Cheekwood

Take a look at the slide show below with some beautiful scenery of the gardens.

It is so beautiful and tranquil that you will want to stay forever.

You will find art work by famous artist and intriguing outdoor art sculptures all over the property. If you like art and gardens you have to see this place.

I just have to tell you a little about the history of the estate. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have true wealth? When you visit the estate you will get a glimpse of what it must have been like for the Cheek family. The Cheek mansion is formerly the private home and estate of the Cheek family.

The Cheek family owned a wholesale grocery business in the 1880’s and one member of the family developed a blend of coffee that was marketed at Nashville’s finest hotel, the Maxwell House. General Mills purchased Maxwell House’s parent company for more than $40 million dollars in 1928.

With the new found wealth, the Cheek family built the magnificent 30,000 square foot Georgian-style mansion and developed the gardens. In the 1950’s the Cheek family offered the estate for a museum and botanical gardens and in 1960 it was opened to the public.

The home was turned into an art museum and the gardens are just beautiful. You will enjoy many styles of garden design including a boxwood garden, Japanese garden, a wildflower garden, an herb garden and more. In addition to the Museum and the Botanical Garden, there is a gift shop, and a restaurant called the Pineapple Room which overlooks the greenery of the elegant west lawn. A lot of locals like to visit the Pineapple Room to have lunch.

To find out more about the museum and the classes, facility rental or tours you may call them at (615) 353-9827 or visit their website .
The museum is located at 1200 Forest Park Dr. Nashville, Tennessee.

Museum Hours:

Tuesday - Saturday 9:30 am - 4:30 pm
Sunday 11:00 am - 4:30 pm
Stay Late ‘til Eight: (May 1 - September 30)
Tuesdays and Wednesdays - Gardens Only 4:30- 8:00 pm
Thursdays - Gardens and Museum 4:30 - 8:00 pm

Cheekwood is closed on Monday except for Memorial Day and Labor Day. They are also closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day and the second Saturday in June

This place is more beautiful than you can imagine and you’ll be glad you came.

If you like this museum then you will probably enjoy visiting the Hermitage home of President Andrew Jackson. The Nashville Zoo also has some beautiful landscaping for the animals. You might also enjoy the Frist Center for Visual Arts, a large art museum.

Danny and I recently visited the botanical gardens and museum. Our tickets were $15 per person. We wanted to go to the Chihuly Art Exhibit at night. We got there at about 6:00 pm ahead of most of the crowds and were lucky enough to park in the parking lot across from the Visitors Entrance.

When we left we were surprised to see cars parked in the grass down the hill. It was a special event. We took a lot of photos of the Chihuly art work as well. Dale Chihuly truly does exceptional work. I am the art lover in the house but Danny was impressed too.

Here is another slideshow of just the Chihuly art in the gardens.

It is a very beautiful place and we enjoyed our visit very much.

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