A Field Trip into Nashville’s Past at Historic Belle Meade

The mention of Nashville may conjure up images of country music singers and hot chicken, but the city has been an important part of American history for a much longer time than either of those things have been around. 

In fact, Nashville has been around since 1806, and Belle Meade has been a part of its story for almost the entirety of that time, in some form or other. Today, Belle Meade mostly just serves as a place to remember that storied history, but it does so using a series of educational tours in a beautiful setting, making it a must-see during any Nashville trip. 

Where is it?

What is it? 

Belle Meade Historic Site and Winery is a pre-Civil War era mansion and homestead located in the midst of Nashville, Tennessee. The families that lived there were well-known in their time, especially for their horses, and they hosted a variety of famous figures from former presidents to Davy Crockett himself. They were also slaveowners, which is a part of history that this location makes sure to emphasize to its guests. 

Once guests have spent a little time exploring the history of the location, they can also grab a bite to eat at the on-site restaurant, do a wine tasting at the vineyard, or grab some ice cream as a sweet treat on a hot day. 

Why Should I visit?

Historical Tours

On the historical side of things, the site has original architecture from the mid-1850s, and a variety of tours take guests through the mansion and surrounding grounds to explore the lives of the families who lived there. Some of the tours have a focus on the white landholders who owned and operated the plantation, while others focus on the experiences of the enslaved men and women who worked for them. The owners believe, rightly so, that these are important stories to tell so that we can learn from history and make the changes in our present that we need to make so that we don’t repeat the wrongs of the past. 

However, this does make the main set of tours a touch graphic for families with younger children, and so they also offer family-friendly tours that explore the same topics in a more age-appropriate context.

Mansion Tour

The Mansion Tour focuses specifically on the experiences of the Harding and Jackson families who lived in the mansion and the men, women, and children who worked for them there. It is a roughly 45-minute tour with access to the Belle Meade mansion, the grounds, and is followed by a free wine-tasting for those who are over 21. 

Journey to Jubilee

The Journey to Jubilee tour, in contrast, focuses mainly on the stories of the enslaved men and women who worked at Belle Meade, from the plantations founding in 1807 all the way up to emancipation and beyond. It is a raw story, but an important one, so it is something that I would personally recommend for those who are able to take the tour. However, Belle Meade does limit the ages of those allowed on this tour. Due to the desire to be as honest about the subject matter as possible, guests must be at least 13 to attend.

Family Tours

The Family Tours were designed to accommodate families with children under the age of 13, giving them an opportunity to look into the past of the mansion’s historical residents in a way that is educational without being overly graphic. Since our kids aren’t yet teens, we chose to take one of the four available family tours and found it to be extremely well done.  

There are four different family tours to choose from, each focusing on a different aspect of Belle Meade’s history. “Frontier Families” focuses on what life was like when the area was first being settled and gives kids the chance to try their hands at activities like carding wool or dipping candles. “Stories of Slavery and Freedom” tells the stories of two of the enslaved children who lived on the property, and encourages kids to think critically about their experiences. “A Soldier’s Story” tells about the experiences of a Civil War soldier stationed in Nashville, and discusses the impact of the war on the residents of Belle Meade, and “Growing up in the Gilded Age” talks about how young Nashvillians would have experienced life during the final years of the 1800s. 

Belle Meade Winery

Belle Meade Winery is a smaller winery, and as such, they do not grow their own grapes. Instead, they buy locally grown grapes from other vineyards to make their wines. It is possible to do a small, complimentary wine tasting with any of the Belle Meade tours, but if you want to do a full tasting with food pairings, you will need to plan ahead for a reservation.  

This is not the most kid-friendly vineyard out there, so if a wine tasting is on your agenda, you should plan to make it a separate event from the trip with your kids. 

Belle Meade Meat and Three

The Meat and Three is a no-frills southern cooking restaurant located on the Belle Meade property just above the entrance and gift shop. If you plan on spending very much time on the property, it makes an excellent place to grab a bite to eat without having to leave the premises. 

They offer a variety of meat options, from pork loin to meatloaf, as well as some very tasty southern comfort food sides, like mac and cheese, fried okra, or collard greens. 

Scoop and Coop Ice Cream and Fudge

Is there a better way to end a field trip than getting a scoop of ice cream? The Scoop and Coop ice cream shop is located in the building that originally housed the plantation’s chickens. In my opinion, this is a much better use of the space. 

Today, Nashville is better known for its music scene, and for good reason. However, it’s important to remember how much our history informs and affects our present, which makes historic locations like Belle Meade important additions to any family’s field trip schedule.