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Historic Sam Davis Home & Plantation
1399 Sam Davis Rd, Smyrna, TN 37167, United States
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Ti
Review №1

My daughter loves sunflowers and I love history. Although tours are closed, we were able to get a good look on the grounds. Hopefully people will continue to be mindful of history and they wont have to enforce restrictions on a personal learning experience. There is so much online now, especially with paid subscriptions to newspapers and geneological research, one can learn very much about Sam Davis and the Davis family and plantation without a guided tour, since they arent giving any

Do
Review №2

Very well-kept property with modern museum and amenities. Quiet and Quaint, yet bold in the sense of bygone era captured captured in time and wrapped neatly with a heroic story.The tour was highly informative, intimate and offered a great opportunity to shoot photography. Although lighting was very poor in the home and no flash photography was permitted, images could still be taken inside with a little fandangling.

Ju
Review №3

Nice stop. Lots of history. Didnt get to tour the houses we arrived after 2pm.

Pa
Review №4

Guided tour was very informative!

Ky
Review №5

This was the best historical home we saw in Tennessee. Excellent docents, beautiful grounds, & interesting layout of the home.

Ra
Review №6

Wonderful venue and incredible place. The staff is the most helpful, nice, accommodating people!! I highly recommend having your next event here! I will be back for sure.

Jo
Review №7

The staff was friendly and wasnt annoyed by the questions you had to ask. Guide was informative. Would go back!

Ni
Review №8

My family recently visited the Same Davis Home and were nothing but impressed with the experience. We started with a brief movie about Sam Davis, and then there was a nice museum area that we were able to explore. When we finished our tour guide began the tour. We had a very small tour group, so the experience was very personal and informative. We got lots of good information about Sam Davis, his family, and life during the civil war time. Our tour guide was awesome. She gave a detailed tour, allowed us ample time to ask questions and look at all the rooms and buildings. I would highly recommend this tour. My family went with two teenage sons and we all greatly enjoyed the experience. It was an excellent value.

Jo
Review №9

Our tour guide was very informative and I really enjoyed learning a little bit of history. Our guide took his time and answered our questions. We enjoyed ourselves and would like to go back and visit again

Ki
Review №10

We had a very disappointing experience with the staff. According to the times posted, the grounds were supposed to be open. The gates were open, but nobody was working and all the buildings were closed. We just looked at the buildings from the outside and tried to find someone who worked there. And then the people who live on the premises showed up and very rudely kicked us out. I was there with my elderly mother and a baby (no hooligans here). When I called and reported the situation I was told that the manager would call me and that never happened. So much for customer service and Southern hospitality!

Ga
Review №11

Very interesting place there are two historical homes in Rutherford county the tour here thou less grand home is by far a better tour. This my personal view.

CM
Review №12

What a GEM! Beautiful grounds, nice museum that doesnt overwhelm younger visitors. Nice gift shop with reasonable prices. So peaceful out there!

Ke
Review №13

I didn’t really even want to leave 1 star but I had to.If you’re looking for a wedding venue, do not go to the Sam Davis Home.For one, the “management” or “event coordinators” told us one thing and our contract stated different things. The original coordinator told us he would provide cleaning tools and trash bags for the night after the wedding.When we asked the people in the office for trash bags they said we were supposed to provide them. (Which isn’t a big deal to provide our own trash bags but we were just told differently from the beginning).You pay a deposit of $500 and you receive your deposit back if you follow the guidelines. Which is also understandable. But one of the reasons we didn’t get the deposit back is because the chairs weren’t positioned correctly. And when we cleaned up the extra chairs and tables and put them in the Creek House, those weren’t put in the correct location of the house. Which we stacked up nice and neatly. A table was left open, only because it was open when we arrived there.The trash cans were full and we were told we would have help by the original coordinator with taking the trash out.All I’m saying is, if you plan on having your wedding there, don’t expect to get your deposit back because you MUST have everything PERFECT, and in the correct locations without having a sign saying where they MUST go.It’s a beautiful piece of property and land to visit but definitely not to have for any type of events.

Ad
Review №14

A great piece of Rutherford county history, home of Sam Davis the Confederate Hero.

Ch
Review №15

Really appreciated the facility! Was very peaceful and tranquil for the surprise we had in store for our daughter!

GB
Review №16

If you are like us and visit every civil war park in the country, this is a must. Our guide was very informative.

Jo
Review №17

It was like stepping back in time. A lesser known civil war hero. Entrance, museum and tour just $10. Discounts for military and students with proper id. Nice childrens area and story film. Worth your time.

M
Review №18

Could not stay but did speak with some of the people working there. They were very friendly.

Wi
Review №19

So many missed opportunities. The story of Sam Davis, who was hanged as a spy by federal officials, is a very interesting one. Beyond the question of the legitimacy of the charge, there are a lot of compelling questions a museum could explore while recounting his story. Why, for example, does Davis’s story become such an important aspect of Lost Cause memory in Tennessee after the war? Military executions were a common event in the war. Does his story stand out because he was from a prominent family? Why does Sam Davis, “boy hero of the Confederacy” (he was actually 21, not a boy) become a Lost Cause icon? The Museum fails to tells us much about Davis, or address the idea of the Lost Cause in a serious way.The house tour was led by an elderly gentleman who made a big deal out of the fact that we were visiting from a northern state, then announced proudly that he was an “unreconstructed rebel.” This was slightly amusing at first, but quickly became tiresome. He made almost no attempt to explore the lives of the 51 enslaved people who lived on this plantation, beyond a dubious declaration that they were all very happy to be slaves because they got Sundays off. He spent more time trying to persuade us that the South was right and that Lincoln was evil than actually explaining and interpreting the objects in the home. He did not appear to have any professional training as a historian.The best thing one could say about this site is that it was a living artifact of Lost Cause revisionism—a fossilized museum preserving a racist, Lost Cause revisionist interpretation of the past. Most plantation museums today have evolved and seek to examine the experiences of all who lived and toiled there. This one does not do that in any meaningful way. In sum “this museum belongs in a museum.”

Ch
Review №20

My visit was in late March, it was fantastic. The houses museum is top notch and has information about the Civil War, Sam Davis and his family, and how daily life ran in the mid-1800s. There is a well-made short film visitors watch in the museum before the house tour. Bring a jacket because the museum is kind of chilly. The house is in really good shape and a lot of the furniture and objects are original to the house. Our guide, Hewitt, led a very nice, informational, and laid back tour through the home. The focus was on how life was during the Civil War. He pointed out a lot of interesting small details that would be glanced over if never brought to our attention. Highly recommended. they also give a college student discount which is really appreciated.

Mi
Review №21

Very informative, it really gave us a new perspective on what the south is like. A very interesting museum if you are interested in Confederate history and plantation life.

Fr
Review №22

The Sam Davis home is perhaps my favorite historic destination in Rutherford County. The story of Sam Davis, boy hero of the Confederacy, should be taught to all our children. Also, the grounds are so very relaxing. And there is always something to do at Rutherford Countys Sam Davis Home!

Ni
Review №23

Beautiful gem tucked away!

Ma
Review №24

Was advertised as having animals for children to see. All there was were two piglets, three chickens. Disappointed. Also, the exhibits were dirty, and hasnt appeared to of been cleaned in a long time.

Cy
Review №25

Dosage and staff are extremely knowledgeable about the property and history of the home. It is definitely a place of interest for any out-of-town guests, to use as a venue, weddings and other Grand Event as the grounds are maintained beautifully.

J
Review №26

Nice attraction but was not able to see inside the main house since their was no guided tours that day

Ma
Review №27

So much family fun!

Ch
Review №28

Very knowledgeable guide, great view into the past. Fun to imagine life 150 years ago.

El
Review №29

Great history... Cool to see such and old house still standing

Ma
Review №30

The Sam Davis Home is a great place for historic information. It teaches you about how life was back then and how it has an impact on the town of Smyrna.

Me
Review №31

My husband and I held our wedding reception here. Our event itself was perfect, but our experience with the event staff was the worst we have ever had with any venue/vendor! We booked six months out and they went through three event coordinators, communication was difficult from beginning to end, and then following the event when we had the most issues it became nonexistent. The volunteers who answered the phone were always pleasant, but the two staff members onsite the day of our event, the event coordinator, and director lack integrity. This is a fantastic venue run poorly. I hate to say that we have told numerous people that we no longer support Sam Davis home nor recommend it as a place to host an event.

Me
Review №32

Beautiful, historic home. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly.

Br
Review №33

Very knowledgeable guide, great view into the past. Fun to imagine life 150 years ago.

Ni
Review №34

It was a good little experience we visit there for our family reunion I recommend not going in the house for the tour in the summer time because it was extremely hot

Am
Review №35

It was a gorgeous place for a wedding!

De
Review №36

Great historical tour and video of a great young man and his family, great museum artifacts and nice picnic area.

St
Review №37

Always friendly staff and the grounds are kept beautiful. Great for the whole family or just a quick visit.

J.
Review №38

Very informative! Friendly staff too.

Be
Review №39

Always a pleasure.

Ji
Review №40

Not a lot here for the price but interesting.

Br
Review №41

Charming venue with great potential; management is top notch!

Te
Review №42

Beautiful, lots of history,

Jo
Review №43

The tour was really informative and fun.

Ga
Review №44

Great Place to visit.Informed and friendly staff.

St
Review №45

I have been to the Sam Davis Home 3 times I plan to make a trip Thursday for another visit. To me its worth it

Ga
Review №46

My daughter went on a feild trip

Ca
Review №47

Worth visiting

Ke
Review №48

Place looks like it is falling apart

C.
Review №49

RED HAWK BATTALION service work

We
Review №50

Neat place.

Na
Review №51

Its really historical

bi
Review №52

Management is uncooperative!

Ch
Review №53

I went here in the third grade and I would go as many as I could

Information
100 Photos
53 Comments
4.4 Rating
  • Address:1399 Sam Davis Rd, Smyrna, TN 37167, United States
  • Site:http://www.samdavishome.org/
  • Phone:+1 615-459-2341
Categories
  • Historical place
  • Event venue
  • Non-profit organization
  • Tourist attraction
Working hours
  • Monday:10am–4pm
  • Tuesday:10am–4pm
  • Wednesday:10am–4pm
  • Thursday:10am–4pm
  • Friday:10am–4pm
  • Saturday:10am–4pm
  • Sunday:Closed
Accessibility
  • Wheelchair-accessible entrance:Yes
Amenities
  • Good for kids:Yes
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