CHEEKWOOD BOTANICAL GARDEN AND MUSEUM OF ART

ART, EXHIBITIONS & PROGRAMS: CHEEKWOOD IS A LEADING CULTURAL DESTINATION FOR RESIDENTS OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE AND VISITORS TO NASHVILLE. WITH ITS INTACT AND PICTURESQUE VISTAS, CHEEKWOOD IS DISTINGUISHED AS ONE OF THE LEADING COUNTRY PLACE ERA ESTATES IN THE NATION. FORMERLY THE FAMILY HOME OF MABEL AND LESLIE CHEEK, THE 1930S ESTATE, WITH ITS 30,000-SQUARE-FOOT MANSION AND 55-ACRES OF GARDENS, TODAY SERVES THE PUBLIC AS A BOTANICAL GARDEN, ARBORETUM, AND ART MUSEUM WITH FURNISHED PERIOD ROOMS AND GALLERIES. IN 2024, CHEEKWOOD WAS ONE OF THE TOP FIVE HIGHEST ATTENDED CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS IN NASHVILLE. CHEEKWOOD WELCOMED MORE THAN 380,000 VISITORS IN 2024, REPRESENTING EVERY STATE AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, 19 COUNTRIES, AND 504 TENNESSEE ZIP CODES. CHEEKWOOD IS LISTED ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES AND IS ACCREDITED BY THE AMERICAN ALLIANCE OF MUSEUMS, AN HONOR THAT DENOTES OPERATIONAL AND PROGRAMMATIC EXCELLENCE. CHEEKWOOD MAINTAINS PERMANENT ART COLLECTIONS FOCUSED ON AMERICAN ART FROM THE 18TH TO MID-20TH CENTURIES AS WELL AS MONUMENTAL OUTDOOR SCULPTURE. THE INSTITUTION ALSO HOSTS SIGNIFICANT TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS AND INTERACTIVE EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES FOR PEOPLE OF ALL AGES TO COMPLEMENT THE PERMANENT AND TRAVELING EXHIBITIONS, BOTH IN CHEEKWOOD'S HISTORIC MANSION AND MUSEUM AS WELL AS ACROSS THE ESTATE GROUNDS. CHEEKWOOD ANNUALLY HOSTS AN ARTIST IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM AND INTERVENTIONS, FEATURING ART WITHIN THE HISTORIC PERIOD ROOMS OF THE MANSION. DURING 2024, CHEEKWOOD ALSO HOSTED THOMAS DAMBO'S TROLLS: SAVE THE HUMANS EXHIBITION, WITH SIX LARGE-SCALE TROLLS AND A MESSAGE OF SUSTAINABILITY. PUBLIC PROGRAMS FEATURE ART ACTIVITIES AND CLASSES, WORKSHOPS, LECTURES, STORY TIME, YOUTH SUMMER CAMPS, AND LIVE MUSIC AND DANCE PERFORMANCES. CHEEKWOOD ANNUALLY HOSTS FOUR CULTURAL CELEBRATIONS: EL DIA DE LOS MUERTOS, THE BLACK ARTS BASH, JAPANESE MOON VIEWING, AND THE HOLI CELEBRATION. ADDITIONALLY, EACH YEAR, THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS PARTICIPATE IN FREE SCHOOL AND FAMILY FIELD TRIPS UNDER THE DESTINATION CHEEKWOOD PROGRAM. THE CHEEKWOOD GROWS! KITCHEN GARDEN PROVIDES STUDENTS WITH HANDS-ON PLANTING AND HARVESTING EXPERIENCES. CHEEKWOOD ALSO REACHES OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY THROUGH CHEEKWOOD ON THE ROAD AND THE HEAD START TOTS PROGRAM. CHEEKWOOD PROVIDES MULTIPLE FREE ADMISSION PROGRAMS AND IS CONTINUALLY DEVELOPING INITIATIVES TO BROADEN ITS PRESENCE AND IMPACT ON THE GREATER COMMUNITY. GARDENS: CHEEKWOOD'S PICTURESQUE LANDSCAPE SERVES AS A CANVAS FOR THE DISPLAY OF OUTDOOR CONTEMPORARY ART, OFFERING A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE THAT ENSURES THE HISTORIC ESTATE'S VIBRANCY AND RELEVANCE. CHEEKWOOD IS A THREE-TIME USA TODAY TOP TEN BOTANICAL GARDEN AND IS AN HISTORIC LANDSCAPE DESIGNED BY FAMED ARCHITECT BRYANT FLEMING AS WELL AS ACRES OF WOODLANDS, PONDS AND WATERWAYS, PASTORAL MEADOWS, AND 13 UNIQUE DISPLAY GARDENS. GARDENS INCLUDE THE JAPANESE GARDEN; A ONE-AND-A-HALF-MILE WOODLAND SCULPTURE TRAIL; AND HERB, PERENNIAL, AND BOXWOOD GARDENS, AMONG OTHERS. THE CHILDREN'S GARDEN FOCUSES ON FAMILY PROGRAMMING, INCLUDING THE LITERARY, PERFORMING, AND VISUAL ARTS AND FEATURES A TURTLE HABITAT, STUDIO AND PERFORMANCE PAVILIONS, AND ADVENTURE PATHS. WITH MORE THAN 2,100 TREES ON THE PROPERTY, CHEEKWOOD HAS GARNERED NATIONAL ACCLAIM AS AN ARBNET LEVEL II ACCREDITED ARBORETUM AND A TENNESSEE URBAN FORESTRY COUNCIL CENTER OF EXCELLENCE. CHEEKWOOD'S THREE PRIMARY TREE COLLECTIONS INCLUDE THE NATIONALLY ACCREDITED CORNUS COLLECTION, THE HISTORIC COLLECTION, AND TREES NATIVE TO THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES. OTHER PLANT COLLECTIONS INCLUDE DAYLILIES, IRIS, NATIVES, DAFFODILS, FERNS, HERBS, HYDRANGEAS, MAGNOLIAS, REDBUDS, ROSES, AND HISTORIC BOXWOODS. CHEEKWOOD'S CONTINUAL ENHANCEMENTS OF ITS GARDENS INCLUDE SIGNIFICANT ENRICHMENTS TO THE PLANT COLLECTIONS AND NEW PATHWAYS AND LIGHTING TO MAKE THE HISTORIC GROUNDS MORE ACCESSIBLE. IN 2024, CHEEKWOOD COMPLETED THE RESTORATION OF ITS PETITE SWAN GARDEN TO RESTORE THE GARDEN TO ITS 1930 ORIGINS. THROUGH ITS FOUR SEASONAL FESTIVALS, CHEEKWOOD OFFERS YEAR-ROUND GARDEN DISPLAYS, RELATED PUBLIC PROGRAMS, EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, AND LIVE PERFORMANCES. DURING SPRING'S CHEEKWOOD IN BLOOM, A RADIANT DISPLAY OF AZALEAS, DOGWOODS AND MORE THAN A QUARTER MILLION TULIPS, HYACINTHS, AND DAFFODILS DELIGHTS VISITORS. SUMMERTIME AT CHEEKWOOD SHOWCASES ART AND GARDEN EXHIBITIONS AND THEMED DISPLAYS OF ANNUAL FLOWERS. THURSDAY NIGHTS OUT AND THE UNDER THE STARS CONCERT SERIES PROVIDE EVENING SUMMERTIME PROGRAMMING, INCLUDING MUSICAL PERFORMANCES. CHEEKWOOD HARVEST OFFERS A PUMPKIN VILLAGE WITH THREE PUMPKIN HOUSES, A COMMUNITY SCARECROW SHOW, AND THOUSANDS OF PUMPKINS AND CHRYSANTHEMUMS SPREAD ACROSS THE GROUNDS. WINTER ACTIVITIES INCLUDE HOLIDAY LIGHTS, A NASHVILLE HOLIDAY TRADITION, AND ONE OF CHEEKWOOD'S MOST POPULAR EVENTS. THE EVER-EXPANDING SPECTACULAR DISPLAY INCLUDES MORE THAN 1 MILLION LIGHTS ALONG A ONE-MILE BARRIER FREE PATH. IN THE 2024 SEASON, THE MANSION ROOMS WERE FILLED WITH HOLIDAY DECORATIONS DESIGNED BY FORMER CHIEF WHITE HOUSE FLORIST, LAURA DOWLING. ALSO DURING THE WINTER, CHEEKWOOD HOSTS AN ANNUAL ORCHID SHOW AND A WINTER CONCERT SERIES. HISTORY: CHEEKWOOD IS ONE OF NASHVILLE'S MOST UNIQUE AND BELOVED INSTITUTIONS. THE HISTORIC MANSION IS RECOGNIZED, TOGETHER WITH ITS LANDSCAPE, AS ONE OF THE FINEST EXAMPLES OF AN AMERICAN COUNTRY PLACE ERA ESTATE IN THE NATION. THE HISTORIC MANSION AND MUSEUM FEATURES PERIOD ROOMS WHICH REFLECT THE 1930S ERA OF ITS ORIGINS AS WELL AS GALLERY ROOMS FOR THE DISPLAY OF TEMPORARY ART EXHIBITIONS AS WELL AS SELECTIONS FROM THE CHEEKWOOD PERMANENT ART COLLECTIONS. THE HISTORY OF THE CHEEKWOOD MANSION IS BROUGHT TO LIFE THROUGH INTERPRETATION, PUBLIC PROGRAMMING, AND EXHIBITIONS INFORMED AND INSPIRED BY THIS UNIQUE HISTORIC ASSET IN NASHVILLE. EXHIBITION MATERIALS ALSO HIGHLIGHT THE CHEEK FAMILY HISTORY AND THE HISTORICAL CONNECTION BETWEEN CHEEKWOOD AND MAXWELL HOUSE COFFEE. CHEEKWOOD'S FRIST LEARNING CENTER CONTAINS MEETING ROOMS AND ART STUDIOS AS WELL AS HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION OF THE HORSE STABLE AND TACK ROOM USED BY THE CHEEK FAMILY DURING THEIR TIME ON THE ESTATE.