Cheekwood
Cheekwood Estate & Gardens is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a 55-acre historic botanical garden, arboretum, and art museum in Nashville serving 380,000 annual visitors through ticketed admission, memberships, weddings, retail, seasonal festivals, and community education programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1960
- HeadquartersNashville, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Cheekwood does
Cheekwood Estate & Gardens is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit cultural institution operating a 55-acre historic estate in Nashville, Tennessee, that combines a botanical garden, a Level II nationally accredited arboretum, and an American Alliance of Museums-accredited art museum. Originally built in 1929 as the private home of Leslie and Mabel Cheek, the estate opened to the public in 1960 and today serves more than 380,000 visitors annually, ranking as a top-five Nashville attraction. Its core product is timed-entry general admission (Gardens Only at $13–$26 or Gardens + Mansion at $19–$29) supplemented by tiered memberships ($70 Individual to $1,500+ Cheekwood Society), group tours, weddings and private event rentals, three retail shops, the third-party-operated Perenn café, and a slate of seasonal festivals (Cheekwood in Bloom, Cheekwood Harvest, Holiday LIGHTS, Thursday Night Out).
The institution's programming stack includes permanent gardens and the 1.5-mile Ann & Monroe Carell Jr. Family Sculpture Trail, rotating art exhibitions (recently Chihuly at Cheekwood and the upcoming 2026 America the Beautiful), the INTERVENTIONS contemporary arts initiative, the Martin Shallenberger Artist-in-Residence program, and four multicultural festivals (Holi, Black Arts Bash, Otsukimi, El Día de los Muertos). Educational programming spans free school field trips for Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama schools (13,000 students from 177 schools in 2024), children's camps, homeschool days, and adult gardening and wellness classes.
Cheekwood generates revenue through a diversified nonprofit model: ticket sales, recurring memberships, special-event admissions, facility rentals, on-site retail and café revenue share, corporate sponsorships, and institutional fundraising. Donations are supported by 70 community partners and foundation relationships (Sandra Schatten Foundation, Bracken Foundation, Ann & Monroe Carell Foundation, Northern Trust, Regions Bank), supplemented by grants from Metro Arts Nashville, NEA, Tennessee Arts Commission, and Tennessee Department of Agriculture. The organization has invested heavily in capital: a completed $37M Cheekwood Campaign funded major gardens and trails, and a $35M Parking Pavilion & Welcome Plaza is under construction with completion in 2027 to lift attendance capacity. The institution is led by President & CEO Jane O. MacLeod, who has served since 2010.
Cheekwood firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cheekwood
- Legal name
- Cheekwood Estate & Gardens
- Website
- https://cheekwood.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1960
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Cheekwood Estate & Gardens is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a 55-acre historic botanical garden, arboretum, and art museum in Nashville serving 380,000 annual visitors through ticketed admission, memberships, weddings, retail, seasonal festivals, and community education programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cheekwood industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cultural Attractions (Botanical Garden and Art Museum)
- NAICS
- Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Parks, Gardens & Botanical Attractions (THAJACAH)
Keywords
Where Cheekwood is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nashville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Cheekwood business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- General Admission Tickets: Cheekwood generates revenue through paid admission to its 55-acre gardens and historic mansion. Tickets are sold online in advance with timed entry; pricing varies by experience tier (Gardens Only vs. Gardens + Mansion) and visitor category (adult, senior, student, youth). A per-ticket service fee and parking fee are added to non-member transactions.
- Memberships: Cheekwood offers annual membership programs at multiple tiers (Individual $70/yr, Individual+1 $110/yr, Individual+2 $150/yr, Dual $150/yr, Dual+1 $190/yr, Dual+2 $190/yr, Family One $150/yr, Family One+1 $190/yr, Family One+2 $230/yr, Family Two $190/yr, Family Two+1 $230/yr, Family Two+2 $230/yr) plus premium Society levels (Magnolia Society $300/yr, Dogwood Society $500/yr, Boxwood Society $1,000/yr, Cheekwood Society $1,500+/yr). Members receive complimentary general admission, parking, member-only event access, and discounts.
- Special Events & Seasonal Festivals: Cheekwood hosts ticketed special events including Thursday Night Out (summer evening concerts), Under the Stars Concert Series, Holiday LIGHTS (one-mile light display, November–January), Cheekwood in Bloom, Cheekwood Harvest, Great Spring Art Hop, and the annual Antiques & Garden Show of Nashville. These events generate significant admissions and concessions revenue and are a major driver of attendance.
- Facility Rentals & Private Events: Cheekwood rents its venues for weddings, corporate events, and photography sessions. Rental revenue includes fees for venue use, portrait photography sessions (Members $350, Non-Members $450+), and event catering/ concessions. The estate offers multiple indoor and outdoor venue spaces.
- Retail — Gift Shops & Café: On-site retail operations include The Garden Shop (at Botanic Hall), The Museum Shop (in the Historic Mansion), and the Holiday Marketplace. Perenn at Cheekwood is an all-day café and bakery operated by an external vendor (Tyler and Aubrey O'Laskey), with Cheekwood receiving a revenue share or rent. Members receive 10% discount at shops and café.
- Donations & Institutional Support: As a nonprofit 501(c)(3), Cheekwood relies on charitable contributions including annual fund donations, tribute and memorial gifts, legacy society bequests, corporate sponsorships (Corporate Friends program), and institutional grants from organizations such as Metro Arts, NEA, Tennessee Arts Commission, and private foundations.
- Corporate Partnerships: Cheekwood's Corporate Friends program offers tiered sponsorship packages funding education programs, seasonal festivals, art exhibitions, and special events. Sponsors receive marketing and hospitality benefits including client entertainment and employee engagement opportunities.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Gardens Only — Adults $20–$26, Seniors $18–$26, Students $16–$26, Youth (3–17) $13–$19, Ages 2 & Under FREE, Members FREE |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Gardens + Mansion — Adults $26–$29, Seniors $24–$29, Students $22–$29, Youth (3–17) $19–$22, Ages 2 & Under FREE, Members FREE |
| Subscription | Annual | Individual Membership — $70/year |
| Subscription | Annual | Dual Membership — $150/year |
| Subscription | Annual | Family One Membership — $150/year; Family One +1 $190/yr; Family One +2 $230/yr |
| Subscription | Annual | Family Two Membership — $190/year; Family Two +1 $230/yr; Family Two +2 $230/yr |
| Subscription | Annual | Magnolia Society — $300/year; Dogwood Society — $500/year; Boxwood Society — $1,000/year; Cheekwood Society — $1,500+/year |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Museums for All — Gardens Only $3/person (up to 4); Gardens & Mansion $5/person (up to 4) + FREE parking |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Blue Star Museums — FREE admission for active duty military + up to 5 family members (6 total) May 16–September 7, 2026 |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Bank of America Museums On Us — FREE general admission first full weekend of every month |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Portrait Photography Session — Members $350; Non-Members $450 + after-hours fee $100/hr + weekend fee $100 |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Tribute & Memorial Gifts — from $500 (Seasonal Flowering Tribute) to $15,000 (Tribute Tree) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels9 records
Cheekwood product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cheekwood operates a 55-acre historic estate in Nashville that functions as a combined botanical garden, arboretum, and art museum open to the general public. The institution sells tiered general admission (Gardens Only and Gardens + Mansion), annual memberships, seasonal festival tickets (Holiday LIGHTS, Cheekwood in Bloom, Thursday Night Out), weddings and private event rentals, group tours, and educational programs for children, adults, and K-12 schools. On-site amenities include Perenn café, three gift shops, and 13 distinct botanical gardens plus a 1.5-mile outdoor sculpture trail.
Product overview
Cheekwood is a 55-acre historic estate serving as a combined botanical garden, arboretum, and art museum, operated as a nonprofit. The integrated visitor experience combines General Admission access (Gardens Only or Gardens + Mansion), tiered Membership Programs, and Group Tours. Seasonal festivals including Cheekwood in Bloom, Cheekwood Harvest, and Holiday LIGHTS anchor the annual calendar, while Thursday Night Out and the Under the Stars Concert Series provide summer music programming. Educational offerings span Children's Programs (TOTS!, TRAINS!, Summer Camps), School & Community Outreach (free field trips for regional schools), and Adult Education (gardening workshops, wellness classes). On-site amenities include Perenn at Cheekwood café and three Gift Shops. The venue hosts Weddings & Private Events, while the outdoor Sculpture Trail, Artist-in-Residence Program, Masterpiece Art Series, and INTERVENTIONS Program provide diverse art exhibitions. Community engagement extends through the donation program and volunteer opportunities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- General Admission (Gardens Only) Paid access to all 55 acres of outdoor space including 13 distinct botanical gardens, Ann & Monroe Carell Jr. Family Sculpture Trail, Bracken Foundation Children's Garden, and Frist Learning Center. Pricing varies by visitor category (adult $20–$26, senior $18–$26, student $16–$26, youth $13–$19, ages 2 & under FREE, members FREE).
- Gardens + Mansion Access Full access combining outdoor gardens with entry to the Historic Mansion & Museum, including period rooms, art galleries, Museum Gift Shop, and audio tour. Adults $26–$29, Seniors $24–$29, Students $22–$29, Youth $19–$22, Ages 2 & Under FREE, Members FREE.
- Membership Programs Tiered annual membership programs: Individual $70/yr, Dual $150/yr, Family One $150/yr (up to $230), Family Two $190/yr (up to $230), and premium Society levels (Magnolia Society $300/yr, Dogwood Society $500/yr, Boxwood Society $1,000/yr, Cheekwood Society $1,500+/yr). Benefits include complimentary general admission, parking, member-only events, discounts, and reciprocal admission through SERM and AHS networks.
- Group Tours Self-guided and docent-led tour options for parties of 15+ guests, including Seasonal Garden Walking Tours and House and History Tours. Complete Package option includes guided tours and private lunch space in the Mansion's Recreation Room.
- Thursday Night Out Weekly summer evening event (June-August) featuring live music performances, seasonal beers, specialty cocktails, food trucks, and Perenn café offerings in an outdoor garden setting. Ticketed separately from general admission.
- Holiday LIGHTS Annual winter holiday festival (November–January) featuring a one-mile walking path with over one million lights, s'mores, seasonal beverages, Holiday Marketplace, and mansion holiday décor viewing. Major annual ticketed event.
- Cheekwood in Bloom Spring festival celebrating the season with colorful blooms and flower displays (250,000 blooming bulbs) across all 55 acres of the estate.
- Cheekwood Harvest Autumn festival featuring fall foliage displays and seasonal programming across the gardens.
- Children's Programs Programs including TOTS! (garden and art exploration for young children), TRAINS! (train exhibition with Hugo and the Impossible Thing storybook trail), and Summer Camps for ages 5-14 featuring garden exploration and art activities.
- School & Community Outreach Programs Free admission for school groups from Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama. Programs include School Field Trips, Homeschool Days, Destination Cheekwood, Cheekwood On the Road, Head Start TOTS, Scout Programs, and Middle Tennessee Scholastic Art Awards.
- Adult Education Programs Lifelong learning opportunities including Hands-On Workshops, The Cheekwood Gardening School with instructors from Master Gardeners and plant societies, seasonal gardening classes, and Wellness 360 outdoor wellness classes.
- Perenn at Cheekwood Café All-day café and bakery operated by Tyler and Aubrey O'Laskey, offering artisanal pastries, handcrafted breads, breakfast sandwiches, salads, sandwiches, and espresso. Located in Frist Learning Center courtyard. Members receive 10% discount.
- Gift Shops Three retail locations: Garden Shop (at Botanic Hall entrance) featuring children's items, home décor, garden tools; Museum Shop (in Historic Mansion) with scarves, jewelry, books; and seasonal Holiday Marketplace at Frist Learning Center. Members receive 10% discount. E-commerce available at shop.cheekwood.org.
- Weddings & Private Event Rentals Event venue services including wedding ceremonies and receptions, corporate events, and proposal packages. Features indoor and outdoor venue options with historic mansion backdrop. Voted Best Wedding Venue by Nashville Scene and The Tennessean in 2025.
- Portrait Photography Sessions 2-hour portrait photography sessions on the 55-acre estate. Members $350; Non-Members $450 + after-hours fee $100/hr + weekend fee $100. Booking includes one dual Cheekwood membership for one year for non-members.
- Ann & Monroe Carell Jr. Family Sculpture Trail 1.5-mile woodland trail featuring 18+ contemporary sculptures by international artists including Jenny Holzer, Frank Fleming, James Turrell, and George Rickey. Open as part of general admission.
- Martin Shallenberger Artist-in-Residence Program
Quantifiable outcome
- 380,000 visitors in 2024, making Cheekwood a top five Nashville attraction and #3 largest tourist attraction per Nashville Business Journal
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Cheekwood
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Cheekwood technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Cheekwood partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- Northern TrustflagshipNorthern Trust serves as the presenting sponsor of the Antiques & Garden Show of Nashville, Cheekwood's flagship annual fundraising event now in its 36th year. The show is held at the Music City Center January 9–11, 2026, and benefits Cheekwood Estate & Gardens and Economic Club of Nashville charities.
- Sandra Schatten FoundationflagshipMakes possible Cheekwood's INTERVENTIONS program, launched in 2021, inviting nationally and internationally recognized artists to create new works inspired by the Cheek family and period rooms.
- Regions BankcoreRegions Bank presents Cheekwood's Empower Internships, a youth employment and professional development program at the institution.
- Antiques & Garden Show of NashvilleflagshipThe Antiques & Garden Show of Nashville is an annual fundraising event that benefits Cheekwood and Economic Club of Nashville charities. Cheekwood is a co-beneficiary of the show, which is entering its 36th year.
- HASTINGS (Architecture Firm)coreHASTINGS is the nationally acclaimed Nashville-based architecture firm (ranked #3 in the US by ARCHITECT magazine) designing Cheekwood's $35M Parking Pavilion & Welcome Plaza project.
- R.C. Mathews ContractorcoreR.C. Mathews Contractor is the general contractor for the Parking Pavilion & Welcome Plaza project. Founded in 1941, the firm is one of Middle Tennessee's most trusted builders with extensive experience in nonprofit and parking garage projects.
- Garden Club of NashvillecoreCommunity partner providing horticultural expertise, volunteer support, and programming collaboration for Cheekwood's botanical garden programs.
- Herb Society of NashvillecoreMaintains the Herb Study Garden at Cheekwood, a garden devoted to the study and evaluation of herbal plants in Middle Tennessee.
- Horticultural Society of Middle TennesseeminorCommunity partner providing horticultural programming support and expertise.
- Perenn (Tyler and Aubrey O'Laskey)corePerenn is an all-day café and bakery operated by husband-and-wife team Tyler and Aubrey O'Laskey. Located in the Frist Learning Center courtyard (the former Cheek family garage), Perenn serves artisanal pastries, handcrafted breads, and quality food to Cheekwood visitors. Founded in Reno, Nevada in 2018, expanded to Tennessee in 2025.
Scale indicators19 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Cheekwood competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- New York Botanical Garden: One of the largest and most established botanical gardens in the U.S., with deep educational and exhibition programming; serves as a broad incumbent reference for Cheekwood's positioning and operational benchmarks, though at materially greater scale and reach.
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Historic, large-scale public garden with a major seasonal light show (Garden Glow), extensive education programs, and broad research/conservation mission — a broader incumbent benchmark for institutional scale, programming depth, and community outreach intensity.
Direct peers
- Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden: 66-acre botanical garden in Dallas with seasonal festivals (Dallas Blooms, Holiday at the Arboretum), a historic mansion, children's gardens, and event rentals — closely comparable in scale, revenue mix, and programming; notably, Cheekwood's CEO Jane MacLeod previously held leadership roles here.
- Atlanta Botanical Garden: 30+ acre urban botanical garden with rotating art exhibitions (including blockbuster Chihuly shows), seasonal light festivals, and major children's garden programming — directly comparable event programming and scale to Cheekwood's 55-acre Nashville estate.
- Longwood Gardens: One of the world's premier botanical gardens on a large historic estate in Pennsylvania, combining formal gardens, horticulture, performing arts, and seasonal light/festival programming — directly comparable to Cheekwood's mix of gardens, art exhibitions, and signature seasonal events.
- Biltmore Estate: Historic American Country Place Era estate combining gardens, a mansion museum, art collection, and large-scale seasonal events (Christmas at Biltmore) on a property several times the size of Cheekwood — closely comparable as a destination combining historic architecture, gardens, and curated art.
- Morris Arboretum: Public arboretum on a historic Pennsylvania estate combining horticulture, sculpture, education, and event rentals — directly comparable in combining a National-Register-eligible estate with botanical garden and educational programming at a similar scale to Cheekwood.
- Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens: AAM-accredited public garden in Pittsburgh with a strong seasonal events calendar, art exhibitions, and educational programming — comparable in programmatic mix and nonprofit operating model to Cheekwood.
- Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park: Major Midwestern botanical garden and sculpture park combining horticulture, a permanent outdoor sculpture collection, rotating art exhibitions, and seasonal events — highly comparable to Cheekwood's garden-plus-sculpture-trail-plus-art exhibition positioning.
Regional players
- Memphis Botanic Garden: Regional botanical garden serving the Memphis/Mid-South market with seasonal events and educational programming — a useful regional comparison for Cheekwood's Tennessee market positioning, though smaller in scale and tourist draw.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cheekwood social profiles
Digital presenceCheekwood compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
Cheekwood financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cheekwood leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Cheekwood funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cheekwood M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cheekwood
What does Cheekwood do?
Cheekwood operates a 55-acre historic estate in Nashville that functions as a combined botanical garden, arboretum, and art museum open to the general public. The institution sells tiered general admission (Gardens Only and Gardens + Mansion), annual memberships, seasonal festival tickets (Holiday LIGHTS, Cheekwood in Bloom, Thursday Night Out), weddings and private event rentals, group tours, and educational programs for children, adults, and K-12 schools. On-site amenities include Perenn café, three gift shops, and 13 distinct botanical gardens plus a 1.5-mile outdoor sculpture trail.
Is Cheekwood a public or private company?
Cheekwood is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Cheekwood founded?
Cheekwood was founded in 1960. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Cheekwood based?
Cheekwood is headquartered in Nashville, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cheekwood make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. General Admission Tickets are the primary driver. The others are memberships, special Events & Seasonal Festivals, facility Rentals & Private Events, retail — Gift Shops & Café, donations & Institutional Support and corporate Partnerships.
Who are Cheekwood's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are New York Botanical Garden and Missouri Botanical Garden. Direct peers are Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, Atlanta Botanical Garden, Longwood Gardens, Biltmore Estate, Morris Arboretum, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens and Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. Memphis Botanic Garden is listed as a regional player.
Does Cheekwood have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cheekwood.
What industry is Cheekwood in?
Cheekwood's product category is Cultural Attractions (Botanical Garden and Art Museum). Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJACAH, Parks, Gardens & Botanical Attractions. Its NAICS code is 712130 and its SIC code is 7900.