The Hermitage

A few weeks ago we spent the night in Nashville. We had an event at a store and decided it was best to just stay the night instead of trying to drive home late. Bryan fully supported this idea after he realized that the next morning would be the perfect time to see The Hermitage, home of Andrew Jackson.

It was a rainy morning, but we decided to just go on. We skipped the museum part at the beginning and just headed straight to the house. It was a Friday and apparently there were a lot of school and retirement groups. I mean a lot. Every single staff people commented on it.



Before you get to the house there is a short walk on the grounds. There are several spots to listen for more information, but given the rain and junior high kids on our heels we skipped much of them.

Once at the front door they allow groups in every several minutes. The sweet staff members put Bryan and I with another couple and let us in between groups. Touring the house just the four of us allowed us more time to look at all the pretty things and ask all the questions we could think of.

Pictures weren't allowed inside, but I was honestly amazed at how nice the house and furnishings were. I particularly loved the fabrics and wallpaper. (Huh, now that I think about it, I also loved the same things at The Biltmore last fall.)

After touring the house you end up on the back patio. You can see the kitchen, pantry, and grounds.



Our tour friends took this for us. We took pictures of them as well.



On this day they had a bunch of 4th or 5th graders outside giving information at certain stations. They were dressed in period garb and were adorable. We loved this little touch.


We saw Rachel's garden. I'd love to see it later in the summer or early fall when it's grown up more.


Despite the rain we stopped to smell the flowers. Or at least I did.




We saw at least three different wild turkeys on the grounds.

We took the most basic tour and it cost $19 each. A little pricey, but we both enjoyed the tour. If it had been a nicer day we might have spent more time on the grounds. But we needed to get back on the road toward home anyways.

The tour focuses on life at the Hermitage and not so much on Andrew Jackson. Perhaps this is focused more in the museum at the start. I was totally fine with this, but if you were hoping to learn all about Andrew Jackson you might want to do some reading before going to The Hermitage.

If you go wear comfortable shoes. I was not prepared for how much you can walk the grounds. Since this was an unplanned excursion I just had flip flops. Budget at least three hours.