I was visiting my only high school friend in Franklin, and we were looking for something to do downtown that did not revolve around eating or drinking for once. She has lived there for years and had never done this tour, which made it feel like a bit of a discovery for both of us. We ended up at the Lotz House Museum, and it turned out to be one of those unexpectedly memorable experiences. On this particular day, we lucked out with Chuck as our guide. He is a former high school history professor, and you can tell immediately. He does not just recite facts, he brings everything to life with stories, details, and just the right amount of drama. The house itself is not large, but that almost works in its favor. Between the stories of the Lotz family and the vivid accounts of the Battle of Franklin happening right outside, you can practically see it all unfolding as you move from room to room. It is the kind of experience that sticks with you long after you leave, and at around seventeen dollars, it feels like an absolute steal. And do not skip the gift shop. Treat yourself to a peach Nehi soda on your way out. It is unexpectedly fantastic, and I am still thinking about how to get my hands on more. read more

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We had a guided tour today given by Tony. We learned so much about this battle and history of the Lotz family. Money very well spent. You will not be disappointed visiting this historic site. Definitely take the guided tour or you will miss a very important story on the civil war. Bob and Noeleen read more

Lotz House - Lotz historic home. - Museums Near Me - Franklin, Tennessee

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We are in town to visit family who just moved here and followed the signs in town to the civil war sites on a whim. Stopped in and decided to take the tour and I am SO thankful we did. What an incredible tour. JT was our guide and he was Incredible . A really fantastic storyteller read more

Lotz House - Museums Near Me - Franklin, Tennessee

Had the best time today touring for the fourth time! We love how the tour guide guides at the Lotz House bring the history to life. It is my favorite historical home to tour! Chuck was our tour guide and we were so happy to have him again as we had him several years ago at Ripavilla plantation! He is wonderful and so knowledgeable. You will not want to miss going here!! read more

Great tour, we would highly recommend going if you are visiting Franklin, Tn. The tour guide was very informative, explaining the history of the home and Franklin. read more

Tony was the so good at bringing you into the past. War, romance, fortune, tragedy and rebuilding. This tour has it all. Definitely worth the trip. read more

First off Evan , thank you for a very informative and knowledgeable tour of this beautiful 160 year old home that is incredibly preserved. The story of the people that lived in this house was told with such reverence and respect of their lives. What a time they lived in and through. The history of this era may not date back far but it's an important part of history and the lives that were lost and the ones that moved on from it and that lived through it. The History of this home is amazing. The hardships and the conquests of what happened right outside the walls of this home. The men that fought , lived and died outside the doors of that home. You must see this as well as the Carter house and the carnton plantation. This battle was huge. read more

Lotz House - Lotz museum - Museums Near Me - Franklin, Tennessee

Great museum, Chuck was a very knowledgeable guide and told fascinating stories which made history come alive

Excellent tour by Chuck. Very knowledgeable and passionate. Beautiful home full of history

So much history to be learned from this tour. Such a brutal battle of the civil war. Our guide, Tony was excellent! Very engaging and informative. Highly recommend. read more

Interesting family history . Tour was more about the tragic historical events of the Lotz family & their home rather than the Civil war itself. But overall was informative. A bit over priced compared to other Local Civil War venues. read more

Took the tour with Tony and it was great! Very informative and entertaining. He did a great job answering questions and bringing in a ton of information to our tour in an easy to understand manner! Thanks Tony! read more

Such a wonderfully informative tour. It lasted two hours and Chuck, who is a retired high school history teacher, taught us more about this location of the Civil War than we ever imagined. Called ground zero of the battle of Franklin, the stories are horrendous. You will come away with a love for Matilda Łótz's artwork. This family endured much but got back up and kept moving. No photos are allowed in the museum. read more

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I'm not even a fan of civil war history but really enjoyed this tour. The guide, Chuck, is personable and really knows his history. Even the goodies from the gift store were great- highly recommend the Jack Daniels coffee. read more

My 14 year old son & I did this fabulous tour on 7/26/25. It was a full 2 hours of stories that made us feel like we were back in time at the Battle of Franklin. Our tour guide was wonderful! She was so knowledgeable and passionate about the Lotz Family and their beautiful home. The horrendous tales of all that this family endured along with the soldiers that lost their lives was very powerful. We live in Franklin and have done tours of Carton Plantation & the Carter house. The Lotz house tour really brought all of the history to life - Ground zero of this tragic battle. Please support this amazing museum and take the tour & tell your friends. We sure are! read more

The Lotz house tour is amazing! It is quite outstanding that not only the original items to the house but all period items displayed are authentic. The history of Lotz family (that impacted the whole nation and the world as well) was fascinating to say the least. What an example of resilience in the face of repeated tragedy and adversity! Well worth the visit, to be sure! read more

Great tour by Chuck today. I'm not a Civil War buff and learned so much about the Battle of Franklin and the residents of the house.

What a wonderful history lesson ! I have visited this house several times , and always enjoyed listening the the tour guide Chuck. Chuck is such an awesome knowledgeable guide ! It's a must see when visiting guide ! Highly recommend ! Ask for Chuck read more

We had a great tour and learned the Lotz Family was pretty amazing. Tour guide Will did a great tour and was very informative about the civil war battle and the family. I would recommend it. read more

Lotz House - Museums Near Me - Franklin, Tennessee

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We had a lovely tour with Evan. It was a spur of the moment visit, and we are so glad we went...it made our trip to Nashville even more special. Evan was extremely knowledgeable about not only the house and family, but about the Civil War. He was personable, funny and humble. The house was filled with fabulous artifacts, paintings and history. So cool to be there and to imagine if walls could talk....a must see in Franklin. read more

Lotz House - Museums Near Me - Franklin, Tennessee

What a story! Kelly our guide was absolutely wonderful. We went to several tours while in TN and this one by far was the most fascinating.

If you love Civil War history, this is a must-see attraction in Franklin TN. Evan, our guide, did an incredible job and made the history of Lotz House come life in a way you thought that you were in the middle of the battle and could hear the voices of the family and artillery fire from both sides all around you. This is one museum tour I had the complete pleasure of attending. THIS IS A MUST SEE ATTRACTION! read more

My wife and I took the tour this afternoon. Chuck, the tour guide, was very impressive. He knew so much about the Civil War and about the Lotz House and Franklin Battlefield you would have thought he was there. He made you feel like you were actually in the house during the battle. We highly recommend the Lotz House as a place to visit when you're in Franklin!! Well done!! read more

"I shrink from butchery. Would to God I could tear the page from these memoirs and from my own memory. It is the blackest page in the history of the war of the Lost Cause. It was the bloodiest battle of modern times in any war. It was the finishing stroke to the independence of the Southern Confederacy. I was there. I saw it. My flesh trembles, and creeps, and crawls when I think of it today. My heart almost ceases to beat at the horrid recollection. Would to God that I had never witnessed such a scene!" -Pvt. Sam Watkins, 1st Tennessee Regiment Battle of Franklin read more

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Took a tour here today & loved it! To see the beauty of the house, furniture & paintings was amazing. Like stepping back in time. And our tour guide, Chuck, really brought it to life! My husband, his best friend and I all loved it! Highly recommend it! read more

On their recent visit to Nashville, I took my sister and brother-in-law to the Lotz house, since we had been to Nashville's historical houses and plantations, but none in Franklin. Chuck was our tour guide, and from his opening remarks, we knew we were in for a treat. He brought us into the lives of the people who lived in the house, which itself, became a character in the story through the beautiful woodwork of Johan Lotz. Chuck wove historical facts into the story of this particular family, juxtaposing hope in starting a new life in America with the traumatic effects of being in the middle of a battle of the Civil War to rebuilding their lives. Chuck's knowledge, wit and ability to bring history to life was fabulous. We were enthralled and highly recommend a tour of the Lotz house by Chuck. read more

We are staying in Franklin and we wanted to go tour some of the battle grounds. Stopped at the Lotz House. Seth was our guide. Wow! This guy is really knowledgeable on all things of the battle at Franklin. It was so informative and the house is just beautiful. And I totally enjoyed all the info on the battle at Franklin. What a nice guy too that Seth was. Very personable and sweet. And like I said before he really know EVERYTHING about the battle. Me. Lotz was a highly skilled woodwork and his daughter was quite the painter. I highly recommend going there. Great information. read more

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The Lotz House Museum is a must see. It is a true inspiration of hope of the American Dream was realized: From the ashes of the Battle of Franklin a young girl became a world famous artist! Chuck was our tour guide and I was amazed at his historical Civil War knowledge. By the end of the tour I was more informed about the magnitude of the Battle of Franklin and had a deeper appreciation and respect for those that fell that day and those that survived. Marguarite's journey from war torn America to storied artist on multiple continents only to have her life culminate with the start of the Great War that engulfed the world, WWI. A prolific family of true artisans whether with wood or oil paintings. The Lotz family was the epitome of the American Dream building a life from nothing, then to lose it all and then regroup and rise from the ashes to be successful again. I was humbled by Chuck's oration and the passion he brought to our tour. He made me want to learn more about that time in our history. There was great tragedy but also great accomplishments. We all should learn from Chuck's message, learn more not just about the past but those fateful souls who overcame such tremendous adversity. Chuck, thank you for an amazing adventure!!! read more

Chuck was our guide. Not only was he informative, he also was a pleasure to listen to. We enjoyed the tour and the history of the house. It is a great way to learn more about the Franklin Battle and the area. There were so many significant stories associated with this home. read more

The house has a very interesting history with the battle of Franklin, what made the tour for my husband and I was the tour guide, Chuck. This guy has an obvious love of history, as he was a teacher of history but it is truly his passion. He is very knowledgeable on the battle, the house, the soldiers who fought and his passion and wit really make the tour come alive and make you feel the history. My husband and I highly recommend this tour! read more

My husband and I visited the Lotz house recently, and Will was our tour guy. He was very knowledgeable and funny. Thank Will for making our trip memorable. read more

Great information about the Battle of Franklin and antiques from the time period. We learned so much and felt like we went back 150+ years. Thanks Chuck! read more

I thought I knew a lot about the Civil War, but Evan enlightened me. He is at the top of the list of tour guides, with a presentation of the history of the battle and the history of the Lotz family, who preserved all adversity. Moreover, he sprinkled in a little humor. Thoroughly enjoyable. read more

What a great tour we had with Chuck. He is a retired teacher and made the stories come to life. Would highly recommend. read more

Lotz House - The entrance to the Lotz House Museum. - Museums Near Me - Franklin, Tennessee

The home itself is just beautiful. The collection of period furniture throughout is amazing, and the artwork is stunning. Everything was very well kept and maintained. Great little battle / civil war museum as well. Our guided tour was very affordable and really informative, our guide Will was super friendly and knowledgeable, you could also tell how passionate he and the volunteers were about the place! Bonus: there are bathrooms on both floors! read more

This is the most underrated civil war tour around. Got a two for one on Groupon. Had gone to The Hermitage and Lotz tour that day. By far Lotz was in every way better. Better value. Really experienced tour guide, Chuck( hey Chuck...... it's CA. I will bring my husband in near future!"). Chuck brought the tour to life like you were actually there! Tons of interesting information. This tour allowed you to get close to all the artifacts. If you are coming to Tennessee go see this tour w Chuck!!! Bring the whole group! I can't emphasize enough that Chuck made the tour better than anyone could. You can get still see the blood stained hardwood floors and the fine China the Lotz Family are off of. read more

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We've gone on many tours of historical houses and the tour of the Lotz House ranks with the best! The story of the house, which is located on a Civil War battlefield, is fascinating as is the story of the master craftsman who built it and the family that lived there. The house is filled with thousands of artifacts retrieved from the battlefield, plus furniture and other articles from this house and others of the period. Our tour guide, Will, was friendly and knowledgeable and offered a short history lesson of the battle, the house and the people who lived there. While many house tours require visitors to stand behind ropes while viewing the rooms, this tour allow visitors to enter and browse every room. Tours begin on the hour and, in our opinion, are a "must see" in Franklin. read more

Wonderful visit! Had a great time and enjoyed a tour filled with a detailed description of the house, its people, and the neighbors. Our guide, Chuck, was not only charming, but a wealth of information. His presentation drew you in and made you feel like you were there. The stories of the families tenacity to repair and rebuild were humbling. After everything they had just been through, the community rose up and came together. Kelly, who we met in the gift shop, was also very engaging, friendly, and welcoming! You have to get a Moonshine Candle, also!! read more

Friendly and professional staff. I like how personable the tour guide was and was fascinated about the little details and artifacts in the home. I bought an old 1800s lock as a curiosity. A must see place & tour in Franklin. read more

Lotz House - Museums Near Me - Franklin, Tennessee

The tour was exceptional and our tour guide , Matt was awesome. Highly recommend this historic home tour!