But too bad we were not invited! Staff at the gift shop (where you get your tickets) didn't even acknowledge we were there. With that service we decided not to go in. However, the building where the gift shop is located has some artifacts and memorabilia on display that really makes you wonder about the history behind the whole plantation. It has signs and pictures of slaves that used to work at this site. 300 years ago = sadness, slavery, and war... 2008 = spot for a wedding (there was one taking place when we visited). Ironic, isn't it? Fence around the house could use some touchup paint. Outside the main gate you'll find the Carnton Cemetery which is really impressive and deserves some time to read the history plaque at the entrance.

My experience was specific to the summer outdoor concert serier, featuring the "7 Bridges" band. This picnic style event was GREAT! The scenic plantation as a backdrop for an outdoor concert was wonderful. People were really going all out to bring a fun atmosphere with themes for their picnic. There were kids there which was okay I guess but it really felt more like a non-kid event to me. They didn't really distract too much, but there's not much for them to do but run around and scream...which they did. Otherwise it is a must see event. If you are starving for something different to do, then this is it! It is a bring your own food/drink event, so pack the chairs/blankets/beverage and hang out. We love to people watch and there was plenty of people there this time, about 1000+ I'd guess. We drove 120 miles to attend and it was worth it. The next concert is July 27 and we're already planning to bring friends this time.

My first visit to Carnton was a ghost tour on a brisk evening with flurries. It was so surreal to be driving that long, gravel, winding road back to the home. Once turned off the main drive in the dark, there is nothing around until you crest the point of seeing the lights from the small visitor’s center. Once we were told to start making our way to the house, we crossed the back lawn. We waited on the back porch and its surrounding grounds for a few minutes. Once inside, the house was only lit by candlelight. It was amazingly cozy, but yet eerie at the same time. Throughout the evening we were bestowed stories of ghosts interlaced with great stories of history. After inside, we found that the porch on which we earlier stood was the same place four deceased generals had been laid. We were also escorted out to the cemetery. It was unreal to think of the thousand plus soldiers buried there. The stories of the surgeries and time-period methods should make us all thankful for the sacrifice of those soldiers and of those who cared for them. After the tour we were permitted to walk the grounds at our leisure. It was just unimaginable how it felt to be standing where our history’s presidents and generals stood and pondered the blood war at hand. Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to learn about our history and to help support the ongoing efforts to keep this type of treasure available to enjoy.

The whole tour was fascinating. Our tour guide spent a lot of time telling us about the history of the place. Just standing in these rooms where many soldiers died, maybe even some of my ancestors, gave me the chills. I very much enjoyed touring the garden and the Cemetary. IT was very humbling to just stand and reflect about all that the people buried in the cemetary must have gone through. I would recommend this tour for anyone who is interested in the history of our country.

Just took the Ghost Tour on Friday the 13th. It was great! The tour guide was very knowledgable and answered all of our questions. We toured the house by candle light which added to the ambience. Of course since this was a Ghost Tour most of the stories were about hauntings in the house, but we also were told quite a bit about the history of the home and those who lived there. It was well worth the cost of the tour. We were also able to tour the cemetery in the dark which was pretty spooky. This tour was lots of fun for my teenagers, they were spooked and got a valuable dose of history to boot!

I was born and raised in Williamson county. When I was a boy I visited Carnton, because I knew the family that lived in the house and farmed the land. My wife and her sister from Florida, along with 3 small daughters visited the mansion in the late seventies,The mansion had not been restored. The small girls danced in the big rooms and had a tea party outside. recently, My grandson and i visited the mansion on a trip back to Franklin,. We loved it. It was awesome. I felt like I had gone back in time. The tour was great. I will visit again. I think it is awesome that the city of Franklin has bought the land adjoining the mansion and plan to make a park there.

great place for anyone with an interest in the american civil war to visit. The tour was great and very informative. Almost feel as if you have stepped back in time. If you love to visit Civil War Battle fields make sure to put this on your list.

I recently revisted Carnton in June 2004. I was offended by the remarks of the curators who described the sharecroppers who lived at the mansion as "dirty people". My Grandmother was the "cleanest" person who you could ever find on the face of the earth. Her mother died when she was a small child and so she loved to "play house". Everything in that mansion was immaculate while in her care. As a child, I was always afraid to sleep in that house. I would hear footsteps on the stairwell all night long during those nights when I HAD to sleep in the house. The mansion is beautiful, but never as beautiful, nor as clean, as when my grandparents lived there. The home will remain one of the most important parts of my childhood memories; the smell of homemade biscuits every morning, the beautiful parlor that we, as children, were not allowed to go in to, the large family picnics out on the yard, my Grandfather working so hard to raise his tobacco crops to pay for the rent, that old barn that was falling down even in the 1960's.........the memories go on and on.

Knowing that Carrie( the lady of the house) was such a caring person. Love the picture of the children that she lost in her bedroom. Love that she was a very stubborn woman. The house was beautiful adn still is. Do you believe in ghosts. Open yourself up and maybe you will see on. I just felt the pain of the soldiers that were in the house. I think Carrie was a great woman to help with the records of all the Confederate soldiers.

We took a tour of the Carnton Plantation today and thoroughly enjoyed our experience. The historian vividly illustrated in our minds the horror of the battle of Franklin and the hundreds of men that were treated at the Carnton home as well as the 1400+ soldiers reburied in the McGavock Cemetery. We won't soon forget the blood stains from the wounded on the floors and on the bricks near the fireplaces. The house has been beautifully restored and gives you a first hand look at how the house might have been originally decorated. I highly recommend touring the home and grounds.