Exterior photo of the Cheekwood Mansion in the distance with the garden plants and trees in the foreground. The house is a grey stone with white trim and red roof.

Cheekwood Botanical Garden And Museum Of Art

 

Cheekwood Botanical Gardens and Museum

The Cheekwood Mansion is  beautiful historic home located in Middle Tennessee. 

Christopher T. Cheek moved to Tennessee in the 1800’s and started a wholesale grocery business with his son Leslie. Leslie met the young love of his life on a train from New York. He saw this beautiful woman and had to know who she was.  It is said that Mr. Cheek bribed a porter on the train with a box of his cigars if he would tell him who she was. The rest is history.

 

Little wooden house located at Cheekwood botanical gardens and museum

 

In 1896 Leslie married Mabel Wood, they had two children together the first in 1908 and the second in 1915 and they moved to Nashville, Tennessee and Leslie went to work for his father’s business. The largest wholesale grocery distributor in the south eastern United States called CT Cheek & Sons.

 

Field at the Cheekwood Botanical Garden

 

During these years the elder Cheek’s cousin created one of the best blends of coffee, it was sold to the best hotel in all of  Nashville, Tennessee ‘The Maxwell House’.

 

Model of Cheekwood Mansion in Nashville TN

 

They later bought 100 acres of woodland in west Nashville, hiring Bryant Flemming to design and build the house and garden that would become Cheekwood. 

 

Photo of an old stone cottage at Cheekwood botanical garden in Nashville Tennessee

 

It was completed in 1933 and the family moved into the mansion in January just two years before the death of Leslie. 

 

Metal obelisks tower structures at Cheekwood botanical gardens in Nashville TN

 

Their daughter and her husband resided at the home until the 1950’s when they offered it as a botanical garden and museum of art. It was opened to the public in 1960.

 

Photo of a turtle statue at Cheekwood Mansion, Nashville Tennessee

 

Since opening to the public the Cheekwood Mansion it has offered to the people who visit world class art exibits.

Photo of a covered walking bridge made all of glass blocks at Cheekwood garden in Nashville Tennessee.

 

Beautiful gardens and wonderful walking trails.

 

Photo of the Cheekwood Mansion

 

 

They have 250,000 bulbs springing up from carefully manicured flower beds in the spring

 

Statue of a man in an ancient Greek toga holding a chalice to his chest surrounded by trees at Cheekwood garden

 

and in the winter a mile of Christmas lights are strung around the property. 

Seasonal Festival information here

Statue in white of a bust of a woman and the legs of an animal resting on a book with a pen. The statue is surrounded by colorful mums in red and yellow.

 

Over 400,000 people come to Cheekwood each year to enjoy its fine art, and walk the beautiful grounds.

Stream pouring over a small water fall at Cheekwood Garden

 

They offer summer camp opportunities for children.

 

Beautiful pond at Cheekwood

 

Craft time for little ones accompanied by parents with story time.

 

Water from the stream rushing over the edge of  the waterfall to fall on the rocks below at Cheekwood

 

Wonderful school field trips for children to learn more about Cheekwood and the artwork she offers for all to enjoy.

 

Stream heading to the waterfall at Cheekwood Botanical Garden

 

Outdoor wellness classes with their Wellness 360 program.

Stone waterfall terraced with cascading water at Cheekwood Botanical Garden

 

Pin For Later

Cheekwood mansion exterior of the building in grey stone and white.

 

Cheekwood Adult Education Classes

They offer adult education classes from ceramics, flower arranging, yoga and more.

 

A bamboo forest at Cheekwood Botanical Gardens and paths lined with large metal reflecting balls.

 

They offer scout tours where the children can learn about horticulture, art and history.
 
Water fountain at Cheekwood botanical garden made of bamboo shoots where the water comes down and lands in a hollowed out brown stone and over flows on river rock below.

 

Cheekwood Botanical Garden Tickets

 

Tickets can be purchased to tour the Cheekwood Mansion and botanical gardens here — Tickets

You can purchase a ticket for just the botanical garden tour

 
Water fountain feature at Cheekwood botanical garden

 

Cheekwood Botanical Gardens Hours 

Tuesday – Sunday | 9 AM – 5 PM
Thursday Night Out | 5 PM – 9 PM

Cheekwood is closed on Mondays, Christmas, Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day

Check out these other articles before you go!

 

About The Author

Scroll to Top