Clarksville is a city located in North Tennessee. It's full of southern charm with its historic downtown and welcoming locals. Austin Peay State University is located here and it's also near the Fort Campbell United States Army Post. I drove here from Cincinnati in about 5 hours and spent 3 nights in the most adorable pink house.
This blog post is focused on a girls' trip but anyone can it as a guide to their Clarksville getaway. I enjoyed shopping, wine tasting, incredible food, and finding my creative side while exploring the art scene. Clarksville has so much to offer and should definitely be on your radar to visit!
Here's a list that you can use as a guide to planning your trip!
I would like to thank Visit ClarksvilleTN for sponsoring this trip. As always, opinions are my own!
Things to do
Downtown Art Scene
Customs House Museum & Cultural Center
200 S 2nd St, Clarksville, TN 37040
The building where the Customs House Museum is located was originally constructed in 1898 as a Federal Post Office. The Customs House was designed to handle the large volume of mail from the city's international tobacco trade. This building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
It has a variety of architectural styles including Queen Anne, Gothic, and Romanesque making it such a unique building! This general interest museum features art, history, and children's exhibits. It's the second-largest general museum in Tennessee. There is an admission fee of $12 for adults or it's free for members.
I really enjoyed the exhibits featuring local artists from all around Tennessee and learning about Clarksville's history. There's also a fun bubble cave where you can make huge bubbles (no one is too old for bubbles!). If you or someone you know loves trains - one of the largest model railroad layouts in the region is located here! Make sure to check out the hours of operation to see the trains in motion before going to the museum.
ArtLink Clarksville
116 Strawberry Alley, Clarksville, TN 37040
Artlink is a non-profit that helps individuals find their creativity. They offer free projects from the art cart or trash crafts cart that's available to use. No appointment is necessary. If you love learning new techniques they also offer workshops such as macrame, stained glass, and even crochet classes. There are many kid-friendly workshops you can attend as well. Each of these varies in price. The link to their website is listed above.
The DAC Gallery
96 Franklin St, Clarksville, TN 37040
This gallery is full of local art that is available to purchase. The art includes photography, paintings, textiles, and jewelry. The staff here was so friendly and great to talk to.
Explore Public Art
2nd Street to Franklin St. to Public Square to Strawberry Alley and Downtown Commons. Click the link below for more art to explore and information.
Historic Downtown and Shops
The Clarksville Collection
131 Franklin St. Clarksville, TN 37040
If you're looking for the perfect Clarksville souvenir this is the stop for you! This store also sells a variety of gift items. I bought some locally made goat milk lotion that smelled so good. The staff was friendly and very knowledgeable about Clarksville if you have any questions about the city.
City Boy Country Life
94 Franklin St. Clarksville, TN 37040
This cozy locally owned home goods shop has many unique finds. They also create in-house originals such as bath and body products and floral offerings.
&Vinyl
139 Franklin St, Clarksville, TN 37040
Check out this store and add something new to your music collection. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable.
Hudubam Booktraders
110 Franklin St #101, Clarksville, TN 37040
My favorite smell in the world is a used bookstore. This cozy place has a great selection and great prices.
Mildred and Mable's
109 Franklin St, Clarksville, TN 37040
This is such a cute boutique to shop in! It has a great variety of items and you'll definitely find the perfect gift you've been looking for here.
Trazo Meadery
116 Franklin St #116, Clarksville, TN 37040
I didn't get a chance to try out Trazo Meadery since it was closed when I planned on going. It looks like such a cozy spot to really enjoy the beautiful weather and sip on mead!
Beachaven Winery Tour & Tasting
1100 Dunlop Lane Clarksville, TN 37040
The first thing I noticed about the Beachaven Winery was the rows of beautiful blooming vineyards. Pulling up, I spotted the charming building surrounded by mature trees that give guests the perfect amount of shade to sit outside and sip on some wine. I was greeted by the most friendly staff and loved the fun and laid-back atmosphere.
I was scheduled for a tour and tasting. I picked 4 different wines to try and then chose my favorite which was the Chambourcin Rosé. It was flavorful and light. The perfect wine for a warm sunny day. They then poured me a glass of that to start my tour.
The tour was such a great educational experience. All of the wine is made and bottled on the property. It was so interesting to see how much time and effort goes into the wine-making process. I learned about the different wine-making techniques of red, white, and rosé. I was also so surprised to learn that sparkling wine and champagne are made differently.
After the tour, I couldn't resist getting another glass to sip outside. I grabbed a glass of their blackberry wine and had a peaceful experience sitting outside with the warm breeze. To schedule a tour, which I highly recommend, call 931-645-8867. The tour and tasting are only $10 per person! If you only have time for a tasting it's $4 per person. They also offer wine flights which are $12 and include 4 3oz samples. There is a gift shop where you can buy bottles of wine to take home and enjoy.
Shop Sango Area Boutiques
The Sango area is a suburban neighborhood in Clarksville. It has many residential areas, restaurants, and shopping. I loved visiting a couple of small business boutiques here! Here's a list of my favorites.
Ebony and Ivory Fine Gifts and Boutique
2670 Madison St Suite J Clarksville, TN 37043
When I walked into this gift shop I was warmly greeted by one of the owners while she was putting together a colorful bouquet of flowers. The shop has a wide variety of unique items. I found a turmeric and honey sugar scrub that smelled heavenly and I knew instantly it was coming home with me. When I was checking out I found that the sugar scrub is made locally! If you're looking to treat yourself or find a unique gift for someone, definitely check this store out. They also create customized flower arrangements and personalized gift boxes.
Hippington
2670 Madison St Suite D Clarksville, TN 37043
Not far from the Ebony and Ivory gift shop, you'll find the most adorable store full of beautiful women's clothing. Hippington is a family-owned and operated boutique. I would honestly buy all of their flowy dresses if I could! You can also shop on their website and they will ship it to you.
The Copper Petal
2862 HWY 41A S Suite D, Clarksville, TN 37043
The Copper Petal is another great locally-owned women's boutique that has a variety of cute clothes in a fun atmosphere! They sell sizes from sm-3xl. I will be checking out their online store too when I have some free time.
Make your own personalized candle at The Candle Loft
The Candle Loft offers the experience of blending your favorite fragrances together and creating your own personalized candle! Make sure to reserve a spot online before going. There is a $5 deposit per person to reserve which you can use towards the price of your candle. The price of the experience is based on what candle jar you choose. They start at about $22. Keep in mind that it takes about 1.5-2 hours for your candle to cool, so you will need to go back and pick it up.
This was such a therapeutic experience for me. I loved smelling all the fragrances and writing down my favorites on a sheet (they have over 100 fragrances to choose from!). When you're finished, one of the workers will get the bottled oils of your chosen fragrances for you to smell again to help decide your favorite scents. You then smell three different combinations of your favorites to figure out what goes together the best. My top three ended up being Fireside, Cedar, and Teakwood. Finally, you mix the oils together in the wax and pour your candle! They also have options to make custom reed diffusers, warmers, sugar scrubs, lotion, and hand soaps.
Miss Lucille's Marketplace & Cafe
2231 Madison St Suite K, Clarksville, TN 37043
Miss Lucille's Marketplace has a variety of two hundred vendors that sell antiques, thrifts, handmade goods, gifts, art, and furniture. When you enter the store you'll find a coffee shop to the left where you can grab a cup of coffee before you start your shopping journey. You'll definitely find something you love here! I had the best time walking around and seeing such a diverse selection of items to choose from.
After all the walking and shopping, I worked up an appetite. I was so excited to check out Miss Lucille's Cafe after looking at the menu. Everything sounded so good. I went with the Maui mango salad (this included grilled pineapple, diced mango, avocado, red bell pepper, onion, toasted coconut, tajin spiced almonds, and mango mint vinaigrette), mango mint lemonade, and a side of pimento cheese with veggies. It was the perfect lunch!
Downtown Commons
215 Legion St, Clarksville, TN 37040
The Downtown Commons is a gathering place for the community and visitors. Some events include a free concert series in the summer months, movie nights, and even sunset yoga. Check out the website for the event dates!
Rotary Park
2308 Rotary Park Dr, Clarksville, TN 37043
One of my favorite things to do in the mornings is to go for a walk. I decided to do this at Rotary Park during the trip. I was pleasantly surprised to find a trail next to a stream! I loved listening to all the birds chirping and the babbling water while taking my walk. This is such a peaceful area in Clarksville to visit. This park is a 111-acre nature park that offers 6 miles of hiking trails to explore, disc golf, and picnic areas.
Liberty Park
1188 Cumberland Dr, Clarksville, TN 37040
This park is so beautiful and worth the visit! I loved the walking trail that goes around the 10-acre fishing pond. This park also includes a dog park, pavilions, a Bcycle station, and boat ramps into the Cumberland River.
Cumberland River Walk
640 North Riverside Drive, Clarksville, TN 37040
The Cumberland River Walk begins at McGregor Park and is 2 miles long. It eventually connects to the Clarksville Greenway. McGregor Park also hosts several events and festivals year-round. It has a concert area, picnic tables, and a playground. I really loved an evening walk here and watching the boats make their way down the river. The cool breeze coming off the water felt amazing!
Visit the Sacred Dunbar Cave
401 Old Dunbar Cave Rd, Clarksville, TN 37043
Dunbar State Park is home to a cave that extends a little over 8 miles inward- the Dunbar Cave. This cave contains prehistoric drawings and carvings from the Mississippian Native Americans that lived along the Red River. They also believed this cave to have been an actual portal into the underworld.
Tours of Dunbar Cave are offered seasonally and tickets are required to enter the cave. To protect cave art, photography is not allowed. The cave is closed from September through April to let the resident bats hibernate without disruption. Tours begin in May so I wasn't unable to do this, but would love to visit again and do a tour! The park is open year-round with trails to explore as well.
Places to Eat
The Sol Press Co.
1021 TN-76 #109, Clarksville, TN 37043
Sol Press is the perfect breakfast or lunch spot that's Veteran owned. They offer fresh pressed juices, smoothies, smoothie bowls, toasts, and snacks. I had breakfast here and tried the Sol Flare- it's made with almond milk, banana, mango, ginger, and lime. I was so good and fresh. I felt so energized for my day after eating it! The cafe area is such a beautiful place to sit too.
Founding Frothers coffee
111 Strawberry Alley, Clarksville, TN 37040
Such a delicious and cozy local coffee shop. Make sure to try their breakfast and bakery items! I had the veggie breakfast burrito and it was cooked to perfection with black beans, cheese, peppers, and potatoes- topped with salsa and sour cream. The staff is so friendly and you can tell this is a local favorite.
The Mailroom
116 N 2nd St, Clarksville, TN 37040
This unique restaurant is located in a former Post Office and Federal Building! The kitchen prides itself in making made-from-scratch meals on its wood-fired grill. I had the veggie burger and fries. I could tell that my veggie burger was made in-house and it seriously had the best pickles on it! I also had one of their white sangria specialty cocktails which was amazing to drink on a warm sunny day.
The Mad Herbalist
1601 Madison St, Clarksville, TN 37043
The Mad Herbalist is a teahouse that also serves lunch and brunch. It's located in an old cabin that's nestled between trees. I instantly felt at peace while sipping on my tea. I love that they have tea samples on each table for you to smell which helps you decide what tea you'd like to try. I had the bruschetta and a teamosa which is your choice of tea + champagne. They also offer tea flights which is a great way to try everything you want (you can choose to try it hot, iced, or sparkling). Don't forget to end your meal with sweet bread that's baked fresh daily! I went with the strawberry bread and it was so delicious!
Yada on Franklin
111 Franklin St, Clarksville, TN 37040
Yada serves delicious Italian small dishes that are meant to be shared. They make all of their sauces in-house and cream-based sauces are made as soon as you order. They also make their authentic Neapolitan pizza using a true wood-fired oven imported from Italy. I loved the vintage feel of the space and live music playing in the background. I ordered fresh herbs and bread, pesto pasta, eggplant parmesan, and fried cheese ravioli to share. You can really tell a difference in the taste of the house-made sauce! Everything was so flavorful. I also enjoyed a delicious mocktail called the sweet one which was made with pineapple, pomegranate, lemon, and mango- topped with sparkling grapefruit juice.
Blackhorse Pub and Brewery
132 Franklin St, Clarksville, TN 37040
I stopped in for an after-meal drink at the bar. I really wish I had room for food because I heard from a local that the pizza is really good here!
Strawberry Alley Ale Works
103 Strawberry Alley, Clarksville, TN 37040
This brewery and restaurant is such a fun place to have dinner. The interior has a rustic industrial feel that I really loved. I sat next to one of the large open windows and enjoyed the beautiful evening weather while drinking one of their seasonal sour ales. I highly recommend the potato chip nachos as an appetizer. I also really enjoyed the power salad loaded with fresh veggies and dried apricots.
If you prefer outside seating, check out the "upstairs". It's open Wed-Sun and includes a full bar and games like Jenga, cornhole, and Darts. Note that the Upstairs does have its own menu and guests are allowed to seat themselves.
Stay in a Pink House
The Pink House reminds me of a fairytale cottage I dreamed of having when I was a little girl. This feminine house is an amazing place to stay for a girls' getaway or bachelorette party. I know some people even rent it out for bridal showers. It has 4 beds and can sleep up to 6 people. I loved the sunroom and backyard area that's shaded with trees. You can also have a small wedding here! The house next door is another Airbnb by the same owner called the Old Clarksville House. It has more of a masculine feel and a speakeasy. I love both of these options for a Clarksville stay. They are located in a great area just minutes from the historic downtown.
Thanks for reading along and I hope you have the most amazing time on your Clarksville trip!
If this blog post inspired you let me know in the comments! <3
Safe Travels
-Britny
Thank you for sharing these places and experiences! I have lived in Clarksville most of my life and learned of new places to go from your blog!