The Sam Davis Home is proud to offer many special events throughout the year.  We host events for children of all ages, adults, families, church groups, education classes, and many more!  Our events cover a broad variety of interests including dinner and movie nights, teddy bear teas, and ghost tours.  Listed below are our upcoming events. If you would like to attend or are considering volunteer opportunities, please call us at (615)459-2341 for more details. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Summer Camp: Jane Davis Academy

June 10-14, 2013

9 am - 12 pm

Registration Deadline: May 24, 2013

Girls Only, ages 12-16

Young ladies enrolled in the Jane Davis Academy will be educated in 19th century arts and etiquette.  They will experience lessons in French, vocal music, prayer and devotions, and the definition of a 19th century lady.  Girls are encouraged to wear period clothing to further embrace the feel of another time as they participate in many crafts ranging from silhouettes and folding fans to Tussy Mussies and cross stitching.

Summer Camp: School of the Soldier

June 10-14, 2013

9 am - 12 pm

Registration Deadline: May 24, 2013

Boys only, ages 9-15

Boys participating in School of the Soldier will experience an action-filled summer camp portraying the Civil War era.  Most of their time will be spent outdoors learning drill and actual Civil War marching.  Boys will build their own tents, mae lanterns, and discover spies.  The camp also offers special presentations, including a visit to the Stones River Battlefield, and demonstrations from visitors.  Period snack will be provided.

Summer Soiree

June 20, 2013

Summer Camp: Apple Valley School

June 24 - 28, 2013

9 am - 12 pm

Registration Deadline: June 7, 2013

Boys and girls, ages 8-12

"Students" of the Apple Valley School role play as a member of families from long ago as they enjoy authentic lessons from 19th century schools, make crafts, play games, sing, and enjoy the historic house and grounds. This is a very popular camp and will fill rapidly. Period costumes are optional.  Reservation forms can be found online on the Summer Camps page.  Please contact the Sam Davis Home at (615) 459-2341 for more information.

Wine On The Veranda

September 20, 2013

6:00 - 9:00 pm

This event grants patrons an educational opportunity to learn how to pair the best wine with your meal.  Wine on the Veranda goes beyond a wine tasting, featuring a variety of wines that will be expertly paired with local foods, tours of the museum, and live music.  Tickets to the event are $30 per person, $25 for Sam Davis Memorial Association members.  There is a limited availability of tickets.  Please make reservations and ticket purchases by contacting the Sam Davis Home at (615) 459-2341.

27th Annual Heritage Days

September 26 & 27, 2013

Heritage Days celebrates the beginning of autumn with living history presentations, skilled artisans, farm animals, live music, and much, much more.  This popular living history celebration will feature more than 20 demonstrations including how to make candles from hot wax and how to separate cream from milk and churn it into butter. With hands-on activities, find out what life was like as a Civil War soldier and how quilts were made to keep people warm during the cold winter months. After you tour the downstairs section of the historic house and visit the museum exhibits, stop by the gift shop to pick up a reproduction historical toy or some old-fashioned candy sticks. All are welcome and encouraged to bring a picnic lunch and enjoy it under the trees while out on the grounds of this historic plantation. The event is held from 9 am until 1 pm on September 26 and September 27, 2013.  All activities, including the museum and limited house tour, are offered to students and general public for the admission price of $5 per person.  Reservations are recommended for groups of 10 or more.  Heritage Days is a weather dependent event.

A House in Mourning

October 2013

The Sam Davis Home will host "Cult of Mourning" which was at its peak during 1850-1890. The house will be prepared for a funeral, with mirrors draped in black cloth and clocks stopped at the time of death. View the Mourning artifacts and learn the history of this practice to respect and mourn for the deceased.

Ghost Tours

October 11 & 12, 2013

October 18 & 19, 2013

October 25 & 26, 2013

Ghost Tours offers an answer to the commonly asked question: Is the Sam Davis Home haunted?  This storytelling event gives visitors a chance to hear a different tour of the historic house and property.  Visitors will first board a haunted hayride and hear tales of the property as well as the custom of mourning facts before being dropped off at the front walk of the historic Sam Davis Home.  Storytellers inside the house and outbuildings will share the hauntingly true tales experienced by visitors, staff, and volunteers as guests are guided along the walking tour.  The event begins at 7 pm with ghost tours (consisting of the haunted hayride and walking tour) departing every fifteen minutes until 10 pm.  Admission is $5 per person and parental discretion is advised.  This event is not recommended for children under the age of ten.  Ghost Tours is a weather dependent event. 

A Frightful Night

October 19, 2013

October 26, 2013

The Sam Davis Home invites guests to have a frightfully good time at A Frightful Night held Saturday, October 19th and Saturday, October 26th, 2013.  The evening begins with a catered dinner in the Creek House at 6 pm.  Guests will then embark on a haunted hayride on their journey to the front porch of the historic Sam Davis Home.  Throughout the hayride and ghost tours of the historic house and property, guests will be told true haunting tales experienced by the staff and volunteers.  A guide will then escort those brave enough to continue the evening into the museum theater for a frightening film.  Reservations are required for the event with the admission rate of $25 per person.  To make reservation or receive details regarding the meal and film, please call (615) 459-2341.

Thanksiving Day

November 28, 2013

The Sam Davis Home will be closed in observance of Thanksgiving.  It will reopen on Friday, November 29, 2013 at 10 am.

It was a Christmas of Remembrance

December 7, 2013

Briefly step into 1863 as the Davis family mourns the loss of son, grandson, and brother, Sam Davis.  Share their memories of Christmas past as their stories transport you to Christmas in 1860.  Visit the historic house and watch the Davis family prepare their home for a jolly Christmas free of war woes.  The youngest children play a special Christmas game, the string maze, while the older boys head outside to shoot mistletoe down from the tree limbs above.  This event is $5 per person and is only offered one day!  The historic house will remain decorated throughout the Christmas season beginning the day after Thanksgiving.

Closed during January 2014

January 1 -31, 2014

The Sam Davis Home will suspend the museum and historic house tours during the month of January.  Tours of the museum and historic house will only be availale by appointments made at least 48 hours in advance.  The historic grounds and property signs will be available to view Mondays thru Fridays, 10 am until 4 pm.  The property will not be open during the days of inclement weather.  The Sam Davis Home tours will reopen on February 1, 2014.

Lessons for Ladies

March 2014

In honor of Women’s History Month, the Sam Davis Home offers a special month long tour in March titled Lessons for Ladies.  This tour will feature the domestic arts, etiquette, and education of women during the 19th century. Also highlighted on the tour will be the individual stories of prominent women who lived during this time as well as those who were so important to the life of Sam Davis. Many women did not have the opportunity to tell their story during the 19th century in the United States. Now, their stories, everyday activities, and special occasion celebrations can be heard at the Sam Davis Home.  Reservations for a tour on a weekday made at least 24 hours in advance will include a set tea time.  Please contact the Sam Davis Home at (615) 459-2341. 

Easter Sunday                                                                          

Sunday, March 31, 2013

The Sam Davis Home will be closed in observance of Easter.  The Sam Davis Home will reopen on Monday, April 1, 2013 at 10 am.

Sam Davis Home Golf Tournament

April 26, 2013

The Sam Davis Home will host a Golf Tournament at the Cedar Crest Golf Course on Friday, April 26, 2013 with registration beginning at 11 a.m. and tee time at 1 p.m.  All proceeds will go to benefit the educational programs and historic structures at the Sam Davis Home.  In addition to a fun-filled day of golf, we plan to have areas for sponsorship banners, hole sponsors, door prizes, and other skill contests for the participants to enjoy.  If you are interested in participating as an individual or as part of a team, or you wish to be a sponsor, please contact the Sam Davis Home at (615) 459-2341.

42nd Days on the Farm

May 9 and 10, 2013

Where can you find pigs in a pen, a blacksmith making tools, and a spinner who shows how wool is transformed into yarn?  You can find all that and more at the 42nd Annual Days on the Farm hosted by the Sam Davis Home on May 9th and 10th.  Days On The Farm will feature more than 20 demonstrations including how to make candles from hot wax and how soap was made from pig fat and lye.  With hands-on activities, find out what life was like as a Civil War soldier and how quilts were made to keep people warm during the cold winter months.  After you tour the historic home and visit the museum exhibits, stop by the gift shop to pick up a reproduction historical toy or some old-fashioned candy sticks.  All are welcome and encouraged to bring a picnic lunch and enjoy it under the trees while out on the grounds of this historic plantation.  Event hours are 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.  Admission is $5 per person.  Reservations are recommended for groups of 10 or more.  This is a weather dependent event.  Please contact the Sam Davis Home at (615) 459-2341 for more information.

Free Day in May

May 18, 2013

The Sam Davis Home joins other tourists sites of Rutherford County for a day of free admission.  The Sam Davis Home will be open from 10 am until 4 pm for visitors interested in walking through the Middle Tennessee Civil War History Museum and the historic Sam Davis Home.  Guides throughout the home will be dressed in period clothing.