Falcon Rest Mansion, historic house tour in McMinnville, Tenn., halfway between Nashville and Chattanooga

Mansion Tours

Guided tours of Falcon Rest Mansion bring the Faulkner family and the 1890s to life for visitors of all ages.

There's something for everyone on this historic mansion tour between Nashville and Chattanooga, Tenn.

  • The Victorian mansion called “Tennessee’s Biltmore” by PBS. Mr. Faulkner’s obituary described him as a mechanical genius, so it’s easy to understand why his mansion was equipped with “all the modern conveniences of a model city residence.”
  • Museum quality Victorian antiques in every room
  • Gardens reflecting the bounty of McMinnville, “the nursery capital of the world”
  • A restoration that so revived a near-derelict old building that it won the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s “Great American Home Award” — an inspiration to visitors who are redoing old homes themselves
  • Intriguing accounts of experiences that hint Falcon Rest might be inhabited by a friendly ghost
  • Real stories about real people associated with the mansion over the years, from Mr. Faulkner (the “secret soldier” of the Civil War) and his colorful family, through its days as a local hospital and its dedicated restoration

They all add up to the Victorian mansion where history is fun.

PLEASE NOTE: The mansion and gardens are not visible from the road.  They are entirely hidden in the 1890s inside our tall holly hedge.  Enter at the Visitor Center just past the hedge at 85 Bluff Springs Road.  Access to the gardens is restricted to paid tourists, overnight guests, and participants in large events.

QUESTIONS?
Call us at 931-668-4444 or e-mail.

Open Wednesday - Sunday 9 am to 5 pm.

  • Walk-ins welcome Wednesday thru Sunday.
  • Gift shop open all day Wed. – Sun., tea room open 11-2, no tour required
  • Tours usually start within 15 minutes of guests arrival, and last between 45 minutes to an hour.  We try to start our last tour by 4 pm.
  • Closed Monday and Tuesday*, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day
  •   *If you will only be in town on Monday and Tuesday, call for a tour appointment.  We will be happy to schedule one if a tour guide is available.

ADMISSION

  • Adults & Teens: $17  | Children 4-12: $9
    Plus tax.  No charge for age 3 and under.

Includes guided mansion tour and self-guided gardens tour at your leisure.

  • All buildings except the mansion are handicapped accessible. There are three steps to the first floor of the mansion, and 24 very easy ones to the second floor. The buildings are close enough together to make it easy to walk from one to another.  See our property map.
  • Please note: Photographs are not allowed inside the mansion, but guests are encouraged to stay as long as they like after a tour to take pictures outside and explore the grounds.

LOCATION

Street Address
2645 Faulkner Springs Rd.
McMinnville, TN  37110

GPS Address
85 Bluff Springs Rd.
McMinnville, TN  37110

Falcon Rest is 1.3 miles north of Hwy. 70S at the end of Faulkner Springs Rd.
To enter at the Visitor Center, turn left at the end of Faulkner Springs Rd. onto Bluff Springs Rd., then left onto the driveway just past the mansion. (GPS Address)

DIRECTIONS

No GPS? No problem.  Follow the written directions.

Take Manchester Exit 111 (Hwy. 55) to McMinnville. DO NOT turn and go to the McMinnville business district. Instead, keep going straight and follow Hwy. 70S signs toward Sparta. Turn left onto Faulkner Springs Rd. at the FIFTH traffic light (the one AFTER Korner Market).

Simple way
Follow directions above from I-24 through Manchester.

Closest way
Take I-24 exit 81B to Murfreesboro. Turn right at the first traffic light onto Rutherford Blvd. After you pass Wal-Mart, turn right again onto Mercury Blvd., which is Hwy. 70S. Go through Woodbury and into McMinnville. Instead of crossing Hwy. 70S toward the downtown McMinnville business district, take the exit toward Sparta. Turn left onto Faulkner Springs Rd. at the FIFTH traffic light (the one AFTER Korner Market).

Simple way
Follow directions above from I-24 through Manchester.

Closest way
Choose the scenic route across the gorgeous Sequatchie Valley (just beware of deer at dusk!)

Take Hwy. 27 across the Tennessee River at the Aquarium, then Hwy. 111 past Dunlap.

Approximately 10+ miles past the Dunlap turnoff, turn left onto Hwy. 8.

Turn right when Hwy. 8 meets Hwy. 56 on the outskirts of McMinnville, enter downtown on Main Street, take the first right onto Sparta St., first left onto Morford St., and first right onto Spring St.

Go straight across the Hwy. 70S Bypass, where Spring St. becomes Faulkner Springs Rd. (Call for directions with less turns if you’ll be in a motorcoach!)

From I-40 West (from Nashville), take Exit 273 south onto Hwy. 56 through Smithville into McMinnville. Turn left onto the Hwy. 70S Bypass, then left again at the second traffic light onto Faulkner Springs Rd.

Closest way
Go west on I-40 to Crossville Exit 317. Turn left at the end of the ramp; go about 1-1/2 miles and turn right at the traffic light by Walgreens. Stay on this road (Hwy. 70) just through Sparta, then turn left onto Hwy. 111.

A couple of miles south of Sparta, take fork toward McMinnville on Hwy. 70S. Stay on the four-lane Hwy. 70S Bypass in McMinnville, and turn right at the fourth traffic light onto Faulkner Springs Rd.

Simple way
If you’d prefer to stay on 4-lane roads all the way from Knoxville, take I-40 west to Cookeville. Exit onto Hwy. 111 toward Sparta. Follow directions above from Sparta.

Exit the park at the south entrance onto Hwy. 284. For the quickest route, go straight across Hwy. 111 instead of turning north to Spencer. Hwy. 284 curves north and meets Hwy. 30 west of Spencer.

Turn left onto Hwy. 30. Go to the end of Hwy. 30, and turn left where it “y’s” into Hwy. 70S.

Go to the fourth traffic light; turn right onto Faulkner Springs Rd.

Go through Fayetteville, Tullahoma and Manchester, Tenn. Don’t turn onto I-24. Instead, go straight across the Interstate and follow the directions above from I-24 Exit 111 in Manchester.

“This was the best tour I have ever taken. If you have never been here, give it a try. Its beautiful inside and out. Read the history of the place — very interesting.  I give it 5 stars. Gift shop and tea room very nice.”‘

Patricia — walk-in tourist

Lunch in the Tea Room

Enjoy a delicious lunch in our Victorian Tea Room Wednesday thru Sunday, 11-2.

Browse the Gift Shop

Allow some time to shop for 1800s treasures. The Victorian Gift Shop has around 3,000 items you won't find anywhere else.

Relax in the Gardens

After the guided mansion tour, linger at your leisure in Falcon Rest's gardens. Access to the gardens is included in tour admission.

Explore the Local Area

Check out lots more fun things to do in the McMinnville area and Middle Tennessee.

Where history is fun
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