Downtown Franklin

Franklin is a city of 81,000 people (2018) in Tennessee, just a few miles south of Nashville.

There are two main areas of interest. One is the Cool Springs area, which is identified by its corporate and retail growth surrounding one of the largest malls in the Southeast, the CoolSprings Galleria. The other is historic downtown Franklin which retains much of its small town charm. It is a walkable, friendly historic downtown district, recognized as a Great American Main Street.

Get in

The south end of Main Street, sometimes referred to as Five Points, is joined by Highways 431 (Lewisberg Pike) and 31 (Columbia Pike) from the South, and Hillsboro Road and Franklin Road from Nashville. Franklin Road turns into Main Street in downtown. If traveling from interstate 65, take exit 68, Cool Springs Blvd. and head west until it dead ends into Mack Hatcher. Turn right, then the first left which is Franklin Road. This will bring you past The Factory at Franklin and into the public square in downtown Franklin. If you want more information when you arrive, there is a visitor center on Main Street in a tiny, historic building called McPhail, across from Baskin Robbins.

Get around

Downtown Franklin can easily be explored by foot. Main Street is the primary location for store fronts, but the various side streets also offer shopping and dining.

• Franklin Trolley . Runs through various areas of interest including Cool Springs, Downtown Franklin, and The Factory.

See

• The Carter House, 1140 Columbia Ave. 
• Historic Carnton Plantation, 1345 Carnton Lane. 

Do

• The Factory at Franklin. A revitalized former stove factory that offers shopping, dining, and lots more, in a unique, rustic setting. Saffire Restaurant is a trendy restaurant with live music on the weekends. Stoveworks Restaurant serves traditional southern cuisine with an "open air" dining feel. Factory Row showcases local artists and their work, providing regular glimpses into the artists work as they paint, draw, craft while you watch. 
• Franklin Theatre, 419 Main Street, ☏ +1 615 538-2076, boxoffice@franklintheatre.com. 
• 1 Sky Zone Franklin. 

Buy

• Coolsprings Galleria. I-65 South exit 69. 
• Landmark Booksellers, 114 E. Main St. 

Eat

• Puckett's Grocery & Restaurant, 120 Fourth Ave S. 
• The Red Pony, 408 Main St. 
• Dotson's Restaurant, 99 E Main St. 
• Monell's, 108 Bridge St. Located in the former Franklin Jail. 
• Franklin Mercantile Deli, 100 4th Ave N. 
• Sol Restaurant, 403 Main St. Mexican cuisine. 
• McCreary's Irish Pub, 414 Main St. Irish pub fare. 
• 1 Saffire, 230 Franklin Road, Franklin, TN, ☏ +1 615 599-4995, info@saffirerestaurant.com. Relaxed, upscale, and well worth the 15 minutes on I-65 South, this restaurant in the Factory shopping center in Franklin has a reputation for excellent food. It's not too expensive, either, and often has live music. (updated Mar 2015)

Drink

• McCreary's Irish Pub & Eatery, 414 Main St. 
• The Pond, 595 Hillsboro Rd. 

Sleep

• Ramada Franklin, 6210 Hospitality Drive, ☏ +1 615 791-4004. 37064. 
• Courtyard Franklin Cool Springs, ☏ +1 615-778-0080. (updated Feb 2020)

Go next

• Nashville is roughly 15 to 20 minutes north via Interstate 65
• Leiper's Fork

Routes through Franklin

Nashville ← Brentwood ←	N  S	→ Columbia → Birmingham
Owensboro ← Nashville ←	N  S	→ Lewisburg → Huntsville