The Antebellum Homes Capital of Tennessee

A half-day in Columbia

Arrive in Columbia, the “Antebellum Homes Capital of Tennessee,” and tour the only existing home of one of our nation’s most accomplished and little known Presidents, James K. Polk. Learn how our 11th President fulfilled all his campaign promises and extended our country’s borders from sea to sea, all in one term of office! The President James K. Polk Ancestral Home is a tour favorite.

Board the Mule Drawn Trolley for a complimentary tour of Historic Downtown Columbia and its delightful town square and Courthouse. “Kate and Naider,” our matched pair of mules, will pull your groups in our Amish- built trolley past dozens of historic mansions and historic sites.

Along the route, stop at a renowned 1850s girls’ school with a fascinating history of its own. The Athenaeum Rectory, a Morrish-Gothic delight, is a spectacular spot for a break of cheese straws and tea punch on the shaded veranda, the best place in town to soak up the local atmosphere and to get a true sense of place.

An appetite is required for Tennessee’s most unique dining experience, Rippavilla Plantation and its “Southern Extravagance,” a southern dinner (lunch to the rest of the world!) featuring course after course of foods from the land of the plantation, all cooked and presented in the fashion it was customarily served to visitors of this working farm for generations. A walking tour of the 10,000 sq. ft. home following lunch is just the ticket to work off this bounty.

Depart for home, ending the perfect half day in the Antebellum Homes Capital of Tennessee! A variety of Antebellum Tours, a battlefield reenactment at Historic Elm Springs, and art events from The Maury County Arts Guild may tempt you to return.