Student Groups
For reservations or inquiries on any of our tours and offerings please feel free to fill out the form below or contact Jenny Peach at jenny@boft.org.
On Site Tours
We look forward to your class visiting Carter House, Carnton, and Rippa Villa! See below for details on pricing and school group tours. Student group pricing applies to home school groups of ten or more. However, private tours will not be given for groups under 15.
Home School Group Tours
Home School group pricing applies to home school groups of ten or more. However, private tours will not be given for groups under 10.
Please fill out the following form to request an on-site tour or interactive interview. This form does not confirm your reservation - we will email or call to confirm your request. Please allow two business days to process your electronic request.
Details
Please arrive a few minutes prior to your scheduled tour time to handle payment and have total number of students confirmed. Payment must be made on the day of the tour (unless paid in advance). We accept all major credit cards and checks. One payment combining both site admissions is acceptable if you are visiting both Carter House and Carnton.
Chaperones may pay separately, but please keep in mind that we have one register per site and multiple individual transactions may cause a delay.
We have ample space for parking and school bus drop-off/pick-up.
Students will be divided into groups of 30 or fewer, and tour guides will lead each group through the historic house and grounds. Learn about the Tennessee Campaign and life in the 1860s through the eyes of the Carter, McGavock, and Cheairs families.
There is ample outdoor space for eating lunch on the grounds, but you will need to provide blankets, trash bags, etc. All trash must be taken with you when you leave.
Students may visit the gift shop with their teachers’ permission.
New for 2026: High School and College Students Only
We are excited to offer high school and college students the opportunity to experience the specialty tours at Carter House, Carnton, and Rippa Villa at a discounted student rate. These tours will be thoughtfully adapted into a focused 60-minute format (instead of the standard 90 minutes), making them ideal for student groups while still delivering the powerful stories and rich history these sites are known for. The cost is $15.00 per person, providing an accessible way for young adults to engage more deeply. Offerings include: All Men Are Created Equal, Amazing Grace, Battlefield, Extended, and Slavery and the Enslaved. To read tour descriptions, return to the main ticket page and click on one of the houses.
Please contact Jenny Peach for tour reservations at jenny@boft.org.
Carter House
Carter House tours are one hour long and feature the house, the outbuildings, and (weather permitting) the grounds. Guides lead the groups and tell about the Battle of Franklin as well as the Carter family, the enslaved people, and the farm.
Carnton
Carnton tours are one hour long and feature the house, the outbuildings, and (weather permitting) the grounds and cemeteries. Guides lead groups through the tour and tell about the Battle of Franklin, the Confederate field hospital, the McGavocks, the enslaved people, the cemeteries, and the farm.
Rippa Villa
Rippa Villa tours are one hour long and feature the house, the outbuildings, and (weather permitting) the grounds. Rippa Villa is the perfect place to learn about Reconstruction in Tennessee. Lex McKissack, born into slavery at Rippa Villa, attended a Freedman's Bureau school in Maury County operated by Henry Eddy, a former soldier from Illinois. Lex became his assistant, and after going on to college in Nashville, worked as a teacher and school principal. A Freedman's Bureau School building stands on the site. The farm was administered by the Bureau near the end of the war, in Nat's absence. And the lives of the formerly enslaved were transformed by three Reconstruction Amendments. The Ku Klux Klan was formed in nearby Giles County, and racial tensions were ever present. Topics are handled in a way that is sensitive and age appropriate, making this a tour for all ages. It has been purposely crafted to satisfy Tennessee state standards.
Cost per student, per site:
Kindergarten through 8th grade: $6.00
9th grade through college: $10.00
Chaperones/Parents: $12.00
Teachers free*
You will be advised of our chaperone policy once you receive confirmation of your field trip.
*Home school groups with more than 25 students may have one free teacher.
Need help funding your field trip?
Apply for a grant through the Field Trip Fund from the American Battlefield Trust here: https:// www.battlefields.org/learn/educators/resources/field-trip-fund
Apply for the Target Field Trip Grant here: https://corporate.target.com/corporate-responsibility/community/philanthropy/field-trip-grants
APPLICABLE TENNESSEE STATE SOCIAL STUDIES STANDARDS
Updated 2024
Tennessee Standards most commonly covered on Carter House, Carnton, and Rippa Villa student tours.
Interactive Interviews (Virtual and In-person)
Can’t make it to Carter House, Carnton, or Rippavilla? Our guides and staff can come into your classroom for a 30-minute presentation on Slavery in America (with specific stories from enslaved people at both sites), the Civil War Soldiers, the Battle of Franklin, and Life at A Museum. Each of the presentation features primary sources, artifacts, and stories from the two sites. Students will have the opportunity to ask questions and dive deeper into the topics that interest them.
In-Person: A guide will come into your classroom for a hands-on experience. School must be within a reasonable distance from Franklin, TN. Price varies based on distance.
Virtual: Using Zoom we will come into your classroom. Students will be able to see portions of the sites, artifacts, maps, etc. Before the classroom interview, a practice meeting will be scheduled to test the connection.