Cheekwood, Tennessee, United States

5Connie R 5:00 PM Dec 29, 2020

Cheekwood Holiday Lights/Chihuly Nights
I visited the Cheekwood Holiday Lights and Chihuly Nights event on Christmas Eve, which will now be one of my favorite Christmas memories. This event is a combination of the regular Holiday Lights Christmas event and the Chihuly exhibit which I believe is only at Cheekwood until January 10, 2021. My family and I were amazed at the work that must have gone into setting up all of the Christmas lights! Everything was breath-taking. Although we are all adults, there were many children present and they were having a great time, especially at the train exhibit. Dale Chihuly is one of my favorite artists, and his glass sculptures were exquisite. The lights just made everything so much more beautiful. If you are in the Nashville area now, I recommend seeing the Chihuly sculptures at Cheekwood. And if you will be there at Christmas, you will want to attend the Holiday Lights event.

4ellenbee56 5:00 PM Apr 27, 2022

a lovely place to explore
My husband & I visited here on a cold, drizzly early-April day. This site is located in a beautiful area of Nashville (our drive to it through several neighborhoods of grand private homes was a pleasure). I had pre-purchased tickets by telephone in order to get AHS membership admission (free for grounds, only $5 for a house tour). We were too early in the season to see full spring color, but we caught the tail end of Cheekwood in Bloom’s tulip display. You can meander through the gardens on the extensive grounds on your way up to or back from the house. I did notice that the paved road you walk to reach the mansion is somewhat steep (I believe that cart rides are available for those with mobility issues). Once up at the mansion, we were impressed by the beautiful architecture of the house, built in 1932 with a European influence. After a short introduction by a docent, we were free to explore the interior on our own. The first floor contained beautifully furnished family rooms. There are also displays giving the Cheek and Wood family tree and a timeline. (I would have loved an introductory video with more information about the families and Mr. Cheek’s accomplishment.) There is a loggia at the rear of the house, which would have been a great place to fill with some house plants and/or seasonal blooms—would have brightened up the dreary day on which we visited! The top floor contained some interesting art displays that made good use of the space (an elevator is available). We had lunch in their casual café (counter service) up by the house; we enjoyed tasty sandwiches and salads. All in all, we spent almost three hours at this site (including our lunch break). We would have spent additional time enjoying the gardens if the weather had been nicer. It was a lovely place to explore, even without the gardens and grounds in full bloom.