Group Tours

The following rates are for parties of 15 or more guests arriving by bus. For parties less than 15 people please visit our ticketing page for admission information. 

Pricing varies based on the day of the week and/or special events and holidays

Prices subject to change 

Reservations and 25% deposit are required at least 2 weeks in advance.

• Self-Guided Group Tours of the Gardens + Mansion includes an optional 45-minute audio tour through the Mansion’s period rooms. Daytime visits only.
• Due to the historic nature of the gardens and mansion, some areas may present challenges to those in wheelchairs, or who have difficulty walking or climbing. Please let the Group Tour Department know if any of your participants will need accommodations.
• Groups are welcome to enjoy a self-guided experience at our Thursday Night Out series! On Thursday evenings from May 29th to August 28th, 2025, Cheekwood is open late, inviting guests to sample seasonal beers, specialty cocktails created by premier spirit providers, irresistible bites from the city’s favorite food trucks and Café 29 while the always diverse live music lineup provides an eclectic soundtrack. Check out the Events page for current TNO details.

Request a Group Tour

Gardens:

Seasonal Garden Walking Tour
1 hour
Just as museums have a permanent collection of artwork and temporary exhibitions, Cheekwood has both permanent collection plantings and those that rotate seasonally! Explore highlights of both the East and West Gardens on this walking tour through the property, celebrating the current season! Participants on the Seasonal Garden Tour will learn about Cheekwood’s rotating seasonal displays while observing those areas with the most bountiful blooms and color!
The seasonal garden tour is the ideal way to explore the property in a limited amount of time.

Mansion:

House and History Tour
1 hour
Enter the historic home of Leslie Cheek Sr. and Mabel Wood Cheek and learn about what it was like to be a guest of the Cheeks in the 1930’s! Participants on the tour of the Mansion will visit each of the restored period rooms, learning about the Cheek family in addition to the Mansion’s restoration, decorative arts, and artwork on view. Please note that, due to the historic nature of the mansion, some areas may present challenges to those in wheelchairs, or who have difficulty walking or climbing. Please note: This option includes a self-guided walking tour of the gardens. Time in the gardens not included in the 1 Hour House and History Tour.

Please note: for the best visitor experience, each docent should have no more than 15 to 20 people. Groups with more than 20 people will need to be divided into smaller groups for guided tours.

Pricing varies based on the day of the week and/or special events and holidays

Request a Group Tour

This wonderful new package is all you need for a visit to Cheekwood! Available on weekdays only, this package includes a guided docent tour of the Historic Mansion (the House and History Tour), self-guided walking garden experience, boxed lunches and beverages, and a private space to enjoy your lunch inside the Mansion’s Recreation Room. The historic recreation room is closed to the general public and can seat up to 32 guests at a time. Groups larger than 32 guests will rotate between the guided tour and lunch. E-mail [email protected] for pricing and availability.

Self-Guided Gardens Only or Self-Guided Gardens and Mansion 

Open 7 nights a week, 4:30 – 10 PM *except for Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day 

Nashville’s favorite holiday tradition, Cheekwood’s Holiday LIGHTS, returns on November 22nd and runs through January 4th! With a one-mile walking path covered in more than a million lights twinkling throughout the gardens, s’mores, seasonal libations, and a Holiday Marketplace, Holiday LIGHTS is a memory-making experience for visitors of all ages.

Warm up indoors and view the holiday mansion décor! Enjoy the festive period rooms inside the former family home of Leslie and Mabel Cheek enhancing an already enchanting experience for guests.

For parties of 15 or more guests arriving by bus, we are happy to offer discounted rates for a self-guided Holiday LIGHTS experience.

Wanting to provide tickets for 100 or more people? Reach out to [email protected] for bulk ticket pricing.

Reservations are required at least 2 weeks in advance.

December 2nd, 2025 – January 2nd, 2026
Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays

2 PM – 3:30 PM

Tea doors open at 2 PM; Mansion visit prior to tea start time.

Pair our festively elegant seasonal tableside tea service with a self-guided or guided tour of the Cheek Mansion, adorned with festive holiday decorations any time before your group tea at 2pm.

To join an existing tea: 15 people minimum, 35 people maximum   

For a private tea: 35 people minimum, 58 people maximum

Please e-mail [email protected] for pricing and availability.

Tuesdays – Fridays  |  2 – 6 PM

This special package allows groups to experience all of the holiday enchantment Cheekwood has to offer!

Join us for a festively elegant tableside tea service starting at 2 PM. At the tea’s end, your group will have a private hour to explore the festively decorated Cheek Mansion with a dedicated guide. From its origin story to the lavish lives that were lived inside its doors, the Cheekwood Estate is full of intriguing history. Dive deeper into the design, construction, landscape, and more to learn what makes this home one-of-a-kind.

At the conclusion of the hour, your group will move out into the Gardens, to marvel at the one-mile walking path covered in more than a million twinkling lights.

Please e-mail [email protected] for pricing and availability.

You may preorder in bulk 100 or more self-guided general admission or special event tickets in advance to distribute to your guests before their arrival. Tickets might be spread out over several dates and/or entry times. No group check-in is required. Bulk rates are not available for Guided Tour options.

For questions or more information about purchasing bulk tickets please email [email protected]

Seasonally, Cheekwood’s Café 29 offers a tableside afternoon tea service with seasonal teas and traditional sweet and savory bites. Check out the Events page for more information on the current seasonal tea offerings.

• Rates: $50 plus Group Tour ticket of your choice
  • The minimum number of guests for a group that wishes to join an existing tea on the schedule is 15 and the maximum is 34.
  • The minimum number of guests for a group that wishes to schedule a private afternoon tea is 35 and the maximum is 58.

Reservations must be made at least two weeks in advance.

Please e-mail [email protected] for dates and availability.

Pre-order gourmet boxed lunches from Café 29 to save time and stay on schedule. Indoor seating is limited, but it’s easy to find a spot on the grounds to picnic or you can take lunch to-go and enjoy on the bus!

Other dining options include the Cheekwood Complete Package, which includes boxed lunches, or any of our Seasonal or Holiday Tea packages which include afternoon tea. Your group is also welcome to order on their own at Cafe 29, we just ask that you let us know in advance so the cafe can staff appropriately.

2 weeks advance notice required. Please e-mail [email protected] for lunch options and pricing.

Engage students in art, history, and botanical gardens with a field trip to Cheekwood. Cheekwood offers free admission to school groups from Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama. For more information on school groups and other educational opportunities, please click here. If you are a school group outside of Tennessee, Kentucky, or Alabama, please fill out the Group Tour Request Form.

Please email [email protected] for any questions if you are unsure of whether or not your school group qualifies for our field trip offerings.

Payment Policy

• Reservations are not confirmed until both the signed contract and deposit are received.
  • Ticket numbers are not held until the reservation is confirmed and can potentially sell out.
  • Bus parking or drop off is not guaranteed until the reservation is confirmed.
• Deposit must be paid no later than 14 days prior to the requested group date. Final head count and final payment must be finalized 7 days before the date of the tour. *Seasonal festivals may affect this policy.
  • We reserve the right to offer your date(s) to other groups if payment is not received.
  • Cheekwood requires groups to make all payments no later than 7 days in advance of scheduled arrival or the reservation will be canceled and the deposit forfeit. You may pay via credit card or check. It is the responsibility of the client to schedule a call for credit card payment by emailing [email protected] before the payment deadline. Checks can be mailed to or dropped off at 1200 Forrest Park
  • Please note that should the members of your group choose to pay individually, they will be charged Cheekwood general admission prices.

Cancellation & Refund Policy

• Deposits are non-refundable. If cancellation occurs less than one week prior to your scheduled date no refunds will be given.
• Cheekwood will not issue refunds for any unused tickets. In addition, should your party arrive with more guests than scheduled, they will be required to purchase tickets for the full general admission rate before entry. Additional guests cannot join guided tours if it exceeds the docent to guest ratio maximum of 20 guests per docent.
• All tours are rain or shine, however, if Cheekwood cancels the tour due to weather or other closures, we will make every effort to reschedule or administer you a refund less the deposit.
• Should your group arrive more than 20 minutes late for a guided or self-guided tour, a refund will not be issued if a guide is no longer available or there is no longer time for your group to experience the entire property before your departure.
• Groups with outstanding balances are not permitted to book tours until the account has been brought up to date.

Our docents are seasoned Cheekwood volunteers who have trained specifically to guide your group through the mansion or gardens. Once your group reservation is confirmed, docents will have the opportunity to sign up to guide your tour. Larger groups will be split between docents with a max of 15 to 20 per docent. In the rare occurrence that not enough docents sign up to guide your tour, your group will only be charged the self-guided prices or rotated through the tour at different times depending on the situation.  

There is no set max for groups coming to Cheekwood. However, only 45 guests (split into 3 groups of 15) can tour the mansion at one time. For guided tours, docent signups can also affect the time needed to rotate groups through tours. A customized schedule will be made for every group needing to rotate through the mansion, gardens, lunch, etc.

We do not offer the option to do both tour options in one visit. Groups can choose to do either the Seasonal Gardens Tour or the House and History Tour. Groups are welcome to schedule the Guided Gardens tour and then utilize the audio tour option included with any daytime mansion ticket that takes about 45 minutes to complete.

Groups of 14 or less wanting a private guided tour of either the mansion or the gardens would be required to pay for 15 tickets to qualify for the guided tour option. A parking fee per vehicle is also required.

• 3 hours is the recommended amount of time to see everything for most groups. Here is a list of the average recommended times to allot for each activity depending on walking speed and areas covered:
  • Self-guided, the gardens take between 45 minutes to an hour and a half with an additional 30 minutes to an hour for the sculpture trail. The Seasonal Gardens guided tour is designed to cover the main loop of the garden in 45 minutes to an hour.
  • The self-guided audio tour in the mansion takes about 45 minutes to complete. The House and History guided tour is designed to last 45 minutes to an hour. Add about 30 minutes to explore the third-floor art galleries.
  • Groups wanting to add time for lunch should consider their group size and lunch option.
  • The Holiday Lights loop is just over a mile long so 45 minutes to an hour is recommended for a leisurely pace. Add about 30 minutes for the mansion and some extra time to shop at the Holiday Market Place and get a drink or bite to eat at the Cafe or Bar Carts.

Bus parking is included for guests with group reservations. Bus parking must be scheduled in advance.  

Driving through the property is not allowed. All tours are strictly walking tours. If there is a shuttle available, it can take guests needing assistance up the hill to the mansion upon request.

The only package that would allow guests to arrive during our daytime hours and then stay on property through Holiday Lights hours is the Tea and Trimmings package. Otherwise, groups would be required to make two separate group reservations (one for daytime and one for Holiday Lights) and would have to leave the property for the hour in between daytime closing and Holiday Lights opening.

Yes, groups purchasing tickets on their own must reach out to [email protected] to schedule free bus parking in advance of their arrival. Buses are not allowed to park in general parking or arrive through the front entrance.

Your group’s bus(es) will be scheduled to come in through the service entrance at 111 Cheek Road, while all others will need to enter through the main entrance at 1200 Forrest Park Drive. Those entering through the main entrance will need tickets sent to them prior to their arrival to check in at the admissions office. The guest services staff can then direct them to the bus parking area to meet the group if needed after checking them in. Those coming by bike, walking, or rideshare will not be required to purchase parking. Any group guest arriving by car will need to pay for parking

Ticket distribution options include:

• A link to a digital gravity form for guests to sign up individually. Guests use a password to access their groups custom form and fill in their information so tickets can be sent directly to them digitally. *Only available for Bulk ticket orders that are flexible for use over multiple dates.
  • *Guests arriving by bus do not require individual tickets and will be checked in by Cheekwood’s Group Coordinator at the bus drop-off location. Guests coming by any other means through the front main entrance will require individual tickets to enter and will need to pay for parking unless walking, biking, or using rideshare.