Franklin, TN – A Day Trip from Nashville

After you’ve checked out our article Nashville Off the Beaten Path and had your fill of fun things to do in the city of Nashville, you’re probably wondering what’s next. With such an influx of new residents, the city is quickly expanding to the beautiful suburbs and surrounding areas. We quickly fell in love with Franklin, Tennessee and we can’t wait to share with you why! Located 22 miles south of Nashville, the charming town of Franklin, Tennessee beckons you to come and enjoy a day of super cute shopping and eating. If you are already staying in the Nashville area, this is a perfect day trip from Nashville. 

Franklin, TN was established in 1799 and named in honor of Benjamin Franklin, a close friend of Dr. Hugh Williamson (the namesake of Williamson County). For most of its history, the town of Franklin remained a quiet, but flourishing rural county town. However, the Civil War brought widespread devastation to the local economy. Union forces occupied the area for nearly three years. In 1864, the Battle of Franklin, one of the bloodiest of the war which resulted in over 8,000 casualties, transformed nearly every home and building in the town into a makeshift hospital. It took more than a century for the county’s economy to reach pre-war levels. For a long time, Franklin seemed remote not only from Nashville, but from the rest of the world as well. Today, it is one of the wealthiest cities in one of the wealthiest counties in the United States.

Franklin, TN – Main Street Downtown 

For us, the main attraction is absolutely the cute downtown area. How cute is it? I mean Justin Bieber filmed his iconic Mistletoe music video on Main Street so it’s pretty idyllic. 

Head down to Main Street between 1st and 5th Ave. Grab a free parking spot at the Fourth Avenue Parking Garage but make sure to not back into your parking space. I know it sounds odd but they give citations for it and yes there are signs posted in the garage, so follow the rules. These few blocks have some of the cutest shops with everything from monogrammed candles to artist galleries to adorable boutique shopping for both men and women. We spent a whole afternoon just perusing the stores, reading the funny cards, laughing at the silly hand towels, and picking out the perfect home accessories. All the stores are worth a stop. We especially loved the Savory Spice Shop to get some local Nashville spice blends to take home with you! 

While you’re on Main Street, don’t miss some of the delicious cafes and restaurants in the area. 

We highly recommend: Puckett’s Restaurant for traditional southern bbq including a Meat and Three (three sides that is)! Frothy Monkey is a delightful cafe with a few locations throughout the Nashville area. Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you can’t go wrong. We’ve loved everything we’ve eaten here and the coffee is delicious too. If pizza sounds better, head over to Mellow Mushroom for this art inspired funky pizza spot. Yes it’s a chain but the pizza is good! 

Depending on what time of year you visit, Franklin has a full calendar of events and festivals all year long. Check it out here on the town’s website. 

A few examples are: Arbor Day in April with tree sapling giveaways, tree climbing, family activities, and environmental education. Main Street Festival in April with 150 arts and crafts, food vendors, live entertainment, and a kids zone. Touch-a-Truck in May where you can climb on and try out public works vehicles. Franklin on the Fourth in July with fireworks. Bluegrass Along the Harpeth in July with Bluegrass music, fiddling, buck dancing, crafts and food. Pumpkinfest in October which is Middle Tennessee’s largest fall festival featuring arts and crafts vendors, live entertainment, children’s activities, and even costume contests for pets and families. Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony and Christmas Parade in early December featuring local school children, musicians, performers, and Santa. The Flashlight Candy Cane Hunt where the ground is sprinkled with candy canes ready to be eaten and finally the Dickens of a Christmas which is a festival to recreate the time of Charles Dickens using historic downtown Franklin’s Victorian architecture as the backdrop.

Finally, if you are here in September, don’t miss Pilgrimage Fest. This music and cultural festival is located at The Park at Harlinsdale. A century old horse farm is transformed into a modern festival grounds for a diverse lineup of rock and roll, alt-country, bluegrass, jazz, indie, gospel and new artists. With headliners like Dave Matthews, John Mayor, and Chris Stapleton, it’s sure to be a good time. It’s also family friendly so bring the whole crew! 

Franklin, TN – Shopping 

If you’re in town for more shopping don’t miss The Factory and CoolSprings Galleria. The Factory, an old 1920’s stove factory turned retail and restaurants, is a fun, hip place to walk around, shop, and eat. We found a super cool custom cowboy hat shop, an updated take on second hand retail, and a funky seating area in the modern food court. Don’t miss their adorable farmers market on Saturday mornings including the guys from Bucksnort Trout selling a delicious trout dip! If you need some retail therapy, check out CoolSprings Galleria. This typical mall with everything from nicer stores to big department chains is pretty inside and has lots of natural light. It’s worth checking out if you need some retail therapy. 

If you’re spending a little longer here, support local businesses with a workout class at Free Flow Fitness, rock climbing at The Crag Franklin, stop in to get your portrait done at The Portrait Lab or check out a show at the professional regional theater company StudioTenn. 

Westhaven Neighborhood has a cute walking street called Front Street complete with a coffeeshop, a few delicious restaurants (check out Kokomos Trading Company – I recommend the Chopped Beach Salad), an ice cream store, and pub. On the pond you can fish, rent paddle boards, or catch a concert. It’s a quaint neighborhood to walk around as the colonial style with southern charm is on display in this planned community. 

Franklin, TN – Civil War History

If you want to spend more time experiencing and learning about the Civil War history here in Franklin, you can visit many of the sites to take tours. The Carton House was turned into a field hospital after the battle. The Carter House was made a Union headquarters during the battle. The Lotz House was located where the battle took place and includes many time period items. You can buy individual tickets to visit each location or you can get a pass to visit all of them called the Tennessee Campaign Ticket which includes a tour. Winstead Hill Park is a free, quick stop with a Civil War Memorial and paved trails to the nature areas. 

So all in all, Franklin, Tennessee is so adorable we think it’s worth a day trip from Nashville or a long weekend. We love getting to try all the restaurants and food options while pursuing the cute boutiques. Check it out for yourself and let us know what you think!