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Belle Meade Plantation

5025 Harding Pike, Nashville, TN 37205
615-356-0501
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Ranked #16 of 110 attractions in Nashville
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Type: Historic Sites
Activities: Leisure education, Group tours/walking tour
Owner description: Belle Meade Plantation is a non-profit historic home-site located in Nashville, TN. Established in 1807, this home-site tells the history of the... more » Owner description: Belle Meade Plantation is a non-profit historic home-site located in Nashville, TN. Established in 1807, this home-site tells the history of the Harding and Jackson families and the impact that they had on the city of Nashville and, more importantly, their indelible contribution to the development of thoroughbred racing horses in the United States. Belle Meade was revered as the greatest thoroughbred stud farm in the United States in the 1880s and 1890s and was home to Iroquois (the first US-bred horse to win the Epsom Derby) and Bonnie Scotland (whose bloodline includes Secretariat, Seattle Slew, Native Dancer, Big Brown and I'll Have Another, to name a few). Beyond thoroughbred horses, this history also encompasses the Antebellum South, slavery, the Civil War, emancipation and reconstruction, and was the home of Civil War Generals William Giles Harding and William Hicks Jackson, as well as national statesmen including US Supreme Court Justice Howell E. Jackson, US Secretary of War Jacob Dickinson and US Senator Luke Lea. « less
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517 reviews from our community

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Newark, Delaware
Top Contributor
64 reviews 64 reviews
25 attraction reviews
Reviews in 24 cities Reviews in 24 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 18 June 2013 NEW

If you love the horse industry, this is a must for early horsebreeding in Tenn. But even without that, the house is very interesting and the tour is quite informative. They also have a wine tasting room and a wonderful little restaurant. There are programs and activities as well. Definitely worth the trip. The day we were there they had... More

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See 3 more reviews by Les R for Nashville
1 review
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 14 June 2013 NEW via mobile

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the plantation and the collection inside the house was enough to entertain my two little ones. The biggest disappointment was no photography whatsoever inside the house. Bummer. The wine tasting was done by a very entertaining staff and tasted delicious. Who knew that wineries could be not for profit? All proceeds go toward upkeep... More

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welling
Contributor
19 reviews 19 reviews
9 attraction reviews
Reviews in 10 cities Reviews in 10 cities
11 helpful votes 11 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 14 June 2013 NEW

The most interesting part for m was seeing the gun shot marks on the outer columns. Our initial guide was interesting and they pass on to others as you tour the house. However there was too much about each family member through the ages for most in our group. Still a nice place to visit if you have the time

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See 3 more reviews by hammeretteWelling for Nashville
Mount Pleasant, TX
Contributor
16 reviews 16 reviews
5 attraction reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
6 helpful votes 6 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 9 June 2013

It was beautiful! Our tour guide knew all about the grounds and the Harding and Jackson families. Our meal at Harding House Restaurant was delicious

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See 2 more reviews by AzaleaGirl for Nashville
Snellville, Georgia
Contributor
16 reviews 16 reviews
4 attraction reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 6 June 2013

I was very impressed. This plantation is worth a visit. Our tour guide, while new, was very knowledgeable. She was clearly well trained and well informed. There were a few questions she could not answer right away, but she found someone who could answer them. The plantation was well maintained and full of history, and the house was huge and... More

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See 4 more reviews by Deirdre K for Nashville
Nebraska
Senior Contributor
39 reviews 39 reviews
13 attraction reviews
Reviews in 19 cities Reviews in 19 cities
20 helpful votes 20 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 6 June 2013

Visited with teens who seemed to enjoy more than I anticipated, first time for all to a plantation setting. I am sure there are more grand homes to visit, this fit in best with our plans. Our guide gave a good, if not somewhat intense, sense of what it would have been like to reside there including the rise and... More

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See 4 more reviews by Gulfcoasters for Nashville
Cincinnati, Ohio
Contributor
17 reviews 17 reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 6 June 2013

Very interesting tour which ends with a wine tasting, beautiful grounds to wander at your leisure before or after the tour, nice gift shop, not too far from downtown. Also, nearby neighborhood of Belle Meade is fun to drive through to see where the 1% live in Nashville.

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See 5 more reviews by crosscourtforehand for Nashville
Saskatchewan
Top Contributor
70 reviews 70 reviews
23 attraction reviews
Reviews in 31 cities Reviews in 31 cities
28 helpful votes 28 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 5 June 2013

Interesting history of the plantation and area. This place managed to survive the civil war pretty much untouched. The guides gave a good narration about the families who lived here over the years and the various operations of the plantation such as race horses, wines, toll road and so on. A peek into yesteryear.

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See 5 more reviews by Attila7 for Nashville
Top Contributor
52 reviews 52 reviews
12 attraction reviews
Reviews in 32 cities Reviews in 32 cities
87 helpful votes 87 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 31 May 2013

This plantation is very interesting to tour. The mansion and history are quite interesting. They have a small cafe, gift shop and include wine tasting.

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See 8 more reviews by mljack99 for Nashville
Roeselare, Belgium
Top Contributor
99 reviews 99 reviews
43 attraction reviews
Reviews in 45 cities Reviews in 45 cities
32 helpful votes 32 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 31 May 2013

A nice tour with an good young guide. You get to hear and see the history of the familes and the mansion. Plenty of time ask questions and to take a walk around the estate after ( or before ) the tour. Good way to get to know ( a part of ) the history of the deep South. The... More

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See 6 more reviews by rattenpakker for Nashville

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