 15, 2017
We welcome children on tour! Some of the most interesting questions come from our younger guests.
Written May 9, 2017
Hi, Jayne,
We are open for tours Monday-Saturday from 10:00am-4:00pm and Sunday from 12:00-4:00pm. Our tours begin on every hour and half hour, with the last tour beginning at 3:30pm.
Tickets are $12 per person and you do not need a reservation. You may purchase your tickets when you arrive.
See you soon.
Written November 6, 2016
What restaurant would you recommend near the Belmont Mansion?
Written May 28, 2015
There are a variety of excellent restaurants near Belmont Mansion. We recommended any of the small restaurants along Belmont Blvd. or anything in Hillsboro Village. Both are within walking distance to the home and you can find a wide range of delicious meals!
Written July 5, 2016
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