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Civil War Tour: Exploring Historic Franklin Battle Sites
4.8
481 Ratings
Nashville
Experience the intensity of the American Civil War on a tour of historic Franklin battle sites. Visit the Carter House, Lotz House, and Carnton to learn about the war’s dark history and see bullet holes and blood stains that still remain.
Experience the intensity of the American Civil War on a tour of historic Franklin battle sites. Visit the Carter House, Lotz House, and Carnton to learn about the war’s dark history and see bullet holes and blood stains that still remain.
Duration:
7 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Gray Line Tours - You’ll be picked up from your Nashville hotel in the morning and taken by comfortable coach to Franklin, a nearby city that played a key role in the American Civil War.\n\nVisit sites near where the Union and Confederate armies fought and hear stories from your knowledgeable guide about the Battle of Franklin, fought on November 30, 1864 and known by many as the five bloodiest hours of the Civil War.
- Gray Line Tours - You’ll be picked up from your Nashville hotel in the morning and taken by comfortable coach to Franklin, a nearby city that played a key role in the American Civil War.\n\nVisit sites near where the Union and Confederate armies fought and hear stories from your knowledgeable guide about the Battle of Franklin, fought on November 30, 1864 and known by many as the five bloodiest hours of the Civil War.
What's Included
- 7-Hour Guided Civil War & History Day Tour from Nashville
- Round-Trip Transportation from Nashville Aboard Air-Conditioned Shuttle
- Admission to Carnton Plantation, Lotz House, and Carter House
- In-depth storytelling about The Battle of Franklin’s crucial moments
- Free time in historic Franklin for shopping, dining, and sightseeing
- 7-Hour Guided Civil War & History Day Tour from Nashville
- Round-Trip Transportation from Nashville Aboard Air-Conditioned Shuttle
- Admission to Carnton Plantation, Lotz House, and Carter House
- In-depth storytelling about The Battle of Franklin’s crucial moments
- Free time in historic Franklin for shopping, dining, and sightseeing
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Lunch (Lunch is on your own in downtown Franklin)
- Gratuities
- Lunch (Lunch is on your own in downtown Franklin)
Additional Information
Explore the gruesome events of the American Civil War on this trip from Nashville to Franklin, where the well-known Battle of Franklin took place in 1864. Acquire knowledge about the war’s bleak past from your informed guide as you explore the Carter House and Lotz House, both of which still exhibit bullet marks and blood stains. You’ll also journey…
Explore the gruesome events of the American Civil War on this trip from Nashville to Franklin, where the well-known Battle of Franklin took place in 1864. Acquire knowledge about the war’s bleak past from your informed guide as you explore the Carter House and Lotz House, both of which still exhibit bullet marks and blood stains. You’ll also journey through the Carnton and come to understand its involvement during and following the conflict, when it evolved into the nation’s biggest private Confederate cemetery.
- Lunch on your own in downtown Franklin.
- Accessibility: ADA-compliant vehicles are available for most tours if you provide us with a 48-hour notice. After scheduling your tour, please contact our Dispatch Office to confirm availability.
Location
108 1st Ave S
1st Avenue South
Tours depart from: Gray Line Ticket Booth at the Riverfront Train Station, 108 1st Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37201 (off 1st Ave S, across from Acme Feed & Seed). Please plan to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to tour start time.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(481 Ratings)
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Lisa_k
Jul 19, 2025
Wonderful experience.... - Wonderful experience. Julie was the best driver! Our guides at the homes were always friendly and knowledgeable.
My only recommendation is a bit longer in the town of Franklin - Way too rushed for lunch and shopping
Review provided by Viator
Angelaao1000on
Jul 10, 2025
Highly Recommend - Our bus driver was so friendly and knowledgeable about the Nashville area on our way to and from Franklin. The guides at each house were also experts in the Battle of Franklin and shared very thorough facts about the day and night of the battle. They also added an emotional bent to the stories as they asked our group to imagine what the families must have been feeling as the battle raged all around them. There was some information that was repeated at each location, but if you only went to one of the homes, you needed to hear it to understand what happened during the battle. Finally, with a tight tour schedule, there wasn't much time to tour the grounds outside the homes.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
John_r
Jul 9, 2025
Bus trip down and back... - Bus trip down and back was great. All the tour personnel were very friendly and informative. Would definitely recommend this trip.
Review provided by Viator
Jaimee_g
Jun 29, 2025
The day was a history... - The day was a history buff’s dream! Our bus driver/tour guide, Julie was so friendly & helpful, a wealth of info about everything including things to do in Nashville while we were there. Elizabeth at the Carnton House, Kristy at the Carter House, and William at the Lotz House were so knowledgeable & really made history & the battle come alive. All the guides gave my kiddos (the only kids in the tour) ages 10 & 15 special attention & made sure they were understanding everything & engaged. I was very surprised to find out from William that he is a volunteer. Because of their knowledge base I figured they were all historians. It was well worth the time & money!
Review provided by Viator
Ohailin
Jun 29, 2025
Really informative - Very interesting insight to the American civil war and the houses that were commissioned to be field hospitals.
The volume of people that lost their lives, terrible.
Three fantastic houses on the tour.
Thanks to our guide Denis, great job.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
550tenat
Jun 27, 2025
Excellent Historic Tour of Franklin, TN - This was an excellent tour full of history. Our guide drove us from Nashville to Franklin. He was knowledgeable and entertaining. We toured the Carnton House, the Carter House and the Lotz House. We spent a short while in downtown Franklin to eat lunch wherever we wanted and check out the shops. We truly learned a lot about the Civil War battle which took place in Franklin. We are so thankful to have taken this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marianda_l
Jun 16, 2025
Great experience. Very... - Great experience. Very educational. Great tour guides. Loved the town of Franklin and the shops and restaurants.
Review provided by Viator
Tate_h
Jun 15, 2025
Excellent tour - Great tour! If you enjoy history, this is it! We enjoyed the tour and lunch in Franklin was great! One of my favorite tours. Loved it!
Review provided by Viator
Tamara_j
Jul 2, 2025
Good informative tour... - Good informative tour about the Franklin battle of the Civil War. Three tours with very knowledgeable folks.
Review provided by Viator
Bonnie_f
Jun 21, 2025
Skip Jim’s Tour!! - The trip was fabulously amazing. We are two teachers on a little trip to visit historical sites. This excursion fulfilled all of our wishes and was VERY educational. Our driver (Julie) was funny, charismatic, educational, and sweet!! Unfortunately, at the Carter House we had the most horrible experience with Jim. I recommend you NOT to take this tour if he will be your guide. We were a group of 13 but he grouped 30 of us into these teeny tiny rooms (including the basement). When I tried to stand in the doorway with one foot outside (due to my horrible claustrophobia from a traumatic incident), he poked fun at me and would not let it go and made me go deeper inside the room. We had a handicap gentleman in a wheelchair that he made fun of and did not want him part of the tour. On the way back, all 13 of us talked and we were appalled! As a teacher, if I treated my students like that, I would be fired! The other two stops were amazing and our favorite was the Lotz House!!!!!
Review provided by Viator
