Our Tours

Think you hate history? That's because you've never experienced our special blend of education and entertainment we call edu-tainment.  Sometimes we think that a lot of history is just gossip that's over 100 years old! We offer a variety of tours for just about every age and interest and put our special "stamp" on Franklin's history that you won't get anywhere else. 

Daytime Tours

Our Classic Franklin tour is a daytime walking tour that provides an enlightening look at the town's past.  Our most popular daytime  tour provides an overview of Franklin's history, including stories about Franklin's founding, the War years and occupation, up to the present time.

Commemorate the Civil War Sesquicentennial on our Civil War tour. This two-hour tour explores Franklin's Civil War experience though the eyes of civilians as well as soldiers. 

For visitors who are interested in The Widow of the South, a special Widow of the South tour package with Carnton Plantation, the Carter House and Lotz House explores the real people, places and events that appear in the novel. 

Evening Tours

After dark we explore the other side of Franklin with our popular ghost and crime tours.   

Our family-friendly Haunted Franklin  tour is suitable for most ages and is a spine-tingling 90 minutes in length.

Our newest ghost tour is Ghosts of the Battlefield at the Lotz House museum. 

Our Murder and Mayhem on Main Street tour is all crime all the time and definitely not for kids. Get a babysitter and learn about the seamy underbelly of Franklin's past.

Visitors will learn about the lives of some of Franklin's always interesting, often tragic and sometimes shocking folks on our Grave Matters tour. This tour is also available during daylight hours.

We offer Private Tours that can be tailored to your special interests.

Children's Tours and Programs

Children are some of our best customers and they love our tours! 

Brownies and Girl Scouts:  Need help with your Listening To the Past Try -It or your Local Lore badge?  We offer programs that meet most of the requirements for these two achievements.  

The Listening To the Past Try-It begins in the old city cemetery where we examine old tombstones and draw old markers.  Then it's down to Franklin's town square to learn about old buildings, hear some fascinating stories, and play a bit of I Spy.  We'll be together for about an hour.

The Local Lore badge begins at the Heritage Foundation office where we learn about historic preservation and the uses for old buildings.  

Then we explore the town and learn about the different architectural styles in some of the buildings in Franklin. This program takes about 90 minutes.  

Each Girl Scout program costs $7.50 per participating scout, with no charge for non-participating siblings or leaders.  The tours are scheduled by the troop leader at the troop's convenience.  

I Spy!

I Spy Downtown Franklin can best be described as a scavenger hunt for the eyes. Children count objects and find dates, make a brass rubbing, look for architectural details on buildings around the Square and down Main Street, and have  fun! It's an active, hands-on, self-guided program that takes about an hour. 

Purchase your I Spy booklet at Landmark Booksellers, 114 E. Main Street. Cost is $7.50 and includes a sharpened pencil ($8.95 also comes with an embroidered Franklin patch). The booklet has all the information you need! Also available is I Spy for preschoolers for ages 3-5.

I Spy is geared to children ages 5-12 but older children and adults find it fun too! I Spy is perfect for a scout outing, birthday party, or neighborhood event. 

New! Preschool I Spy. For children ages 3-5. An easier version of the original, perfect for the preschool set.    

Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts:  Cubs love the I Spy program. We'll give Boy Scouts in uniform a discount off the regular price of the Classic Franklin tour.

These Brownies loved Listening to the Past

Contact us at themargie@comcast.net.

Heritage Classroom Program

Under the aegis of the Heritage Foundation of Franklin and Williamson County, Franklin on Foot brings a number of local history programs to public, private and home schools in Williamson County.  For a complete listing of the programs available, click here.

 For all tours and programs, call 615-400-3808. Click here to purchase tickets. 

Franklin is a Preserve America Community