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NASHVILLE

(what to do while you are there)
At the Hotel, Around the Hotel, Downtown Nashville, In Nashville, Near Nashville

At the Hotel

Hotel and Garden Tours:

Explore our spectacular gardens under glass and enjoy a colorful and fragrant display of breathtaking flora and fauna envied by horticulturists worldwide.

There are approximately 10,000 plants in the Cascades atrium, approximately 10,000 plants in the Garden Conservatory atrium and approximately 30,000 plants in the Delta atrium . . . for a total of approximately 50,000 total plants. Fascinated by our architecture and beautiful gardens? Enjoy a tour and learn amazing facts and tidbits about the history of the hotel and our lush foliage.

Saturdays 1:30 p.m.; Admission $10; Tours depart from Cascades Lobby

Fitness Center & Pools

With two outdoor pools, an outdoor whirlpool, indoor lap pool, and Relâche, the spa, salon, and fitness center, you'll find all the amenities you'd expect and then some.

Our 24-hour Fitness Center is available to registered guests of Gaylord Opryland^TM.

Relâche Spa

(http://www.gaylordhotels.com/gaylordopryland/spa/)
Tennessee's largest and most luxurious spa is Relâche, the Spa at Gaylord Opryland. Whether to work off stresses of the day or for pure pampering, Relâche is your oasis of tranquility. Indulge in the opulent 27,000 square-foot facility, featuring indoor and outdoor pools, 12 enchanting treatment rooms and a state-of-the art fitness center.

Known nationwide as a premiere spa for exclusive luxurious treatments, Relâche offers soothing massages, rejuvenating facials, relaxing body treatments and invigorating fitness options. Accept our invitation to look and feel your best. Relâche - finally a place to soothe the body and soul.

Delta Riverboat Ride

No matter what the weather is like outside, it's always the perfect temperature to take a Delta River Flatboat down our scenic indoor river. Step aboard and gently wind your way through our lush four and a half acre indoor garden while a guide offers unique facts about the Delta's plants and fish. You'll also see and learn about the hotel's Delta Island that features an 85-foot fountain, three waterfalls, and numerous shops and restaurants. If you're lucky, you may catch a glimpse of Danny, our 80 lb. Catfish, in the Delta River.

Our fleet of five Mississippi-style flatboats carries 25 passengers each on leisurely trips of about 15 minutes. Rides run daily and can be booked in advance.

Fountains

Aqua
Experience one of the most ambitious, commanding water features ever conceived as the Delta Fountain speaks to your heart and stimulates your sense through their carefully choreographed movements! You'll be swept away by this breathtaking union of water, music and light.

Daily: 6:30 p.m., 8:00 p.m., 9:30 p.m.; Delta Atrium

DiVine
Watch in amazement as this living vine blends with the natural surroundings of our Delta Atrium and then animates with her elegant, graceful moves right before your eyes.

Thursday - Monday: 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 4:00 p.m.; Delta Island

HydroponiX
Watch as the Cascade's fountain comes alive with the sights and sounds of 'HydroponiX'! A musical celebration featuring live performers interacting with light and nature in our Cascades atrium!

Tuesday - Saturday: 7:00 p.m., 8:00 p.m., 9:00 p.m.; Cascades Atrium

Kids Resort & Childcare:

www.gaylordhotels.com/gaylordopryland/services/childcare.cfm

Restaurants and Lounges

Four full-service restaurants, five lounges, and eight fast-service outlets can be found in the hotel. For full descriptions go to www.gaylordhotels.com/gaylordopryland/dining_activities/dining.cfm.

Retail Shops

There are more than 25 specialty shops around the resort featuring everything from antiques to bolo ties to Western wear to Christmas collectibles.

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Around the hotel

Golf

(shuttles run from hotel)
Carved from the banks of the Cumberland River, Gaylord Springs® has earned its place among the nation's best. Designed by former U.S. Open and PGA champion Larry Nelson, this Scottish links-style, par 72 layout offers 18 challenging holes bordered by limestone bluffs and enhanced by federally protected wetlands. At the signature fourth hole, you'll find the century-old springhouse from which the club derived its name. http://www.gaylordhotels.com/gaylordopryland/springhouse/index.cfm

Grand Ole Opry

(www.opry.com)
No trip to Nashville would be complete without experiencing the phenomenon of the world-famous Grand Ole Opry, an American icon like no other. Get set for an unforgettable evening of non-stop entertainment as the world's longest-running radio show showcases the best in country, bluegrass and more.

Every week, the Grand Ole Opry blends the excitement of a live audience, the heritage of the world's longest-running live radio show, and an incredible mix of talent to create a uniquely American experience like no other. Heard and seen across the country on 650 WSM and GAC: Great American Country, the Opry is also available worldwide at opry.com.

The lineup for each Grand Ole Opry show is not completely finished until just a few days before the show, so it is impossible to post the weekly schedule far in advance. Artists are posted to www.opry.com as soon as appearances are confirmed (artists and schedule subject to change). Plan to check back often, as most times artists' appearances are not confirmed until one to two weeks prior to the show date (or even a day before!).

Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m.; Fridays at 8:00 p.m.; Saturdays at 6:30 & 9:30 p.m.

Complimentary* shuttle service to the Grand Ole Opry is offered daily departing from the Gaylord Opryland Cascades and Magnolia canopies.

Backstage Tours - Opry House

Learn the fascinating story of the Grand Ole Opry with a backstage tour of the Grand Ole Opry House! You'll get a rare glimpse at what happens behind the scenes of country music's most famous show.

NOTE: Backstage tours are available only when the Opry House is not in use during Opry performances and other special events. Call ahead at 1-800-SEE-OPRY or (615) 871-OPRY to inquire about tour availability.

General Jackson Showboat

(www.gaylordhotels.com/gaylordopryland/gjack/index.cfm)
The General Jackson Showboat is a 300-foot-long vessel styled in the grand tradition of the paddlewheel riverboats that cruised the great Southern waterways in the 1800s. This beautiful showboat has four massive decks which offer a variety of dining and entertainment options while cruising the Cumberland River in Nashville, Tennessee. For more information about the Showboat, see General Jackson Fast Facts.

The General Jackson is known for its fabulous shows that are performed in the beautiful two-story Victorian Theater located in the center of the boat. During the primary season March - December, Midday cruises offer a country music show and lunch while evening cruises offer an elegant dinner and Broadway-style music show. Both are highly recommended for visitors to Music City who want to experience the best entertainment option available.

The General Jackson is located just minutes from the Gaylord Opryland® Resort and the Radisson Opryland Hotel on Music Valley Drive. Complimentary shuttle service to the General Jackson Showboat is offered daily departing form both hotels.

OpryMills

Opry Mills features the best names in manufacturers' and retail outlets including Nike, OFF 5th Saks Fifth Avenue, Gap Outlet and Old Navy; high quality entertainment venues and themed restaurants including Regal Cinemas, Dave & Buster's, Rainforest Café, and The Aquarium (Dive into the Aquarium, a spectacular underwater dining adventure where you are seated around a 200,000 gallon centerpiece aquarium with more than 100 species of colorful tropical fish.)

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Downtown Nashville

The Historic Ryman Auditorium

(www.ryman.com)
The Ryman Auditorium, a National Historic Landmark and former home of the Grand Ole Opry (1943-1974), continues its more-than-100-year music tradition by offering the best in entertainment. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m, the Ryman offers tours that showcase the legendary stars who have graced her stage, from country's biggest names to Mae West, Rudolf Valentino, and W.C. Fields. Then in the evening, you can return to the premier performance hall for one of many shows and concerts scheduled year-round.

Nashville Symphony Orchestra/ Schermerhorn Symphony Center

The Nashville Symphony is widely regarded as a rising star on the American orchestral scene, and an engaged arts leader in Nashville and beyond. With more than 200 performances annually, the symphony offers local audiences a full range of Classical, Pops, Special Events and Children's concerts each season.

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

(www.countrymusichalloffame.com)
Visit the largest popular music museum in the world, the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum.

Now you can enhance your experience with a 70-minute narrated tour featuring your favorite country stars including WSM Radio personality and Grand Ole Opry announcer Eddie Stubbs, Vince Gill, Trisha Yearwood and Dolly Parton.

Complete your visit with a tour of Nashville's oldest surviving recording studio, historic RCA Studio B, where Elvis and others cut more than 35,000 songs. Enjoy lunch at SoBro Grill and shop at our Museum Store.

Sports

NFL - Tennessee Titans (www.titansonline.com) - Fall 2007 schedule not yet released
NHL - Nashville Predators (www.nashvillepredators.com) - Fall 2007 schedule not yet released

The Frist Center for the Visual Arts

(http://www.fristcenter.org/site/default.aspx)
The Frist Center for the Visual Arts is a nonprofit art-exhibition center, with approximately 24,000 square feet of gallery space, dedicated to presenting the finest visual art from local, state and regional artists, as well as major U.S. and international exhibitions.

Lyrical Traditions

Four Centuries of Chinese Paintings from the Papp Collection ends October 7, 2007

Comprising 60 hand-painted scrolls, hanging scrolls, fans, screens and albums, Lyrical Traditions is drawn from the collection of Phoenix residents Marilyn and Roy Papp. Organized by the Phoenix Museum of Art, the exhibition also features magnificent paintings produced in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. Works in the exhibition show how artists followed stylistic conventions and perpetuated ancient social values related to Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, while exploring the wide range of expressive approaches possible within that framework. Lyrical Traditions and the concurrent exhibition Whispering Wind: Recent Chinese Photography will be the first exhibitions of Chinese art shown at the Frist Center.

Life's Pleasures

The Ashcan Artists' Brush with Leisure, 1895-1925 ends October 28, 2007

The Ashcan painters, an early 20th century group of painters working in New York, are thought to depict primarily scenes of the urban life of the lower socio-economic classes. While this is certainly one important aspect of these artists' work, it is not entirely representative, as Life's Pleasures will illustrate.

This exhibition, comprised of over 70 paintings, will feature the vibrant and diverse leisure activities experienced and observed by such Ashcan painters as Joan Sloan, Everett Shinn, Geroge Luks, George Bellows, William Glackens, and their leader, Robert Henri.

The Tennessee State Museum

(http://www.tnmuseum.org/)
The beginnings of the Tennessee State Museum can be traced back to a museum opened on the Nashville public square in 1817 by a portrait artist, Ralph E.W. Earl. A young boy who visited that museum in 1823 wrote home that he had seen a life-size painting of then General Andrew Jackson. That same painting hangs today in the State Museum, now located at the corner of Fifth and Deaderick streets.

In 1937 the General Assembly created a state museum to house World War I mementoes and other collections from the state, the Tennessee Historical Society and other groups. This museum was located in the lower level of the War Memorial Building until it was moved into the new James K. Polk Center in 1981. The Tennessee State Museum currently occupies three floors, covering approximately 120,000 square feet with more than 60,000 square feet devoted to exhibits.

Tennessee State Capitol Building

The Tennessee State Capitol stands today much as it did when it first opened in 1859, and is a magnificent tribute to the people of Tennessee. This graceful structure was designed by noted architect William Strickland who considered it his crowning achievement. When Strickland died suddenly during construction in 1854, he was buried in the north facade of the Capitol.

The cornerstone for the building was laid on July 4, 1845, and construction finished in 1859. The grounds of the State Capitol contain statues honoring Sam Davis, Sgt. Alvin York, and Presidents Andrew Jackson and Andrew Johnson. The tombs of President and Mrs. James K. Polk are also located on the Capitol grounds.

Guided Tours:
Guided tours are available on Monday through Friday at 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m., beginning at the Information Desk on the first floor. Groups of ten or more should make a reservation prior to their visit by calling the Public Programs Department at (615)741-0830 or toll-free 800-407-4324.

Hatch Show Print

(www.countrymusichalloffame.com/site/experience-hatch.aspx)
If you follow country music, country music history or the history, art and culture of the American South, sooner or later you're bound to run into the letters, images and unmistakable "look" of Hatch Show Print. We're one of the oldest working letterpress print shops in America, and over the years our posters have featured a host of country music performers ranging from Hall of Famers Hank Williams, Bill Monroe and Johnny Cash to present-day stars Garth Brooks, Wynonna Judd and Shania Twain. It's a wonderful amalgam of working letterpress print shop, tourist attraction, museum and historical archive. We take pride in carrying on the Hatch family's dedication to excellence and accessibility to the public. Now located in a historic building at 316 Broadway in the heart of downtown Nashville, we're a mere 60 feet away from our old haunt beside the Ryman.

More downtown Nashville information including a directory of restaurants can be found at www.nashvilledowntown.com.

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In Nashville

you'll need a cab or car to visit these locations

Centennial Park & The Parthenon

The Parthenon stands proudly as the centerpiece of Centennial Park, Nashville's premier urban park. The re-creation of the 42-foot statue Athena is the focus of the Parthenon just as it was in ancient Greece. The building and the Athena statue are both full-scale replicas of the Athenian originals. Nashville's Athena stands 41'10" tall, making her the largest piece of indoor sculpture in the Western World.

Originally built for Tennessee's 1897 Centennial Exposition, this replica of the original Parthenon in Athens serves as a monument to what is considered the pinnacle of classical architecture. The plaster replicas of the Parthenon Marbles found in the Naos are direct casts of the original sculptures which adorned the pediments of the Athenian Parthenon, dating back to 438 B.C. The originals of these powerful fragments are housed in the British Museum in London.

Cheekwood Botanical Gardens and Museum of Art

(www.cheekwood.org)
The former estate of the Cheek family (think Maxwell House coffee fortune) perches on a hill surrounded by splendorous Warner Parks. The Georgian mansion houses Nashville's premier art museum, including regular collections of paintings, silver and porcelain. Outside, the sprawling botanical gardens include a Japanese garden, an herb garden, two perennial gardens, a color garden, water garden, seasons garden and wildflower garden.

Cheekwood's Museum of Art has been selected to house the Matilda Geddings Gray Foundation Collection, among the world's most significant compilation of Fabergé pieces. Pieces from the Collection have been exhibited worldwide. The Collection includes 57 rare pieces highlighted by three Russian Imperial Easter eggs, and a number of important functional items, fantasy items and floral works.

Nashville Zoo

(www.nashvillezoo.org)
Nashville Zoo offers many animal species found around the world. These beautiful creatures can be found in equally beautiful habitats like Lorikeet Landing, Gibbon Islands, The Unseen New World and Bamboo Trail as well as the Hyacinth Macaw, Meerkat and Bongo exhibits. The Zoo also offers the Wild Animal Carousel, the Grassmere Historic Farm, Critter Encounters petting area and exciting animal shows and programs.

Daily 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Adults and Teens $13.00; Seniors (65+) $11.00; Children (3 - 12) $8.00; Children Under 3 Free

Adventure Science Center

(www.adventuresciencecenter.com)
It's an amazing, original, scientific adventure! Make your way Down the Hatch to The Heart of It All, Body Battles, BrainStorm Theater and other interactive exhibits in BodyQuest, as you learn how your body works. Plus, experience the Adventure Tower, Sudekum Planetarium, BlueMax and more!

Monday-Saturday 10am-5pm; Sunday 12:30-5:30pm. Adult $9.00; Ages 3-12 $7.00; Seniors 60+ $7.00; Children 2 and under free

The Hermitage

(www.thehermitage.com)
Andrew Jackson always welcomed visitors to his home. Since The Hermitage opened as a museum in 1889 nearly 15 million people have crossed its threshold. The Hermitage is the most authentic early presidential home in America, where you'll be a honored guest in the Jackson family mansion, the formal garden, slave quarters, and the original log cabin the Jacksons occupied in 1804. Their 1,100-acre plantation was once home to 150 enslaved African Americans who worked the farm, cultivated the gardens, tended livestock, baled cotton, cared for the home and its guests, and met countless other needs of the plantation.

The Hermitage is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission is $14 for adults, $10 for children aged 13 to 18 and $6 for children 6-12. Active military are admitted free with ID.

Belle Meade Plantation

(www.bellemeadeplantation.com)
Belle Meade Plantation is a 30 acre historic site 6 miles west of Nashville. The centerpiece of the property is the Belle Meade mansion built in 1853. This Greek revival house was home to five generations of the Harding-Jackson family, original owners of the Belle Meade Farm. In the late 19th century, the farm encompassed 5,400 acres and was one of the largest private estates in Nashville. The farm was a thoroughbred nursery famous for breeding and training championship race horses. Recent Kentucky derby winners like Funny Cide and Barbaro, even racing legends like Secretariat and Seabiscuit can trace their bloodlines back to the breeding stock at Belle Meade.

Monday - Saturday 9am-5pm; Sunday - 11am-5pm (Last tour starts daily at 4:00 PM) Adults: $11.00, Seniors (65+) $10.00, Youth (6-12 years of age) - $5.00 (5 and under free)

Belmont Mansion

(www.belmontmansion.com - on the campus of Belmont University) The moving spirit of Belmont Mansion was Adelicia Hayes Franklin Acklen Cheatham. Born on March 15, 1817, to an affluent Nashville family, Adelicia's teenage fiance' died before their marriage. At the age of twenty-two, Adelicia married Issac Franklin, a wealthy bachelor twenty-eight years older than she. The marriage produced four children, but unfortunately all died before the age of twelve. Seven years after they married, Franklin died, leaving Adelicia one of the wealthiest women in America.

In 1849 Adelicia married Joseph Acklen, a young attorney from Alabama, and they immediately began construction on Belle Monte (Belmont.) An Italianate-style villa, it was a summer home escape from the heat at her 8,400 acre Louisiana cotton plantation. The Acklens built, furnished, and landscaped one of the most elaborate antebellum homes in the South, with 36 rooms and 19,000 sq. ft. The estate contained an art gallery, conservatories, lavish gardens, aviary, lake and zoo.

Joseph and Adelicia had six children, but the twins died of scarlet fever. Later, Joseph died in Louisiana during the Civil War. Left alone, Adelicia secretly negotiated agreements with both sides to allow 2,800 bales of her cotton to be shipped to England and sold for $960,000.

Immediately following the war, Adelicia and her four children traveled to Europe. While there, she continued amassing her large art collection, including five major marble statues by America's most important sculptors working in Rome. Four of these pieces remain in the mansion today.

Today the gilt frame mirrors hanging over original marble mantels, still reflect the elaborate gasoliers and elegantly furnished parlors. The Grand Salon is considered by architectural historians to be the most elaborate domestic interior built in antebellum Tennessee. The gardens, now maintained as part of the Belmont University campus, contain marble statuary and the largest collection of 19th century cast iron garden ornaments in the United States, including five cast iron gazebos.

Your personally-guided tour will view 16 rooms of this opulent mansion. Please allow at least one hour for your tour.

Monday - Saturday 10:00am-4:00pm; Sunday 1:00pm-4:00pm (Last tour of the day begins at 3:15 pm.) Adults: $10.00; Senior (60+): $9.00; Children (6-12): $3.00 AAA discount

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Near Nashville

Loveless Café

(www.lovelesscafe.com)
Located on Highway 100 in Nashville Tennessee at the Northern Terminus of the Natchez Trace Parkway, the Loveless Cafe remains unchanged in the quaint country charm and good cooking that has made it a landmark in the South since its doors opened over half a century ago.

Nationally acclaimed and frequented by celebrities, world travelers and local appetites alike, the Loveless Cafe serves up award-winning country ham and red eye gravy, real Southern-fried chicken, and Nashville's favorite scratch biscuits with homemade preserves cooked right in the kitchen. The Loveless story has been told the world over, from Gourmet Magazine and Bon Appetit to U.S. News and World Report, CBS Television, and People Magazine. Come discover Loveless for yourself, and experience Southern dining and hospitality at their best.

From Nashville: Take I-40 West towards Memphis. Exit 192 McCrory Lane. Turn left and go 4 miles until you dead end into Highway 100. Turn left on Highway 100 and the Loveless Cafe is located directly ahead on the left.

Natchez Trace Parkway

(www.nps.gov/natr)
The 444-mile Natchez Trace Parkway commemorates an ancient trail that connected southern portions of the Mississippi River, through Alabama, to salt licks in today's central Tennessee. Today, visitors can experience this National Scenic Byway and All-American Road through driving, hiking, biking, horseback riding, and camping. The northern terminus of the Parkway (milepost 444) intersects with Tennessee Highway 100 about 17 miles southwest of downtown Nashville. Travelers can follow signs here for McCrory Lane to get to I-40, west of Nashville. Visitors can enter the Parkway, free of charge, from dozens of county, state, and U.S. roads in Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee. Please refer to the Parkway Map on the web site for places to access the Parkway. Bicycles can be rented near the Nashville terminus at Trace Bikes (tracebikes@bellsouth.net; www.tracebikes.com) - Full service bike shop, bike sales and repairs, and even showers. Located 300 yards from the northern most end of the Natchez Trace Parkway next to the Loveless Cafe. Nashville, TN.

Civil War Sites

Battle of Franklin: Called "The Gettysburg of the West," Franklin was one of the few night battles in the Civil War. It was also one of the smallest battlefields of the war (only 2 miles long and 1 1/2 miles wide). The main battle began around 4:00 pm and wound down around 9:00 pm.

Carter House (www.carter-house.org)
The Carter House, built in 1830 by Fountain Branch Carter, witnessed one of the bloodiest battles during the Civil War on November 30, 1864. This Registered Historic Landmark is now open to the public and serves as a memorial to the Carter Family as well as the countless heroes in the Battle of Franklin. The modest brick home was the Federal Command Post while the family took refuge in the basement. See the evidence of over 1,000 bullet holes remaining on site, including the most battle-damaged building from the Civil War.

Tour The Carter House and 8 acres of the preserved battlefield. Sunday 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm; Monday through Saturday 9:00 am - 4:00 pm Adults $ 8.00; Seniors (65 and older) $ 7.00; Children ages 13 to 7 $ 4.00; Children ages 6 and under Free

Directions from Interstate 65 in Tennessee: Exit 65 (Franklin and Highway 96). Drive west on Hwy 96 for 1 mile to intersection of Mack Hatcher Boulevard. Continue straight through traffic light. Drive 1.5 miles following brown "Carter House" signs, over railroad tracks, and turn left at traffic light at Church Street. Go straight through two 4-way stop signs. At next traffic light, turn left onto Columbia Avenue (Highway 31 South). Drive 0.3 miles then turn right onto West Fowlkes Avenue. Parking lot for The Carter House will be on your left.

Carnton Plantation (www.carnton.org)
Historic Carnton Plantation is a private non-profit historic site located in Franklin, Tennessee. Late on the afternoon of November 30, 1864, Carnton was witness to one of the bloodiest battles of the entire Civil War. Carnton, the home of John and Carrie McGavock, served as the main Confederate field hospital for hundreds of wounded and dying soldiers. In 1866, the McGavocks designated two acres of their land as a final burial place for nearly 1,500 Confederate soldiers killed in the Battle of Franklin. Today the site has 48 of the original 1,400 acres and includes the restored antebellum home, a recreated one-acre 1847 garden, slave quarters, smokehouse, springhouse and the adjacent Confederate and family cemetery.

Historic Carnton Plantation is the Home of The Widow of the South: A Novel by Robert Hicks - A Nominee for the Michael Shaara Award for Excellence in Civil War Fiction. The Widow of the South, written by long-time Carnton Association board member Robert Hicks, centers on the life of Carrie McGavock, the mistress of Carnton before, during and after the Civil War. After the hardcover release in September, 2005, the book rose to #5 and spent eight weeks on the New York Times Bestseller list in the fall of 2005. Now in paperback.

Monday to Saturday 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; Sunday 1:00-5:00 p.m. Adults--$10.00; Seniors over 65--$9.00; Children 6-12--$3.00; Children 5 and under-free

FROM NASHVILLE: Take I-65 south toward Birmingham (Huntsville); get off the interstate at the Franklin/Murfreesboro exit (Exit 65) and turn right. Go to the fifth stop light, Mack Hatcher Parkway., and make a left. Turn right at the second stop light (Hwy 431/Lewisburg Pike). Go about 1 mile and you will see the golf course (The Country Club of Franklin) on your left. The next street is Carnton Lane (in the Heath Place neighborhood) on your left. Turn onto Carnton Lane and continue straight until it turns into the museum's gravel driveway. At the end of the gravel driveway, park, and come to our visitor center for your tickets.

Stones River National Battleground (www.nps.gov/stri)
The Confederate Army of Tennessee was camped in Murfreesboro, Tennessee only 30 miles away from General William S. Rosecrans' army in Nashville. General Braxton Bragg chose this area in order to position himself to stop any Union advances towards Chattanooga and to protect the rich farms of Middle Tennessee that were feeding his men.

Union General-In-Chief Henry Halleck telegraphed Rosecrans telling him that, "... the Government demands action, and if you cannot respond to that demand some one else will be tried."

On December 26, 1862, the Union Army of the Cumberland left Nashville to meet the Confederates. This was the beginning of the Stones River Campaign.

Stones River National Battlefield offers a variety of ways to explore the impact of the Battle of Stones River on soldiers and civilians as well as the opportunity to enjoy the battlefield for its natural beauty.

8 AM to 5 PM Daily - Free Admission

From Nashville (Interstate 24) - Take Exit 76 and turn left onto Medical Center Parkway. Turn left onto Thompson Lane. Turn right, just before the Thompson Lane bridge, onto the access road to Old Nashville Highway. Turn left at the stop sign onto Old Nashville Highway. The park entrance is about 1/4 mile away on the left.

Jack Daniels Distillery

(www.jackdaniels.com/TheDistillery)
The Jack Daniel Distillery - the oldest registered distillery in the U.S. - is where it all happens. It's where Mr. Jack first crafted the recipe for Old No. 7. It's where the pure, iron-free cave spring water flows. And it's where every drop of Jack Daniel's Tennessee Sippin' Whiskey is still made today. Whenever you're in the vicinity of Lynchburg, just over an hour's drive from Nashville, drop by for a firsthand look at our Distillery. One of our guides will accompany you on a tour and tell you the complete story of our whiskey. And you'll probably hear an interesting story or two about Mr. Jack as well. No tasting though - Lynchburg is the seat of Moore County, the smallest county in Tennessee. Even though it's home to the Distillery, it's a dry county (no alcohol served or sold) and has been ever since Prohibition.

9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, from April through October, Grey Line Tours will pick you up at your hotel and take you to Lynchburg. Round-trip cost is $33 for adults and $16.50 for children ages 6-11. For more information, call 615-883-5555.

Directions from Nashville From Nashville, take Interstate 24 East toward Chattanooga to Exit 81A (Murfreesboro/Shelbyville exit). Turn right on Highway 231 and drive into Shelbyville. Once in Shelbyville, look for a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant on your left. Turn left at the second traffic light past the KFC. This will put you on Highway 82. Follow Highway 82 approximately 15 miles until it dead-ends into Highway 55. Turn right and go 1.5 miles into Lynchburg.

Mammoth Cave National Park

(www.nps.gov/maca/)
Mammoth Cave National Park preserves the cave system and a part of the Green River valley and hilly country of south central Kentucky. This is the world's longest cave system, with more than 365 miles explored. Early guide Stephen Bishop called the cave a "grand, gloomy and peculiar place," but its vast chambers and complex labyrinths have earned its name: Mammoth. Since 1816, visitors have toured the subterranean labyrinths of Mammoth Cave. Discover what adventures await you on the many Cave Tours.

Visitor Center is open 8:00 a.m. - 6:15 p.m. (check web site later for October times) Most of the park's resources and facilities are available free of charge. Fees are charged for cave tours, camping, and selected picnic shelter reservations, and are listed on the web site.

From Nashville: Take Interstate 65 to Exit 48 (Park City, Kentucky Exit). Turn left onto KY-255 and follow 255 as it becomes the Park City Road into the park. Follow Park City Road until it joins the Mammoth Cave Parkway; turn left. Follow the Mammoth Cave Parkway to the Visitor Center.

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