Sitting inside a 22-hectare estate complete with 11 formal gardens as well as a woodland sculpture trail, the Cheekwood Botanical Gardens and Museum of Art offer a beautiful and relaxing place of respite from the heady buzz of Nashville.
First, head for the gardens, where you can explore the winding paths that will stir your senses. Among the speciality gardens are a Japanese garden, a herb garden and a renowned wildflower garden. If you visit in the springtime, you can admire the colourful flowers blooming, especially the tulips. In the winter, meanwhile, you can see the stunning, snowy pine trees. Whatever the season, this is a spectacular space to explore, full of natural beauty evoking different moods and capturing your imagination. It is also an ideal spot to simply sit and read a book or watch the world go by.
The limestone mansion at the heart of the site, constructed by the Cheek family in 1932, now plays host to the art museum. Covering nearly 2,800 square metres, the building is kept cool to preserve and protect the artwork inside, among which are paintings, prints, photographs and sculptures.
You can explore over 600 works of American art in the museum's permanent collection, including pieces by Larry Rivers and Andy Warhol. You’ll also find the largest collection of William Edmondson sculptures anywhere in the world at Cheekwood.
You will want to save at least two hours and possibly longer to make the most of the gardens and gallery at Cheekwood. If you have time, you can also stop and have lunch at the Pineapple Room restaurant on the estate. If you like, you can ask the staff to pack up your lunch so you can take it outside for a picnic.
The garden and museum are closed most Mondays, as well as on Thanksgiving, Christmas and at New Year. It will cost you to enter, and there is a small fee if you want to park.
