The grand estate of Belmont was completed in 1853 by Colonel Joseph Acklen and his wife, Adelicia Acklen. Belmont Mansion Nashville Tennessee was built as an Italianate villa-style home to escape the heat from their 8,400-acre Louisiana cotton plantation.
The Acklen’s constructed, furnished and landscaped one of the most elaborate antebellum homes in Tennessee – complete with 36 rooms, 10,900 square feet of living quarters and 8,400 square feet downstairs of service space.
Accented with an art gallery, conservatories, lavish gardens, aviary, lake and zoo, the Acklens graciously allowed Nashvillians to visit the park-like setting and roam freely over the 180-acre estate.
Today, Belmont Mansion sits in the middle of the Belmont University campus. In addition to the unique home, a small portion of the original landscaping and statuary have been preserved for all to enjoy.
Belmont Mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A private nonprofit restoration and preservation organization called Belmont Mansion Association was formed in 1972 to maintain and care for the historic mansion and grounds.
Belmont Mansion Nashville Tennessee
All you have to do is ring the doorbell at the front door of the Belmont Mansion and highly trained historical guides welcome you inside to begin your journey through yesteryear. Belmont Mansion tours start every half hour during the day and last about one hour in length.
There are also various specialty tours offered to guests of the Belmont Mansion. The specialty tours include the Curator’s Tour, Adelicia Acklen Art Tour, Gardens and Grounds Tour, A Lasting Impression Tour and a Progressive Dinner or Lunch Tour. Reservations are required for all specialty tours at Belmont Mansion. The Belmont Mansion Gift Shop offers a nice selection of collectibles and souvenirs for special keepsake gifts.
Visit Belmont Mansion
Belmont Mansion is on the campus of Belmont University in downtown Nashville. There is a parking lot adjacent to Belmont Mansion and guests are also welcome to park on any city or campus street.
- Visit Belmont Mansion online at BelmontMansion.com
- Address – 1700 Acklen Avenue, Nashville, TN 37212
- Phone – 615-460-5459
- Open – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday – Saturday, 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. on Sunday
- Closed – Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day
Tennessee Antebellum Trail Tour and Itinerary
We invite you to come visit the Tennessee plantation homes from a bygone era and make sure you allow yourself ample time to enjoy your trip. The Tennessee Antebellum Trail is a completely self-guided and self-paced tour so you can visit all the homes and sights on the trail at your leisure.
The following sample itineraries are just a guide to help you plan your trip. One of the favorites on the Tennessee Antebellum Trail is the Two Day Tennessee Antebellum Trail Experience, where you tour Belmont Mansion and seven other beautiful Antebellum plantation homes while taking a relaxing drive through the beautiful Tennessee countryside.
For history loving Civil War enthusiasts, the Tennessee Antebellum Trail Civil War Tour sample itinerary will help guide you along as you go from plantation to battlefield and from cemetery to monument.
For all the thrill seeking spooky history fans and fanatics, there is a tour made just for you – the one of a kind Tennessee Antebellum Trail Ghost Tour! Walk The Hermitage mansion and cemetery grounds by lantern. Conduct a paranormal investigation at Rippavilla. Take a candlelit evening cemetery tour in Franklin. So, if you’re looking for ghosts, you can find plenty of them on the Tennessee Antebellum Trail!