Franklin is well known for its role in American history, for its spectacular Main Street, and for the natural beauty everywhere you look. But hidden below the surface are some unexpected experiences waiting to be discovered.
1. Stay the Night at a Recording Studio
Whether you’re coming into Franklin on vacation or you’re a local looking for a unique staycation, you’ll want to plan to stay the night at an Airbnb unlike any other: Dark Horse Estate. This stunning property has played host to some of the biggest stars in music for nearly three decades—everyone from Taylor Swift to Keith Urban to Neil Diamond—as a prolific and active recording studio.
You have several options of spots to stay on this gorgeous estate, though the 3,500-square-foot luxury Cottage is the crown jewel. You’ll find a nine-foot concert grand piano, a cathedral ceiling, stone archways, and even a historic fireplace in this three-bed, two-and-a-half-bath home.
Enjoy a spacious kitchen and even a screened-in workout room overlooking 10 acres of serene Tennessee countryside. Stroll the grounds, hike along the Harpeth River, tour the recording studio, or escape reality under the picturesque gazebo. Book it here.
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2. Experience an Up-Close Alpaca Encounter
If you’re looking to find your zen, then Coleman Valley Alpaca Farm could be the place. They offer restorative yoga sessions among their furry friends. For families, you can always book time to go feed and snuggle the sweet alpacas, and they even offer a photographer to capture the moment.
3. Visit a Working Dairy Farm
Out in College Grove, you can immerse yourself in the past, present, and future of agriculture at Hatcher Family Dairy. For nearly 200 years, this farm has provided milk for Williamson County and beyond. Today, they’re leveraging cutting-edge technology with robotic milkers. Cows self-select when they are ready to be milked, and the whole process is more efficient and easier on the animal. Plus, it’s fascinating to watch! There’s also a history museum in the milk barn and a general store that sells their products along with sandwiches and other goodies.
4. Immerse Yourself in a VR Exhibit
At The Factory at Franklin, a number of unique experiences await. Start at charity: water’s Experience Lab, where an immersive, multimedia exercise tells the story of humanity’s search for clean water, and the role this nonprofit organization is playing around the world. From hands-on displays to virtual reality presentations, this is a powerful tour for kids and adults alike.
5. Have a Photo Shoot with a Celebrity Photographer
Downstairs, Jeremy Cowart’s 60-second Portrait Lab has been described as revolutionary. With a range of 4K backdrops on an LED wall, dramatic lighting and the creative talent of a nationally celebrated portrait photographer, you will see yourself like never before. In a one-minute session, you’ll be captured in a continuously evolving gallery that you really have to see to believe.
6. Ride a Hand-Carved Carousel
And outside, the new Carousel of Dreams reveals a vision more than 30 years in the making. Woodcarver Ken Means began making his menagerie decades ago, but many were carved in recent years at The Factory. Now, they’re part of a one-of-a-kind carousel, and you’re welcome to ride!
7. Take in the Views in a Hot Air Balloon
If you’ve explored the hills and hamlets of Williamson County by car but would love to get another perspective, how about seeing it all from the basket of a balloon? Gateway Hot Air Adventures flies over Franklin, Spring Hill, and surrounding area, offering a breathtaking sunrise or sunset soar among the clouds. This is a bucket-list adventure, to be sure.
8. Enjoy Dinner in a Creek
Most of the year here, the weather is nice enough to dine outside under the stars. But have you ever had dinner IN a creek? BAM Foods outside of Leiper’s Fork offers just that—a multi-course masterpiece served in a gently flowing creek on a private farm featuring a restored country school house and other features that make this a quintessential Middle Tennessee experience.
9. Discover a Downtown Speakeasy
For adults interested in elevated cocktails off the beaten path, Amendment XVIII is tucked right in downtown Franklin…but you’d never know it. This speakeasy doesn’t have a sign, but we can get you in. Enter the back door of Mellow Mushroom from the alley by the historic courthouse, and look for the Frankenstein switch. When the light turns green, you’re clear to enter the bar, where handcrafted, 1920s-era drinks await.
These are the kinds of memory-making moments that are worth planning a trip around, and most offer gift certificates for holidays and birthdays.
There’s no shortage of quirky, unexpected things to see and do in Franklin. Get out and discover what makes this place truly unforgettable.
