Hours:
Monday through Saturday - 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Sunday - 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Address:
1140 Columbia Ave.
Franklin, TN 37064
Carter House, built in 1830, was one of the premier farms in Middle Tennessee. On November 30, 1864, the home and the families who lived there found themselves in the middle of one of the most dramatic events of the Civil War.
Carter House is closed on the following holidays: New Year's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas.
Online Special Only - Combination Ticket!
Buy a Combination Ticket for $25 which will get you a 60-minute, guided house tour at Carter House and Carnton. Online only - no exceptions. This ticket may be purchased for any day of the week and is available for purchase through June 30. The first available day for purchase is March 1. Purchase your tickets and arrive any time between 9 AM and 4 PM for your tour! Please check in at the front desk when you arrive.
We are pleased to offer a variety of tour options for those wishing to experience all Carter House has to offer!
Classic House Tour
60-minute, guided tour of Carter House. Self-guided access to the grounds. Adults $22, children (6-15) $14.
Offered throughout the day based on the flow of walk-in traffic, typically every 30 - 40 minutes. You will receive your tour time when you purchase your ticket. The last guided tour of the day begins at 4:00 pm.
Walk-ins ONLY!
All Men Are Created Equal Tour
90-minute guided tour of the house and grounds will follow the United States from its Founding to Civil War. You will learn about the Declaration of Independence and Thomas Jefferson and the decades long struggle over the very meaning of equality and how the country slowly drifted apart over the issue of African slavery. You will also learn about, at each respective site, Randal McGavock (Carnton), Francis Carter (Carter House), and Nathaniel Cheairs (Rippa Villa), who settled in Middle Tennessee around the dawn of the 19th century, and their generation’s role in the history of the country. Each was born just before the American Revolution and their sons and daughters felt the impact of Civil War. $29 per person.
This tour is offered nowhere else in Tennessee. Proceeds from every ticket will help fund the design and installation of the new exhibit and museum at the new Carter House visitor, which will open in 2026. Its theme will be: All Men Are Created Equal.
Offered at 9am, Monday - Saturday. Arrive 15 minutes prior to tour time. Walk-ins welcomed.
Battlefield Tour
90-minute, guided tour of the Franklin battlefield near Carter House. $29 per person.
Offered at 11am, Monday - Saturday. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to tour time. Walk-ins welcome.
Slavery & the Enslaved Tour
90-minute guided tour focusing on slavery as an institution and the specific people who were enslaved at Carter House. $29 per person.
Offered at 10am, Monday - Saturday. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to tour time.
Extended Tour
90-minute guided tour of the house and grounds at Carter House. $29 per person.
Offered at 11am & 2pm, Monday - Saturday, and at 11am on Sunday. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to tour time.