Lebanon offers several historical perspectives: a museum in a historic military building, a chapel built around 1829, and a listed historic district. You can also choose between a tour of Wilson County and its first nine stops to plan your visit at the scale you prefer.
Museum, Chapel and Historic District
The Lebanon History Museum is housed in the historic Castle Heights Military Building. Its exhibits explore the people, places and things that have shaped and define Lebanon. Pickett Chapel adds a specific historical perspective: it was built around 1829 by enslaved people and free Black people with skilled trades. The Lebanon Square Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These three points of entry are distinctly different: exhibits, a building with named builders, and a historic district.
Fiddlers Grove Historic Village includes more than 60 historic buildings and museums. The Wilson County Veterans Museum displays artifacts from World War I and World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm), as well as the Iraq War and Operation Enduring Freedom. Its focus is on the conflicts listed here; Fiddlers Grove focuses on historic buildings and museums.
Tour, Venue and Craftsmanship
The Historic Lebanon Driving Tour includes 28 stops throughout Wilson County; many are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The first nine stops are within convenient walking distance of one another. This lets you choose between the tour’s larger scope and a group of stops close enough to connect on foot.
The Capitol Theatre is a venue on Lebanon’s historic Downtown Square. The Fiddlers Grove Blacksmiths Association’s Green-Coal beginner course offers a very different focus: it teaches the basics of blacksmithing. The options therefore range from a venue to a hands-on introduction to a craft, though they are not the same kind of experience.
Hiking and Local Produce
The Cedar City Walking Trails offer opportunities for hiking in Lebanon, Tennessee. Lebanon’s Farmers’ Market has a different connection to local life: it serves as a distribution point for fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables. Nature trails and local produce thus complement the historical themes with two distinct interests—time outdoors and homegrown food.
Nature in the Surrounding Area
The Cedars of Lebanon Natural Area is also part of the area’s natural setting. In 1979, the National Park Service recognized it as one of 13 National Natural Landmarks in Tennessee. The area is approximately nine miles south of I-40 at the Lebanon exit. From there, follow Highway 231, then head west on Cedar Forest Road; the Natural Area is across from the entrance to Cedars of Lebanon State Park.
Plan for Opening Hours
Regular opening hours for the Lebanon History Museum are listed as Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Before your visit, check whether these hours apply to your date.
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