When architect Bryant Fleming and the Cheeks designed their modern country estate, they considered the family’s pastimes in the design. The Cheeks loved horses, and equestrian culture defined the surrounding Belle Meade community. As the animals played an essential part in the Cheek family’s daily life, the property design included a horse-mounting block in the courtyard, riding trails, and, of course, stables.
Located immediately to the north of the Mansion, the original stable and garage complex was stylishly built to match the estate, but was also very much a working building. The ground floor housed the tack room and stables, where Leslie Sr. and Huldah kept their prized horses, Platinum and Rosewood. The upper level of the stable also contained bedrooms and bathrooms for the stable hands and other staff. The stables and tack room have been restored so visitors can experience an authentic glimpse into equestrian life at Cheekwood and how central it was to the estate’s formation.
Across the courtyard from the stables, the two-story brick garage could accommodate six automobiles and contained an apartment on the upper level and, for convenience, a gasoline pump just outside. The stables and courtyard were the location of the first formal social gathering the Cheeks held at Cheekwood. The “Victorian Stable Party,” held on July 18, 1933, invited Cheekwood’s guests to don the gowns and formal evening suits of Queen Victoria’s era, then to enjoy casual refreshments next to the horse stalls and automobiles.
In the 1990s, thanks to a generous gift from The Frist Foundation, the stables and garage were transformed into the Frist Learning Center, the multi-use home of Cheekwood’s year-round educational and public programs. The Frist Learning Center hosts art activities and demonstrations, classes, camps, workshops, exhibitions, and more. On any given day at the FLC, visitors can find summer camps, adult education participants learning the art of replanting orchids, or Mexican and Latin American dancers spinning around the courtyard at our annual El Día de los Muertos celebration.
The former garage is home to Café 29, Cheekwood’s on-site casual dining restaurant, and the courtyard is now an ideal setting for an outdoor wedding reception under the stars.
Guests at the Stable Party
The “Victorian Stable Party” on July 18, 1933, welcomed guests dressed in period clothing to enjoy music and refreshments among the horses and automobiles of the original Cheek estate’s stables and garage.
El Día de los Muertos
Dancers perform in the FLC courtyard at Cheekwood’s annual El Día de los Muertos festival.
FLC Great Hall
The Frist Learning Center Great Hall hosts art exhibitions, like the Black Arts Bash Fine Arts Exhibition, weddings, and other special events.