Visiting Rippa Villa, Spring Hill's 1855 Main Street mansion: hours, the six tours, the battle anniversary tours, holiday closings and what is on the grounds.
Last checked Oct. 19, 2026. Sources: the Battle of Franklin Trust’s Rippa Villa page and commemoration page, the city’s Battle of Spring Hill and history pages, and the city calendar.
Rippa Villa is the historic house on Spring Hill’s Main Street: a brick mansion with a two-story columned portico at 5700 Main St., on US 31 just south of Kedron Road. Built in 1855, it was one of the premier farms in Middle Tennessee, and on Nov. 29, 1864, “the home and the families who lived there found themselves in the middle of one of the most dramatic events of the Civil War,” the Battle of Franklin Trust says. The city owns it; the Trust runs the tours.
Visit
- Address: 5700 Main St., Spring Hill
- Phone: 931-486-9037
- Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday; last guided tour at 4 p.m.
- Closed: New Year’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
- Tickets: on site for the classic tour, or online through the Trust
The tours
From the Trust’s Rippa Villa page:
| Tour | Length | When | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic House Tour | 60 minutes | Every 30 to 40 minutes through the day | Walk in or buy online; children 6 to 15 pay a lower rate |
| Extended Tour, including rooms the classic tour skips | 90 minutes | 11 a.m. daily | Online in advance; no walk-ins |
| Slavery and the Enslaved at Rippa Villa | 90 minutes | 11 a.m. Monday and Friday | Online in advance; no walk-ins |
| All Men Are Created Equal, from the founding to the Civil War | 90 minutes | 9 a.m. Monday and Friday | Online; arrive 15 minutes early |
| Spring Hill Walking Tour of historic downtown | 100 minutes | 11 a.m. Sunday, Monday and Friday | At least 24 hours ahead; two-person minimum |
| Tennessee Campaign ticket: Carnton, Carter House and Rippa Villa | 60-minute guided tours | Through the day; last tour at 4 p.m. | Online |
The walking tour leaves from Rippa Villa and visits the William McKissack home, the Gorham Wing house, the Methodist, Presbyterian and Episcopal churches, the site of the Freedmen’s Bureau school and the Spring Hill Cemetery, ending at the home of Martin Cheairs. It does not go inside the buildings. The Trust says the All Men Are Created Equal tour “is offered nowhere else in Tennessee.”
Through Dec. 31, 2026, the Trust is running a discounted classic tour ticket that must be bought online in advance; details are on its Rippa Villa page.
The history in brief
Rippa Villa was built in the 1850s for the Cheairs family. During the war it served as headquarters for generals of both armies, according to the city. On the night of Nov. 29, 1864, Confederate troops under Gen. John Bell Hood failed to cut off Union Maj. Gen. John M. Schofield’s army at Spring Hill, and Schofield’s men slipped north past the town to Franklin, where the armies fought the next day. The city’s battle page calls it perhaps Hood’s best chance to isolate and defeat the Union army.
In May 2017 the City of Spring Hill accepted the donation of the house and 98.4 acres of land, with a carriage house, an original slave cabin, a Freedmen’s Bureau schoolhouse, the Cheairs Cemetery and Brown’s Stand. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Rippavilla in 1996. More in our history and landmarks guide.
Events at Rippa Villa
- Battle of Spring Hill anniversary tours, Sunday, Nov. 29, 2026: 60-minute guided tours at 7 and 8 p.m., focused on what happened at the house that evening in 1864, limited to 20 people each and sold online only (commemoration page). See our Thanksgiving page.
- Movie at the Mansion: Spring Hill Parks and Recreation held an evening movie on the grounds on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026 (city calendar).
- Living History Day: on March 28, 2026, the Independent Rifles portrayed the 1862 Union occupation of Rippa Villa by Maj. Gen. Don Carlos Buell’s troops, with camp setup and drills from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (2026 listing).
Nearby
- The Spring Hill battlefield trail, Kedron Road at Reserve Boulevard, interprets the fighting of Nov. 29, 1864, on more than 195 acres saved by the American Battlefield Trust; see our walking and biking trails guide.
- Carnton and the Carter House in Franklin, about 12 miles north, are the Trust’s other two sites, covered by the Tennessee Campaign ticket.
- Food nearby: Main Street’s restaurants are a short drive north; see our brunch and date night guides.
What this means for you
Walk in for the classic tour on any day but the five holidays, or book the extended or walking tour a day ahead. The Trust marks the battle’s anniversary each Nov. 29; “a late November visit to the sites is poignant,” it says.
Related guides: history and landmarks, free things to do, kids’ activities and things to do this month.
Frequently asked questions
What are Rippa Villa’s hours?
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. The last guided tour of the day starts at 4 p.m.
Who runs Rippa Villa?
The City of Spring Hill has owned the house and 98.4 acres since 2017. Tours are run by the Battle of Franklin Trust, which also runs Carnton and the Carter House in Franklin.
When is Rippa Villa closed?
On New Year’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Do I need to book a Rippa Villa tour?
The classic house tour takes walk-ins throughout the day. The extended tour, the slavery and the enslaved tour and the All Men Are Created Equal tour must be bought online in advance, and the Spring Hill walking tour needs 24 hours’ notice.
What happened at Rippa Villa during the Civil War?
The house served as headquarters for generals of both armies, and on Nov. 29, 1864, it stood in the middle of the Battle of Spring Hill, the night before the Battle of Franklin.
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