Built in 1826 by Randal McGavock, a former mayor of Nashville, Carnton Plantation is a beautiful neoclassical antebellum mansion with a Greek Revival portico. During the Battle of Franklin, this plantation home served as a Confederate hospital, and today you can still see bloodstains on the floors. The interior of the stately old home was completely restored and houses many period furnishings, all of which are detailed in the 1 hour long House Tour. A ninety minute tour concentrates on the lives of the people who were enslaved at the plantation; it's offerred first thing in the morning weekdays.

Two years after the battle, the McGavock family donated 2 acres of land to be used as a cemetery for Confederate soldiers who had died during the Battle of Franklin. There are almost 1,500 graves in the McGavock Confederate Cemetery, making it the largest private Confederate cemetery in the country. While visiting the cemetery is a somber occasion, they also hold light-hearted events including the Bootlegger’s Bash. This annual September extravaganza gives patrons a chance to sample local whiskeys and Southern cooking, and to dance to a lively band.