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Guided and Self-guided tours are available for school groups throughout the year.
• Student visits are FREE to public and private school groups in Tennessee, Southern Kentucky and Northern Alabama.
• Cheekwood requires a 15 student minimum and no less than 2 weeks’ notice.
• Tours are presented appropriately for each group’s grade level and subject area, and are aligned with Tennessee State and Common Core Standards.
Educator Resources are available to help you prepare for your visit. These resources include a Pre-visit Introduction to Cheekwood and Teacher Guides.
• Below are descriptions of our current guided Art Tours, Garden Tours and Temporary Exhibition Tours.

For more information on scheduling a tour, please click here.



Discover Cheekwood
Grades: K – 8
Program Length: 60 minutes
This interactive tours encourage students to take a closer look at masterpieces on view from the permanent collection and temporary changing exhibitions.

Grades: K – 3
In this introduction to the Museum, students will explore the basic elements artists use to create their works: line, color, form, space, and texture.

Grades: 4 – 8
By examining elements of art and principles of design together with contextual information, students will gain understanding of artistic methods, materials and motivations.

Discover Cheekwood - Teacher Guide & Curriculum Connections

Insider’s View
Grades: 9 – 12
Program Length: 60 minutes
Take a closer look at Cheekwood’s history, architecture and collections during this engaging tour through the Museum of Art. During your visit, students will learn about the historic significance of the 1930s-era Cheek estate.

Insider’s View - Curriculum Connections

Carell Woodland Sculpture Trail
Grades: 1 – 12
Program Length: 75 minutes
Interwoven through the woodlands of the Cheek estate, the sculpture trail departs from the formal museum context. Students will explore sculptures chosen for their beauty and responsiveness to the natural environment as they emerge unexpectedly in the landscape of deciduous trees and native plantings.

Sculpture Trail - Curriculum Connections

William Edmondson: The Hand and the Spirit
Grades: K – 12
Program Length: 45 minutes
Born to former slaves in Nashville, William Edmondson became one of the most celebrated African-American sculptors of the 20th century. Through his work, students will examine the unique qualities of American folk art and discover how one man transformed observation and imagination into objects that reflected his faith, community, and culture.

William Edmondson - Teacher Guide & Curriculum Connection



Young Sprouts
Grades: Pre-K
Program Length: 45 minutes
Introduce your preschoolers to the garden with this fun-filled interactive tour. Students will explore the garden using their senses: naming the bright colors, smelling the fragrant blossoms, touching the different plant textures, and listening for sounds in nature.

Garden Adventure
Grades: K – 8
Program Length: 60 minutes
Move your classroom outdoors to experience nature up close and observe how plants, animals, and insects share a home.

Grades: K – 2
Students will become nature explorers as they tour Cheekwood’s gardens to discover the role of plants in the environment.

Grades: 3 – 8
Students will explore plants, animals, habitats, biomes, the environment, and sustainability to gain an understanding of the importance of green space to our community.

Garden Adventure - Teacher Guide & Curriculum Connections

Howe Garden
Grades: 2 – 12
Program Length: 45 minutes
Explore the newly renovated Howe Garden. Students will see one of the rarest and oldest conifer trees on Earth today, learn how rain gardens reduce water pollution, discover the thatched toolhouse, and hear about the amazing history of this garden. Each student will receive a Howe Garden Activity Book during their visit.

Howe Garden - Curriculum Connections

Japanese Garden
Grades: 4 – 12
Program Length: 45 minutes
The Japanese Garden provides students the opportunity to experience Japanese culture as they learn about the diversity and customs of another country. Groups will enjoy a serene tour while exploring the plants, landscape, and symbolism present throughout the garden.

Japanese Garden - Teacher Guide & Curriculum Connections

Sigourney Cheek Literary Garden
Grades: 3 – 8
Program Length: 45 minutes
The Sigourney Cheek Literary Garden provides an opportunity for students to learn about the garden while connecting to works of literature. During the tour, groups will discuss the purpose of a literary garden and famous authors who have used nature as inspiration for their stories. Students will take part in a writing activity as they examine the plantings in this garden.

Literary Garden - Curriculum Connections



William Edmondson & Friends: Breaking the Mold

September 27, 2014 – January 4, 2015
Grades: 2 – 12
Program Length: 60 minutes
Born to former slaves in Nashville, William Edmondson became one of the most celebrated African-American sculptors of the 20th century. This exhibition provides students with the opportunity to examine the unique qualities of American folk art and explore the works created by Edmondson and a diverse community of artists who have carried forward his love for stone carving and interpreted it in often separate and distinct ways.

September 27 – October 31, 2014

Grades: K – 12
Program Length: 60 minutes
Enjoy the fall season as you view dozens of small and tall, silly and scary, sophisticated and sweet scarecrows on the grounds at Cheekwood. Students can learn about the history of scarecrows as they view figures that have been made by local organizations, schools and clubs.

Holiday at Cheekwood
November 29 – December 31, 2014

Grades: Pre-K – 12
Program Length: 60 minutes
Celebrate the season and experience one of Nashville’s most beloved holiday traditions. Cheekwood’s Museum of Art becomes a holiday fantasy of lavishly decorated rooms filled with beautifully trimmed trees.

The Scholastic Art Awards: Competition & Exhibition
January 31 – April 19, 2015

Grades: 7 – 12
Program Length: 60 minutes
For the 24th consecutive year, Cheekwood is proud to host The Scholastic Art Awards of Middle Tennessee. Don’t let your students miss this amazing opportunity to showcase their talent. For entry information and competition details, click here.

Jaume Plensa: Human Landscape
May 23 – November 1, 2015

Grades: 2 – 12
Program Length: 60 minutes
Known for his large-scale sculptures of figures, Jaume Plensa's installations are an enchanting and mystifying vision of the human form as landscape. By combining sculptural materials with unconventional media and frequently incorporating text, Plensa creates hybrid works of intricate energy and psychology. From his delicately textured works on paper to monumental outdoor sculptures, students will explore his art both in the gardens and museum.
