Guided Mansion Tours

Tour the Mansion Where History Is Fun

About

There's something for everyone on this historic mansion tour between Nashville and Chattanooga, Tenn. Built in 1896 by Gorilla Pants manufacturer Clay Faulkner, the Victorian mansion has been called “Tennessee’s Biltmore” by PBS. Mr. Faulkner’s obituary described him as a mechanical genius, so it’s easy to understand why his mansion was equipped with “all the modern conveniences of a model city residence.”

• Museum quality Victorian antiques in every room
• Gardens reflecting the bounty of McMinnville, “the nursery capital of the world”
• A restoration that so revived a near-derelict old building that it won the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s “Great American Home Award” — an inspiration to visitors who are redoing old homes themselves
• Intriguing accounts of experiences that hint Falcon Rest might be inhabited by a friendly ghost
• Real stories about real people associated with the mansion over the years, from Mr. Faulkner (the “secret soldier” of the Civil War) and his colorful family, through its days as a local hospital and its dedicated restoration

They all add up to the Victorian mansion where history is fun.

More info

PLEASE NOTE: The mansion and gardens are not visible from the road. They are entirely hidden in the 1890s inside our tall holly hedge. Enter at the Visitor Center just past the hedge at 85 Bluff Springs Road. Access to the gardens is restricted to paid tourists, overnight guests, and participants in large events.

Advance tickets for tours are helpful for planning but not required; Walk-ins are welcome during regular operating hours.

Staying overnight in our area? Contact us about Falcon Manor, the bed and breakfast guest rooms on our grounds. falconrest.com/guest-rooms.