Behind-the-Scenes Tour: Downtown Presbyterian Church
2024-02-10 10:00 - 11:30 UTC | Downtown Presbyterian Church, 154 5th Ave. N., Nashville, TN, 37219, United States
Join us on Saturday, February 10, at 10 am for a tour of the 1851 Downtown Presbyterian Church!

Presbyterians have worshiped at the corner of Fifth and Church since 1814. In that year the First Presbyterian Church of Nashville built their first structure. which burned down in 1832. Rebuilding in that year, on the same site, the second building hosted the Inauguration of James K. Polk as Governor of Tennessee. That building burned down in 1848. The congregation then hired the Philadelphia architect William Strickland, who was in Tennessee to design and supervise the construction of the Tennessee State Capitol building, to design the present building. During the Civil War the building was seized by the United States government, and used as a hospital. The columns were put in place in 1871, as well as the entablature. In 1880, the interior was reconfigured and decorated. During the great floods of 1927 and 1937, flood victims were sheltered in the church. Soldiers on leave in Nashville during World War II slept in the church by the thousands during that war.

By 1954, the First Church congregation was thinking of leaving the city and moving out to the suburbs. By vote they did so, and through the encouragement of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and local efforts, they were convinced not to tear down the building for a parking garage site. Instead, they were prevailed upon to sell it to their own members who did not wish to leave Downtown Nashville. In 1955 The Downtown Presbyterian Church was formed. It has continued to minister to the needs of the city from this prime location. Come out and see this historical gem!

Please note: you must be a current HNI member to go on this tour. You can renew your membership here: https://www.historicnashvilleinc.org/get-involved/membership/ If you are unsure of your membership status, please email info@historicnashvilleinc.org. Attendees with lapsed or no memberships will be billed.

Tickets are available here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hni-members-only-tour-of-downtown-presbyterian-church-tickets-806004981597?aff=oddtdtcreator

Behind the Scenes Tour: Nashville Public Library
2024-03-09 10:00 - 11:30 (America/Chicago) | Downtown Nashville Public Library, 615 Church St, Nashville, TN, 37219, United States
Join Historic Nashville for a members-only tour of the Civil Rights Room, the Votes for Women Room, and NPL Special Collections at the Downtown Public Library!
In special appreciation and honor of both Black History Month and Women’s History Month (February and March) the Nashville Public Library is offering HNI members a unique opportunity, pairing self-guided browsing of the Civil Rights Room and the Votes for Women Exhibit with a private tour of the library’s Special Collections.
These two thought-provoking exhibits chronicle the amazing and progressive events that took place here in Nashville and influenced our nation’s history.
We will meet at the Nashville Room reference desk at 10 am (2nd floor of the library.) Splitting into three groups, we’ll enjoy self-guided exploration of the Civil Rights Room and the Votes for Women Room and receive a behind-the-scenes tour of the library’s Special Collections.
Please note: you must be a current HNI member to go on this tour. You can renew your membership here: https://www.historicnashvilleinc.org/get-involved/membership/
If you are unsure of your membership status, please email info@historicnashvilleinc.org. Attendees with lapsed or no memberships will be billed.
Reserve your tickets at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hni-members-only-tour-of-the-downtown-public-library-tickets-852996183547?aff=oddtdtcreator

Behind the Scenes Tour: Glen Leven
2024-04-13 09:00 - 12:00 UTC | Glen Leven Farm, 4000 Franklin Pike, Nashville, TN, 37204, United States
On April 13, The Land Trust for Tennessee is hosting a History & House Tours Community Day. We’ll be joined by the Metro Historical Commission, who will be there to answer any questions about history and historic homes in Nashville. There will be guided tours of the house at Glen Leven Farm and surrounding grounds. You will learn about the history of the farm, house and family that lived here, as well as Glen Leven Farm’s role in Nashville history.
General Info About Community Days
10 minutes south of downtown Nashville, you’ll find The Land Trust for Tennessee’s Glen Leven Farm. One Saturday a month, we host Community Days at Glen Leven Farm so you can explore all 64 acres of this unique Nashville landscape. While you’re here, use the field guide to hike the Nature Trail, see what’s blooming in the Education Garden, and say hello to our resident miniature donkeys.
Tickets available here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/868740114067?aff=oddtdtcreator

Historic Happy Hour: Union Station
2024-04-24 17:30 - 19:00 UTC | Union Station Nashville, 1001 Broadway, Nashville, TN, 37203, United States
Join Historic Nashville at The Union Station – Nashville Yards on April 24 at 5:30pm for a historic happy hour with Davidson County Historian Dr. Carole Bucy, who will speak on the history of the train station and HNI’s role in its preservation and restoration into a world-class hotel.

Historic Nashville Window Restoration Workshop
2024-05-05 13:00 - 17:00 UTC | Belle Air Mansion, 2250 Lebanon Pike, Nashville, TN, 37214, United States
On Sunday, May 5, from 1–5 pm, Historic Nashville Inc. is offering a historic residential window restoration workshop in celebration of National Historic Preservation Month. Attendees can bring a window and work hands-on, or simply come to watch and learn. The workshop will be held at Nashville’s uniquely restored Belle Air Mansion at 2250 Lebanon Pike (https://belleairmansion.com).
Instructions and advice will be provided by Steve Jordan, one of America’s foremost authorities on window repairs and author of The Window Sash Bible: A Guide to Maintaining and Restoring Old Wood Windows and other publications.
The workshop is free to members and $50 for non-members. Nonmembers may join HNI and take advantage of member pricing.
RSVP required: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/historic-nashville-window-restoration-workshop-tickets-870765391727?aff=oddtdtcreator
For questions about this event or membership, email info@historicnashvilleinc.org.
If you reserve tickets and then need to cancel, email us so we can release your spot to another attendee.

Behind the Scenes Tour: The Parthenon
2024-05-25 10:00 - 11:30 UTC | The Parthenon, 2500 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN, 37203, United States
Join us at the Parthenon for a morning of architecture, suffrage, and Tennessee history. We will begin with a brief Centennial Park history tour where you will hear stories of the 1897 Tennessee Centennial Exposition and find specific places in the park to help you picture the past. This tour features archival photographs and images of artifacts from the Exposition. We will move to an in-depth architecture tour of the Parthenon exterior, learning about the original construction of the Parthenon in Athens, Greece, including its innovative architectural techniques and features, as well as the 1897 Nashville Parthenon and the rebuild from 1921-1931. The tour explores 2,500 years of architectural history as the structure transitioned from Greek temple to Christian church to Ottoman mosque. Finally, we will observe the Women’s Suffrage statue by Alan LeQuire and hear about its journey to the Centennial Park, originally a staging ground for such rallies.

Behind the Scenes Tour: Fisk University and Meharry Medical College
2024-06-08 09:30 - 11:00 UTC | Fisk University, 1000 17th Ave N, Nashville, TN, 37208, United States
Dr. Lea Williams will guide this special HNI outdoor tour of both Fisk University and Meharry Medical College. We will visit the points of interest designated by a Nashville Sites prerecorded walking route. There are 21 stops on this tour, covering around 2 miles.
These exceptional educational institutions are two of the oldest Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the United States and are a credit to our community and our nation. They have excelled since 1867 and 1876 respectively.
Please arrive before 9:30 am, as we will begin walking at that time. Livingstone Hall on the Fisk campus is our starting point. Street parking is available on Jackson Street, Phillips Street, and Meharry Boulevard or behind the Franklin Library (Jackson Street & 17 th Avenue North). You can pay to park at the Albion Street Parking Garage or there is also a free parking lot at the corner of 19th Ave North and Hermosa Street.

Historic Happy Hour: Pinewood Social
2024-06-26 17:00 - 18:30 UTC | Pinewood Social, 33 Peabody Street, Nashville, TN, 37210, United States
Pinewood Social will host HNI’s happy hour June 26 from 5-6:30 pm on their patio/pool deck with its Airstream bar. Come enjoy the atmosphere and hospitality and appreciate the success story of this repurposed trolley shed overlooking the Cumberland River. Our guest speaker is Carolyn Brackett, of Cultural Heritage Works, who will talk with us about the National Register of Historic Places program, how it works, and some examples here in middle Tennessee. Ms. Brackett served as Executive Director of Historic Nashville, Inc. in 1993 where she was involved with the early development of The District Program to revitalize Lower Broadway and Second Avenue. In recent years, Carolyn served as an ex-officio officer of HNI’s board of directors. In 2019, she developed a women’s history downtown walking tour. She served as a field officer for the National Trust for Historic Preservation program for many years, amongst many other career achievements.
Parking will be in the Trolley Barns garage behind the building and is free with validation from the host at Pinewood.

Behind the Scenes Tour: Grassmere at the Nashville Zoo
2024-07-27 09:00 - 11:00 UTC | Nashville Zoo at Grassmere, 3777 Nolensville Pike, Nashville, TN, 37211, United States
Built in 1810 by Col. Michael Dunn, the Grassmere home located at the Nashville Zoo holds quite a story within it’s walls. This is the second oldest residence in Davidson County that is open to the public, The property served as a family farm for 175 years. Sisters Margaret and Elise Croft willed the Grassmere property to be used as a nature preserve and the Nashville Zoo began management of this site in 1997 to honor that request. Centered around five generations of the same family who lived at Grassmere Farm, we’ll learn history from Grassmere’s connection to Cuba and to it’s African American past. Join Historic Nashville members on July 27 from 9-11 am for this rare private tour of the home and grounds.
Parking and entry free for tour only. Guests who’d like to visit the zoo afterwards must pay entry fee.

Behind the Scenes Tour: Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park
2024-09-07 11:00 - 12:30 UTC | Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, 600 James Robertson Pkwy, Nashville, TN, 37243, United States
This is a members only tour. Reserve tickets here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/historicnashvilleinc/1371559?
The Bicentennial Mall was built to honor Tennessee’s first 200 years. Designed with the theme of “the land, people, and music of Tennessee,” this 19-acre park directly north of the state capitol has become one of the most successful urban parks in the Southeast. In 2011, the mall received the “Top Ten Public Spaces Award” from the American Planning Association, and in the past 25 years, this civic gift has matured and been reinforced by construction of the new state museum and new state library and archives.
In this 90-minute event, mall lead designer Kem Hinton explains the history of this unique and once-underappreciated part of Nashville, following by a guided tour of the urban park and its numerous features including the enormous state map, Rivers of Tennessee fountains, Walkway of Counties, Pathway of History, Tennessee World War II Memorial, and the 95-bell Tennessee Carillon. Kem also covers the transformation of the surrounding land to become a more comprehensive destination, one that has energized the surrounding district. He also shares secrets of the park including one story that the mall is a “place full of sacred power.”
The tour will begin at the large map along James Robertson Parkway at 11 am. Attendees can park in the Farmers Market lots.
Kem Hinton is an architect, urban designer, author, LEED accredited professional, and visual artist. He received his professional education from the University of Tennessee, University of Pennsylvania, and Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Kem is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, and in 2019 received the AIA Tennessee William Strickland Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2021, he was appointed to the Tennessee Historical Commission. Previously a founding partner of Tuck-Hinton Architects (1984-2019), he now practices in the studio of Kem Hinton Design.

Behind the Scenes Tour: Mt. Olivet Cemetery
2024-10-20 14:00 - 15:30 UTC | Mount Olivet Cemetery, 1101 Lebanon Pike, Nashville, TN, 37210, United States
This is a members only tour. Reserve tickets here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/historicnashvilleinc/1429362
Join HNI for a tour of Nashville’s Gilded Age in one of our city’s most magnificent cemeteries. This tour, led by Davidson County Historian Carole Bucy, will shed light on how Nashville became a business town with railroads leading the way for Nashville ‘s boom after the Civil War. We will meet at the top of the hill and people can park around the Confederate Circle there. Everyone should wear comfortable shoes. We will be walking on paved roads in the historic part of the cemetery.
The cemetery entrance is located at 1101 Lebanon Pike.

Historic Happy Hour: Jimmy Kelly's
2024-10-30 17:30 - 19:00 UTC | Jimmy Kelly’s Steakhouse, 217 Louise Avenue, Nashville, TN, 37203, United States
This is a members only event. Reserve tickets here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/historicnashvilleinc/1429373
Jimmy Kelly’s is an iconic restaurant in Nashville renowned for its steaks, fine service, and atmosphere, legendary for business deals and political hobnobbing. It also has a fascinating history through Prohibition and a proud family legacy of several generations of restaurateurs. Come join us for this HNI members-only event and hear Mike Kelly tell how the fabric of Nashville has been laced with steaks and whiskey in this genteel setting. Mike’s book A Generous Pour will be presented. Guests are on their own pay for food and drinks (appetizers and light fare available) and complimentary valet parking.

HNI Members Only Behind the Scenes Tour of 217 2nd Avenue North
2024-11-23 10:00 - 11:30 UTC | 217 2nd Avenue North, 217 2nd Avenue North, Nashville, TN, 37201, United States
Please join HNI for a Members Only Behind the Scenes Tour of 217 2nd Avenue North on Saturday, November 23, at 10 am. This historic building was built in 1875 along then-named Market Street and was part of a bustling downtown wholesale and retail sector supplied by steamboats from the Cumberland River. During its history, this building has been operated by the CC Waggoner and Bro. store trading farm goods and Dutch Tulips from 1915-1930, then owned by Lellyett and Rogers Printing in the mid-twentieth-century. It was then acquired by and restored into law offices of “The Citizen” George Barrett, who was instrumental in the civil rights movement and the desegregation of Tennessee’s universities. It is now owned by Kathy Anderson (owner of Anderson Design Studio) and David Malloy (songwriter with 40+ top singles) and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is within the 2nd Ave Historic Preservation Overlay.
This building is directly south of Bankers Alley on the west side of 2nd Avenue North (between Church Street and Union Street).
Get your tickets here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/historicnashvilleinc/1470928

HNI Annual Meeting
2025-01-23 17:30 - 20:00 UTC | A Room with a View, 1305 Clinton Street, Nashville, TN, 37203, United States
Historic Nashville, Inc. invites you to our annual meeting on Thursday, January 23, at 5:30 PM at Marathon Village. This is a free event exclusively for HNI members, and tickets and membership are required. Memberships can be purchased or renewed on our website at historicnashvilleinc.org/get-involved/membership.
The event will begin with a reception including hors d’oeuvre refreshments, followed by a program beginning at 6:00 PM. Our keynote speaker will be Barry Walker, owner of Marathon Village, celebrating the successful adaptive reuse of the former Marathon Motor Works complex. A guided tour will be offered after the meeting.
The meeting venue will be A Room With A View at Marathon Village, located on the third floor of 1305 Clinton Street in Nashville. Complimentary parking is provided in Lots B and D just south of the building at 14th Avenue North and Milson Street.
Join us in celebrating our mission of preserving and promoting the places that make Nashville unique!

HNI Member Tour of TN Central Railway Museum
2025-03-29 09:30 - 11:30 (America/Chicago) | Tennessee Central Railway Museum, 220 Willow Street, Nashville, TN, 37210, United States
Come join the annual open house for visitors at the Tennessee Central Railway Museum on Saturday, March 29!

The history of Nashville and its success can, in part, be attributed to railroads, especially as they replaced steamboats. The “iron horse” helped Nashville thrive on a large-scale in flour milling, hardwood lumber products, passenger transportation, and in many other ways. Come ponder our history, industrial might, and the collection that has been put together by enthusiastic TCRM volunteers. Included will be a look at the restoration of a magnificent steam engine, the “576,” formerly at Centennial Park. TCRM also has a passenger train open and serving lunch, as well as a great model train display to admire. Railroad enthusiasts will be there to show visitors around and answer questions.

This is a free event exclusively for HNI members, and tickets and membership are required. Memberships can be purchased or renewed on our website at historicnashvilleinc.org/get-involved/membership.

There are two tours offered, 9:30 am and 10:30 am. Be sure to note your correct time!
Get your tickets here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/historicnashvilleinc/

Historic Happy Hour: Urban Cowboy
2025-04-22 17:30 - 19:00 UTC | Urban Cowboy, 1603 Woodland St., Nashville, TN, 37206, United States
Historic Nashville inc. invites you to mingle and socialize in the casual outdoor and indoor spaces at Urban Cowboy’s Public House Bar and Parlor Bar. Wood-fired pizza is served in the backyard and craft cocktails are sure to please. Urban Cowboy is a historic Victorian mansion dating back to the 1800s restored into a hotel, bars, and events space.
Drop in around 5:30 pm and enjoy this preservation success firsthand. Parking is wherever convenient along the street.

HNI Tour of Historic Columbia Studios A and B
2025-05-24 10:00 - 12:00 UTC | Columbia Studio A, 34 Music Square East, Nashville, TN, 37203, United States
Come join HNI for a guided tour of historic Music Row studios on Saturday, May 24!
We will visit Columbia Studios A and B (formerly known as the Quonset Hut), which was the first commercial recording studio on Music Row, and now part of Belmont University’s Curb School of Entertainment and Music Business. Coincidentally, this HNI tour will be on the date of Bob Dylan’s birthday, and he recorded three albums there. The studio produced hundreds of hits by artists including Johnny Cash, Conway Twitty, Patsy Cline, Red Foley, Brenda Lee, Marty Robbins, Sonny James, Roy Acuff, Buddy Holly, and others. Quonset Hut Studio was the nickname given to Bradley Studios in 1954 by Harold and Owen Bradley. This studio was the genesis of what would later become known as Music Row.
Tour guides will be:

Host and moderator Mike Porter, Facilities Manager at Belmont University
Garth Shaw, the former road manager for Kenny Rogers
Brian Mansfield, Music City historian and past HNI president

Parking is available out front on street, or along Music Circle South (side street) as well as in the alley behind with sign noting parking for Belmont School of Music.
This is a free event exclusively for HNI members, and tickets and membership are required. Memberships can be purchased or renewed on our website at historicnashvilleinc.org/get-involved/membership.

HNI Member Tour of the Neuhoff District
2025-06-14 10:00 - 12:00 UTC | Neuhoff District, 1312 Adams St, Nashvile, TN, 37208, United States
The Neuhoff Abattoir and Packing Company, Inc. was founded in 1906 by German immigrants Henry and Lorenz Neuhoff. Serving Germantown as a vital job center and one of Nashville’s earliest mass production meat processing facilities, the business thrived and expanded throughout the early twentieth century. By 1930, fresh meats from Neuhoff were sold across the greater Southeast, attracting Chicago’s processing giant, Swift & Company, to purchase the facility in 1931. In 1979, Swift consolidated operations and promptly closed Neuhoff. Thereafter, the Baltz Brothers Packing Co. bought the plant and performed limited operations until 1992, when Robert Baltz transferred the property to a family friend in Nashville’s McRedmond family.
Under the McRedmonds’ care, portions of the campus were home to various uses, such as the Nashville Jazz Workshop, Tennessee Craft, an Italian shoemaker, and singer/songwriter John Prine’s sound studio. However, several unique structures, including the massive five-story slaughterhouse, remained unoccupied, deteriorating from decades of water and fire damage.
The McRedmonds’ determination and stewardship led to the seemingly impossible rehabilitation of this coveted neighborhood icon. They enlisted local architect and friend Hunter Gee and his firm to develop a master plan and attracted a like-minded developer in Jim Irwin and his company, New City. Having preserved the 1-million-square-foot historic Sears Distribution Center in Atlanta, known as Ponce City Market, Jim was committed to preserving as much of Neuhoff as possible.
Experience the newly developed Neuhoff District and the metamorphosis of several unique historic structures, including the district’s crown jewel, the Curve Building.
Parking option: Enter the garage from Monroe or Taylor Streets (before you reach Adams Street). The first hour is free and $6 per additional hour. Go to the garage’s top level and meet at the Adams Street plaza.
This is a free event exclusively for HNI members, and tickets and membership are required. Memberships can be purchased or renewed on our website at historicnashvilleinc.org/get-involved/membership.
