Gateway to Nashville’s Past: Historic Travellers Rest Plantation
A general presentation on the house and family
A House Divided: The Civil War at the Historic Travellers Rest
Vanished Landscapes: Nashville’s Lost Landmarks
A presentation on the other sites in the neighborhood which are now gone
War Hawks and Red Sticks: Historic Travellers Rest and the War of 1812
For the bicentennial, a presentation about the war and its effect on the family
To Cure What Ails: Mary’s Garden and Herb Lore in Tennessee
Use of medicinal herbs that were common in Tennessee at the time
Through the Wilderness: The World of Judge John Overton
A presentation on Nashville’s founding and first three decades
Historic Travellers Rest Plantation offers guided historic house individual or group tours.
Luncheon tours are also available, packages vary.
Please join us for a guided historic house tour with a lunch option.
Historic Travellers Rest Plantation & Museum is one of the most unique historic homes in the Nashville, Tennessee area.
The home, built by Judge John Overton was completed in 1799 - just three years after Tennessee gained statehood.
At that time, Tennessee was the Western frontier and Nashville
was the place that many came to make their fortune.
John Overton, the founder of Memphis, had a circle of friends that included the likes of Andrew Jackson and Sam Houston. Overton was one of Jackson's closest friends and a driving force in Jackson's campaign for the presidency. He and men like him used politics and power to expand the nation and their wallets.
Years later, Overton's son would be the wealthiest man in the state of Tennessee and builder of the Maxwell HouseHotel. During his time at Historic Travellers Rest Plantation, the home would be used as the headquarters for General John
Bell Hood in the days leading to the Battle of Nashville. The estate's peach orchard would
be marred by the battle's bloodiest fighting.
But wait...this place has even more history and that of a more ancient nature. About 900 years ago the land where Historic Travellers Rest Plantation sits today was a prehistoric Mississippian village. The Mississippian culture spread along the rivers of the Southeastern United States between approximately AD 900 and 1500, and left behind numerous archaeological sites and earthen mounds. Another reason to uncover the extensice history of the Historic Travellers Rest Plantation.
Regular Historic House Tours & Exhibit Cost:
Adults (12 & Up) $10.00 per person
Seniors (65 & Up) $9.00 per person
Children (7 & 11) $5.00 per person
Children (6 & Under) Free
Grounds & Exhibit Cost:
$5.00 per person (No discounts for this option)
Your visit to Historic Travellers Rest Plantation begins with a historic video presentation with one of our historians, followed by a guided house tour that shares the use of herbs in everyday life, as done by Mary Overton, wife of Judge John Overton. The tour leads to the house gallery with one of the options below.
Historic House Tour & Box Lunch
Enjoy a boxed lunch on the porch gallery of the historic house.
If desired, a club meeting may be held during this time.
Grand Magnolia Tour & Catered Luncheon
A catered buffet luncheon consisting of casserole, salad, fruit and dessert for your guest.
A club meeting may be held during this lunch time. After lunch, the group is invited to walk the grounds
to explore the Herb Garden and Formal Garden. Tour Last 2 and 1/2 hours.
Payment must be made at least two weeks prior to event.
Cancellations may be rescheduled in advance but may not be refunded.
Please contact us for pricing or any additional information.
Let our very own Curator, Brian Allison, come to a location of your choice and give an hour long presentation to your special group. In follow-up your group will then visit Historic Travellers Rest for a private tour of our historic home and grounds. The price for Brian’s private presentation and tour is $8.00 per person. You may also choice to have lunch on the veranda of the historical home at an additional charge. You may choose from the following topics: (If you have another topic in mind, please just call and we can work something out.)
