{"id":11574,"date":"2022-06-14T18:40:17","date_gmt":"2022-06-15T00:40:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/visitfranklin.com\/our-favorite-hidden-gems-to-explore-in-franklin-and-williamson-county-tennessee\/"},"modified":"2025-02-06T07:44:52","modified_gmt":"2025-02-06T13:44:52","slug":"our-favorite-hidden-gems-to-explore-in-franklin-and-williamson-county-tennessee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/visitfranklin.com\/blog\/our-favorite-hidden-gems-to-explore-in-franklin-and-williamson-county-tennessee\/","title":{"rendered":"Our Favorite Hidden Gems to Explore in Franklin and Williamson County, Tennessee"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The secret is out\u2014Franklin and Williamson County, Tennessee, are home to landmarks and attractions that bring folks from all over. But while you\u2019re here, don\u2019t forget to get out and explore! Hidden gems abound from Main Street in Downtown Franklin to Brentwood, Nolensville, Thompson\u2019s Station, and Leiper\u2019s Fork. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If a quiet moment in nature beckons, then the options are plenty. Perhaps the best off-the-beaten-path destination for an immersive outdoor experience is Owl\u2019s Hill Nature Sanctuary<\/strong><\/a>, with 300 acres filled with more than 2,000 species of native flora and fauna waiting to be discovered. Miles of trails wind through diverse habitats, from riparian to ridgetop. Day passes are available and be sure to check out the evening events, such as the Full Moon and Firefly hikes this summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just a few miles away,\u00a0Deerwood Arboretum<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0offers a different experience, with 60+ species of trees located within 20 feet of the trails that wind through 27 acres. This Brentwood City Park is also one of the best places in Williamson County for spotting a broad range of migratory birds. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Shoot down Concord Road and find yourself in the quaint downtown area of\u00a0historic Nolensville<\/strong><\/a>. The Florida Panhandle may have 30A, but Nolensville has\u00a031A<\/strong><\/a>, full of hidden-gem shops, country markets, even a\u00a0brewery<\/a>,\u00a0and an\u00a0apple and peach orchard<\/a>. There\u2019s also a fantastic playground alongside Mill Creek, and the first weekend of October features the\u00a0Broken Wheel Music & Arts Festival<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Nolensville, head south to the 840 bypass, then west to Columbia Pike and down to tiny Thompson\u2019s Station. There, you\u2019ll find a historic railroad depot complete with antique train cars, but the latest addition is Preservation Park<\/strong><\/a>. As the site of the Civil War Battle of Thompson\u2019s Station, the 200-acre park features interpretive signage detailing the 1863 event important to our nation\u2019s history, along with three one-mile hiking trails suitable for families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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From there, you\u2019re just a short drive to the village of Leiper\u2019s Fork, chock full of hidden gems and unique events. From Thursday night open mic sessions at\u00a0Fox & Locke<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0to the Friday night outdoor movies at the\u00a0Lawnchair Theater<\/strong><\/a>, and porch-picking and tours at\u00a0Leiper\u2019s Fork Distillery<\/strong><\/a>, there\u2019s plenty to see and do. This fall, the village will host dozens of acclaimed artists at the\u00a0Plein Air Paint Out<\/strong><\/a>, and the annual live-music\u00a0Fork Fest<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0is set for October 8. Red Thread Farm is also worth a visit, a family-run agricultural operation that offers fresh and prepared products and an incredible glimpse into sustainable, regenerative farming practices.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you think the vistas are stunning from the road, you should see them from the air! When they\u2019re not competing in balloon events around the globe, local father-son duo Henry and Logan Bedford run\u00a0Middle Tennessee Hot Air Adventures<\/strong><\/a>. The Bedfords can launch and land from a nearby field, carrying you over downtown Franklin and the rolling hills surrounding as the sun rises\u2014a spectacular experience you\u2019ll never forget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Back in Franklin, be sure to visit the\u00a0Franklin Farmers Market<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0on Saturday mornings, where dozens of local producers showcase an array of locally grown and made items. Food trucks are on hand if you\u2019re hungry, and\u00a0The Factory at Franklin<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>(where the market is held) is a destination in its own right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then on Main Street, just past Five Points, stands an architectural gem with a fascinating story worth exploring both inside and out. St Paul\u2019s Episcopal Church opened in 1834 as the Mother Church of the Diocese of Tennessee. Today, it is not only the oldest sanctuary in Franklin but the longest-running Episcopal Church west of the Appalachians. The original altar silver is still in use today, and the doors are always open\u2014the stained glass display is not to be missed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are but a few of the hidden gems to be found in Franklin and Williamson County. Get out and explore, and you\u2019re sure to discover your own favorites to add to the list. Stop by the\u00a0Visitor Center<\/a>\u00a0and let us know what you loved\u2026we can\u2019t wait to hear your stories!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The secret is out\u2014Franklin and Williamson County, Tennessee, are home to landmarks and attractions that bring folks from all over. But while you\u2019re here, don\u2019t forget to get out and explore! Hidden gems abound from Main Street in Downtown Franklin to Brentwood, Nolensville, Thompson\u2019s Station, and Leiper\u2019s Fork.\u00a0 If a quiet moment in nature beckons, then the options are plenty. Perhaps the best off-the-beaten-path destination for an immersive outdoor experience is\u00a0Owl\u2019s Hill Nature Sanctuary, with 300 acres filled with more than 2,000 species of native flora and fauna waiting to be discovered. Miles of trails wind through diverse habitats, from [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":78,"featured_media":11575,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_tribe_blocks_recurrence_rules":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_description":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_exclusions":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[43,25,45,48],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11574","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food-drink","category-family-friendly","category-outdoor-adventures","category-shopping"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/visitfranklin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11574","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/visitfranklin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/visitfranklin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/visitfranklin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/78"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/visitfranklin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11574"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/visitfranklin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11574\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":99937425,"href":"https:\/\/visitfranklin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11574\/revisions\/99937425"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/visitfranklin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11575"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/visitfranklin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11574"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/visitfranklin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11574"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/visitfranklin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11574"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}