Disclosure: This post is in partnership with Visit Franklin. All opinions are my own. This post also contains affiliate links — if you book or buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
If you’re searching for things to do in Franklin, TN, I’ll save you some time: there’s so many options and you might just need more than one trip to go everywhere.
I’ve lived on the East Coast most of my life — surrounded by Revolutionary War history, colonial downtowns, and small towns that wear their charm proudly. I knew Tennessee had its own version of all of that. What I didn’t know was just how good Franklin would be.
Franklin, TN sits just 21 miles south of Nashville, about 25 minutes by car, and it is one of the best weekends I’ve had in a long time. The food scene alone would make it worth the flight. Add an electric bike tour, visits to art galleries housed in historic buildings, a craft cocktail speakeasy you have to find, wine with your feet in a creek, and the tiny village of Leiper’s Fork (population 650, Grammy Award winners and all) and you’ll start rearranging your flight home to fit in one more dinner.
I spent three days here this spring and came home with a new love for Tennessee and a long list of reasons to come back. Here’s everything you need to know.
In This Guide
Click to Jump to A Section on the Page
My Quick Franklin, TN Travel Tips
- Getting there: Fly into Nashville International (BNA), then Uber/Lyft or rent a car — about 25–30 minutes to downtown Franklin.
- Where to stay: The Harpeth Hotel is the only real choice for downtown — walkable to everything (more on it below).
- How long to stay: 2–3 nights covers Franklin well plus a half-day in Leiper’s Fork. But more time there never hurts.
- Walkability: Excellent. Main Street, 2nd Avenue, and most of the restaurant/bar corridor are all within easy walking distance.
- Book before you land: Pedego Electric Bike Tours, Franklin Walking Tours, and the Ghost Tour all fill up on weekends. Reserve these ahead of time.
- Pet-friendly note: Franklin is a pilot city for BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™ Program — nearly 90+ businesses on Main Street welcome dogs.
Search Flights to Nashville International Airport
Where to Stay
The Harpeth Hotel
📍 130 2nd Avenue North
🛏️ Book your stay at The Harpeth Hotel →
Downtown Franklin’s first hotel in the core in decades when it opened in 2019, The Harpeth Franklin Downtown, Curio Collection by Hilton is the obvious home base. 119 rooms, a restaurant and bar (1799 Kitchen & Cocktails), a coffee shop (McGavock’s Coffee & Provisions), and an entire city block of shops and restaurants surrounding it. The hotel draws its inspiration from Franklin’s whiskey and Civil War history, right down to the name. The Harpeth River runs alongside the property.
The best-kept secret: the hotel library hosts complimentary whiskey tastings daily at 4:45 PM. It’s optional. But also: it’s free whiskey in a beautiful library.
Pro Tip: Book with Points
I always book hotels with one of my favorite travel credit cards so every trip earns points toward the next one. Learn more about my favorite travel cards.
Where to Eat & Drink
Franklin, TN punches well above its weight on food — and for a town this walkable, that matters. Everything below is within a few blocks of downtown.
Puckett’s — Get the blueberry pancakes for breakfast. Puckett’s is also a live music venue that’s launched major careers — Thomas Rhett, Kelsea Ballerini, and Walker Hayes all played here before hitting it big. Walker Hayes hosted his own weekly “Walker Wednesdays” residency here for years before “Fancy Like” went viral.
Gray’s on Main — My top dinner recommendation in all of Franklin, TN. Housed inside what was the local pharmacy for 70+ years, with a live music stage upstairs and a pre-Prohibition brandy bar downstairs. Order the Anthym Spirit, the shrimp and grits, and the fried pimento cheese balls.
Culamar — Upscale seafood with a rooftop bar. I had small bites up there one evening and it wasn’t crowded at all. Just me, a genuinely beautiful Tennessee sunset, and great seafood.
Perenn Bakery — A seasonal bakery café inside a restored boathouse on Main Street. Artisan sourdough, buttery croissants, and lattes that taste like they were made with love. They usually have their branded car parked out front which is very Instagrammable.
Whitney’s Cookies — Franklin-born and proud. Whitney Miller launched her cookie company here in 2019, making everything with real ingredients and care — and you can taste the difference. Fresh, gooey, and dangerously good.
Sweethaven — A family moved to Franklin, fell in love with the town, and noticed one thing missing: a gathering spot centered around something sweet. Sweethaven was born in 2020 and has since grown to 70+ flavors of ice cream/frozen yogurt.
The Coffee House at Second and Bridge — A great spot for a morning coffee stop, especially if you’re heading out for a walk or a full day of exploring. Easy, welcoming, and very Franklin.
1799 Kitchen & Cocktails — Inside the Harpeth Hotel. Whiskey-inspired Southern fare. Great for a first-night dinner when you don’t want to wander far.
Culaccino — Upscale Italian, one block from the Harpeth Hotel.
Cork & Cow and Red Pony — Both from Chef Jason McConnell. Cork & Cow for steakhouse, Red Pony for fine dining Southern. Reserve ahead for both.
Amendment 18 Cocktail Club — A craft cocktail speakeasy with a secret entrance. Find the handle. The atmosphere is excellent, the selection is serious, and the door is half the fun. As someone who’s done Washington, DC’s speakeasy scene, this holds its own.
Oh Be Joyful — 200+ bourbon and whiskey selections. Sister restaurant to Gray’s on Main.
Stable Reserve — A distillery and craft cocktail spot in the former 1890s livery stable building. Open early for coffee, late for cocktails.
Kimbro’s Pickin’ Parlor — A former house turned live music venue and bar, open until 3 AM. Locals describe it as the best house party imaginable. I believe them.
Things to Do in Franklin, TN
Pedego Electric Bike Tours
📍 248 2nd Avenue South
🏍️ Ride with Pedego electric bikes →
One of the highlights of the whole trip. I did the guided historic homes tour and covered way more ground and history than I ever would have on foot. Two stops stood out. Bring your ID to Pedego — required at check-in.
The first was Gallery 202, tucked inside Clouston Hall — a Federal-style home built circa 1821, one of the oldest buildings in Franklin. Co-owner Kelly Harwood was there when we visited and showed us through his studio personally. He’s warm, funny, and clearly loves both the art and the building’s history. The gallery carries paintings, glass, jewelry, pottery, and sculpture. It feels nothing like a typical gallery. You’ve essentially wandered into someone’s very beautiful, very old home. Which, technically, you have.
The second stop was the McGavock Confederate Cemetery. After the Battle of Franklin on November 30, 1864, fallen Confederate soldiers were buried on the battlefield with makeshift wooden markers to identify the dead. Two years later, as those markers became increasingly difficult to read, the citizens of Franklin began raising funds to move and re-inter 1,480 soldiers. Veterans helped maintain the graves. In 1911, the deed to the cemetery was presented to the newly chartered McGavock Confederate Cemetery Corporation, which still oversees it today.
Franklin Walking Tours
📍 Start at Landmark Booksellers, 114 E Main St
🚶♀️ Book a walking tour →
Several themed options — Franklin Charm, Franklin’s Fierce Females, and more — all two hours, all genuinely worth your time. I did a tour early in the trip and it completely changed how I read the town for the rest of the visit. Dogs on leashes welcome.
Ghost Tour in Historic Franklin
📍 Meet in front of the old Williamson County courthouse
🚶♀️ Book a ghost tour →
Discover Franklin’s spirited past on the oldest ghost tour in Tennessee. A guide leads you on a 1.5-hour walk through the darker chapters of Franklin’s history — and given how much happened here, there’s a lot of dark to cover. Bring your camera. You never know what you might catch.
Franklin Trolley Hop-On Hop-Off Tour
I didn’t personally take the trolley tour, but a few friends who did raved about it. You explore Franklin from a vintage trolley with live narration, taking in 50+ sites with the flexibility to hop on and off as much as you like. Available Wednesday through Saturday, 10 AM to 5 PM.
Harpeth River Trail & Judge Fulton Creek Park
I did nearly 5 miles here one evening as a pre-dinner walk. The trail winds along the Harpeth River with tree cover, open meadows, and a golden late afternoon light that’s very Tennessee. What struck me most was how close it is to downtown. No driving, no planning around traffic.
The Factory at Franklin
📍 230 Franklin Rd
A former 1929 stove factory now housing local shops, restaurants, and three performance venues. The recent renovation added the Skylight Bar, a park-like outdoor space below the iconic water tower, and the Turner Theatre — permanent home to professional theater company Studio Tenn. The Carousel of Dreams out front is the first hand-carved carousel made by one person in over 100 years, crafted by local artist and former Hollywood set designer Ken Means. Pick something up at the Made in TN shop before you leave.
Civil War History
Among all the things to do in Franklin, TN, the Civil War history is the one I’d argue you can’t skip. Franklin sits at the center of serious Civil War history. The Battle of Franklin (November 30, 1864) was one of the bloodiest engagements of the war — roughly 20,000 men in five hours of close combat.
Carnton — An antebellum plantation that served as a field hospital. The McGavock Confederate Cemetery on its grounds (described in full above under the bike tour section) is the largest private Confederate cemetery in the U.S. Worth visiting both in the context of the e-bike tour and on its own.
The Carter House — The family hid in the basement while the battle raged around their home. The house still bears bullet marks. I’ve heard the museum is excellent.
Fort Granger — A Union-built earthwork fort with views over the Harpeth River valley and downtown Franklin. I made a quick visit and had the place nearly to myself. The overlook alone is worth the stop.
Main Street & The Public Square
The March to Freedom statue on Franklin’s public square honors U.S. Colored Troops who enlisted here — one of only six such statues in the nation and the only one displayed in a city’s public square. The five Fuller Story historical markers surrounding it tell the complete history of the square: slave markets, race riots, the Battle of Franklin, and freedmen signing up to fight. It’s an honest, layered piece of public memory that puts the rest of downtown in fuller context.
Also worth knowing: Landmark Booksellers is the real-life inspiration for Karen Kingsbury’s The Bridge — the owners live above the shop and work there every day. White’s Mercantile is owned by Holly Williams, daughter of Hank Williams Jr. And the 2nd Avenue antique district has five large shops on one block alone. Even the window shopping is a good time.
Get Out of Town: Leiper's Fork, TN
About 10 miles west of downtown Franklin, Leiper’s Fork has a population of about 650 and the energy of a porch party that’s been going for generations. Grammy Award winners live here. Record label scouts come to Fox & Locke on Thursday nights. Nobody is in a rush about anything.
Nearly every gathering spot in the village has somewhere to sit outside — a porch, a fire pit, a creekside perch — because community and connection are the whole point. It’s a slower gear than anything I know on the East Coast, and it’s exactly what you need.
Patina Home & Garden — Their pickin’ corner is filled with rare instruments not for sale, but available for anyone to pick up and play. Two musicians were playing when I walked in. I ended up chatting with them after. I didn’t plan for that to be a highlight of the trip, but it was.
Crown Winery Leiper’s Fork — Grab a drink and head down to the creek. Adirondack chairs right at the water’s edge. Feet in. Sipping. That’s the whole plan, and it’s perfect. Honestly one of the coolest winery experiences I’ve had — and I’ve been to a lot of wineries.
Leiper’s Creek Gallery — A former gas station turned fine art gallery, regarded as one of the best in the Southeast. The LawnChair Theater behind it is free to perform in and open to everyone.
David Arms Gallery — David was there when I visited, chatting with guests. His work is extraordinary and the shop feels personal in a way galleries usually don’t.
Tennessee Turquoise Company — Vintage silver and turquoise jewelry, all-female staffed, owned by Morgane Stapleton. Every purchase supports the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center.
The Tornado Room — Underground speakeasy beneath The Country Boy Cafe, accessed through a side door under a green light. Craft cocktails, live music, fire pits on Leiper’s Creek. Open Thu–Sat.
Fox & Locke — Restaurant and live music venue founded in 1947. They do daily offerings and specials so the menu rotates, but I got a meat with sides and went for the fried chicken with mac and cheese and baked beans. It was exactly what I wanted after a full day of exploring. Thursday open mic nights are legendary. Grammy winners who live in the village hop on stage, and record label scouts are regulars in the crowd.
Sample Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive & Settle In
Land at BNA, rideshare or drive to Franklin. Complimentary whiskey tasting in the Harpeth Hotel library at 4:45 PM. Dinner at Culamar’s rooftop. Cocktails at Amendment 18.
Day 2: Go Deep on Franklin
Breakfast at Puckett’s (blueberry pancakes). Franklin Walking Tour departing from Landmark Booksellers — this is the move for orienting yourself before exploring on your own. Then hop on a Pedego Electric Bike Tour in the afternoon for the historic homes circuit, including Gallery 202 and the McGavock Confederate Cemetery. Pre-dinner walk on the Harpeth River Trail. Dinner at Gray’s on Main — Anthym Spirit, shrimp and grits, pimento cheese balls. Late night at Kimbro’s.
Day 3: Leiper's Fork & Slow Finish
Slow morning at Perenn Bakery. Drive to Leiper’s Fork — galleries, Crown Winery creekside, lunch at Fox & Locke. Back to Franklin for the Fuller Story markers and Fort Granger before heading home. Grab cookies at Whitney’s Cookies and a scoop at Sweethaven for the road.
What I Missed (Reasons to Come Back)
- Leiper’s Fork Distillery Still House Sessions
- Cork & Cow and Red Pony for proper sit-down dinners
- Carnton and the Carter House in full depth
- The Natchez Trace Parkway trails in fall foliage
- Paddle Dog paddleboarding at Westhaven
- Franklin Fly Fishing Co. on the Harpeth River
Franklin, TN FAQ
How far is Franklin, TN from Nashville? About 21 miles south — roughly 25–30 minutes on I-65 without traffic. Close enough for a Nashville day trip, but Franklin is more than worth staying in on its own.
Is Franklin, TN worth visiting? Yes. The walkable downtown, exceptional food scene, layered Civil War history, and the nearby village of Leiper’s Fork make it one of the most well-rounded small-town weekend getaways in the South.
What is Franklin, TN known for? The Battle of Franklin (1864), a beautifully preserved historic downtown, outstanding restaurants and live music venues, and Leiper’s Fork.
What airport do you fly into for Franklin, TN? Nashville International (BNA), about 25–30 minutes away.
Do I need to rent a car in Franklin, TN? Not necessarily. Downtown Franklin is very walkable, and rideshare is accessible throughout the area. My suggestion: estimate how many rides you’d need and compare to a rental car cost. For a downtown-focused weekend, rideshare is usually fine. If you’re doing Leiper’s Fork, the Natchez Trace, or multiple day trips, a car makes more sense.
Is Franklin, TN good for solo travelers? Absolutely. I wandered around on my own and felt completely safe everywhere I went. The locals are warm and genuinely welcoming — I had more good conversations with strangers in Franklin than I do in most big cities. Restaurants are comfortable for solo diners (easy bar seating), and the walking tours are a great way to meet people on your own.
Final Thoughts
I came to Franklin, TN not knowing what to expect and left completely sold on Tennessee. The things to do in Franklin, TN stack up fast — and the best ones are the kind that no AI-generated travel guide will send you to, because they live in the details. The way Kelly Harwood walked us through his studio in a 200-year-old house. The hush over the McGavock Cemetery. Two musicians playing an original song in the corner of a shop in a tiny village where nobody was in a rush.
That’s Franklin. Go find it for yourself.
Tag me @emilygoesplaces when you do — I want to see your rooftop sunsets, your creek-side wine, and your pimento cheese balls.
Disclosure: This post is in partnership with Visit Franklin. All opinions are my own. This post also contains affiliate links — if you book or buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
P.S. If Franklin has you hooked on Tennessee, Clarksville is another underrated TN gem worth adding to the list — scenic trails, riverfront sunsets, and a long weekend that moves at exactly the right pace.
One Response