Fort Nashborough

Fort Nashborough (170 1st Ave., 615/862-8400, Mon.–Sat. 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m., Sun. 1–5 p.m., free) is a one-quarter-sized replica of the fort erected by James Robertson and John Donelson when they first settled what was then called French Lick on Christmas Day 1779.

Visitors to Fort Nashborough will get the feeling that this site has seen better days. While the replica Fort Nashborough is open, it is mostly left unattended and there is little to see or learn here. The interiors of the five cabins have been gated with iron bars, seemingly to prevent neighborhood vagrants from settling in.

Fort Nashborough is mostly fascinating simply because it looks so out of place among Nashville’s [1] skyscrapers and the Tennessee Titans’ [2] stadium nearby. It has a nice view of the river too.