- Attraction: The Carter House
- Location: 1140 Columbia Avenue, Franklin, TN 37064
- Industry: Museum
- Website: https://boft.org/carter-house
A Confederate soldier’s dying breath.
A family huddled in terror below ground.
Walls peppered with more than a thousand bullet holes that remain visible after 160 years.
The Carter House doesn’t just tell Civil War history—it physically embodies one of the war’s most devastating battles, frozen in time on the very ground where nearly 9,500 soldiers were killed, wounded, or went missing in just five brutal hours.
Built in 1830 by Fountain Branch Carter as a prosperous farm, this Federal-style brick home became ground zero for the Battle of Franklin on November 30, 1864.
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Keep Exploring →What makes this place truly extraordinary is its dual nature: it served as Union Army headquarters while the Confederate Carter family cowered in the cellar, listening to cannons and gunfire shake their world apart.
The family’s son, Tod Carter, was mortally wounded fighting for the Confederacy within 200 yards of his childhood home and died in the house two days later. That heartbreaking twist transforms your visit from historical observation into something viscerally emotional.
The Scars That Tell A Thousand Stories
The Bullet-Riddled Buildings: You’ll walk around the original farm office and brick smokehouse—recognized by preservationists as the two most heavily damaged Civil War buildings still standing today.
Over a thousand bullet and shrapnel holes riddle these structures, each one a silent testament to the ferocity of what unfolded here. Running your eyes across those walls feels like witnessing the battle itself, making the violence and chaos suddenly tangible in a way textbooks never could.
The Basement Refuge: Descending into the cellar where the Carter family, their neighbors from the Lotz House across the street, and enslaved people sheltered for 17 hours hits differently than any other part of the tour.
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Discover MoreChairs marked with names of those who huddled here help you imagine the terror they experienced—the sounds of hand-to-hand combat just feet above their heads, wondering if the next cannonball would crash through. The emotional weight of standing in that exact spot often brings tears to visitors’ eyes.
Original Furnishings With Battle Damage: Several pieces of furniture inside the house bear bullet damage from that day, including items that were in the home during the battle. You’ll see authentic period pieces that witnessed the carnage, lending an intimate authenticity that makes the Carter family’s experience feel immediate and personal rather than distant history.
Tod Carter’s Story: The room where Tod Carter died after being found wounded on the battlefield creates one of the tour’s most powerful moments.
Learning about this young Confederate soldier who returned home for the first time in over three years only to die in his family home puts a deeply human face on the war’s tragedy.
The bullet extracted from his skull—a Williams Cleaner bullet typically used to clean rifle barrels—is displayed and tells its own story of desperation in the heat of battle.
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Keep Exploring →Guided Tours That Transport You Back In Time
The Classic House Tour: This 60-minute guided tour takes you through the house and includes self-guided access to the grounds. You’ll explore the rooms where Union commanders made strategic decisions, learn about the Carter family’s experience, and understand the military tactics that led to such devastating losses. Tours run throughout the day every 30-40 minutes based on walk-in traffic.
Extended Tour Options: Beyond the Classic Tour, you can choose specialized 90-minute experiences like the Extended Tour that covers areas not open to regular visitors, the Battlefield Tour that walks you through the Eastern Flank where charges took place, or the Slavery & Enslaved Tour that examines the nearly 30 enslaved people who lived and worked on the farm. Each provides deeper context into different aspects of this complex history.
The Tennessee Campaign Ticket: For comprehensive Civil War exploration, grab the $40 Tennessee Campaign Ticket that includes Classic House Tours at the Carter House, nearby Carnton Plantation, and Rippa Villa. This ticket never expires, allowing you to break up your visits across multiple days if you prefer.
Atmosphere & Historical Authenticity
Preserved Battlefield Landscape: The grounds maintain their historical integrity, with original outbuildings you can explore at your own pace. Union trenches are still visible, and the landscape helps you visualize how Confederate forces made 13 charges from the east and south of the house.
Standing outside and looking across what was the battlefield gives you perspective on just how close the fighting came to the home’s walls.
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Discover MoreRaw, Unpolished History: Unlike heavily restored historic homes, the Carter House intentionally preserves its battle damage.
The walls weren’t repaired after the war partly because the family was nearly broke after slavery ended, but that fortunate twist of fate means you experience authentic battle scars rather than reconstructions. The roof still shows damage from cannon fire, making everything feel remarkably immediate.
Emotional Impact: Be prepared for an experience that transcends typical museum visits. The combination of physical evidence (those countless bullet holes), personal tragedy (Tod Carter’s story), and the guides’ passionate storytelling creates moments that genuinely move visitors.
You’ll find yourself imagining the family’s terror in the basement or the chaos of soldiers fighting in the farmyard with startling clarity.
Planning Your Visit
Ticket Pricing: Adults pay $22 for the Classic House Tour while children ages 6-15 pay $14. Specialty tours like the Extended Tour or Battlefield Tour run $29 per person.
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Keep Exploring →The pricing falls into the mid-range category for historical attractions, and given the profound experience and excellent preservation, most visitors feel the value is exceptional—especially if you opt for combination tickets that include other Franklin battlefield sites.
Walk-In Flexibility: The site operates primarily on walk-in traffic, meaning you don’t need advance reservations for Classic Tours. You’ll typically wait 15-30 minutes for the next tour to start, which gives you perfect time to explore the grounds, visit the gift shop, or read interpretive signs. The last guided tour begins at 4:00 pm, and grounds close at 5:00 pm.
Combination Tour Strategy: If you’re a history enthusiast, plan at least 3-4 hours to visit all three major Franklin battlefield sites—Carter House, Lotz House, and Carnton Plantation. They’re all within a short drive of each other, and seeing all three provides the complete picture of the Battle of Franklin. Many visitors do Carter House first since it provides the most extensive battle background.
Accessibility Notes: Once you reach the porch (5-7 steps up), most of the tour stays on one level except for the basement portion. The site has accommodated visitors with mobility devices, though you should call ahead to confirm current accessibility options. Photography isn’t permitted inside the house, so come prepared to absorb the experience through observation rather than documentation.
Best Time To Visit: Arriving around 9:00 am lets you beat both the heat and the busiest periods. Franklin gets busy during peak vacation seasons, so weekday mornings or off-season visits provide more intimate tour experiences. The site is closed on New Year’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas.
Franklin Connection: The Carter House sits just outside downtown Franklin, a charming town with excellent restaurants and shops. You can easily combine your historical tour with lunch in town and exploring Franklin’s vibrant main street, making for a full, rewarding day trip from Nashville (about 20 minutes south).
The Carter House
📍 1140 Columbia Avenue, Franklin, TN 37064
