Tower Investments

 

(Nashville, Tennessee) -- October 7, 2010 -- After opening to the public exactly four short months ago, the residents of Middle Tennessee have voted the Fontanel Mansion and Farm one of the Top 3 in the category "Best Thing That's Changed in Nashville in the Last Year" in the Nashville Scene's 21st Annual Best of Nashville issue which just hit newsstands. Nashville's newest visitor destination ranked just behind "Volunteer spirit after May flood" and "We are Nashville" in the high-profile readers' poll. In addition the Farm House Restaurant at Fontanel was highlighted in the "Best Culinary Trend: Growing Your Own Food" category in the "Food and Drink 2010: Writer's Picks" in the same issue.

 

"To receive a Top 3 vote in the Scene's Best of Nashville in our first year is beyond anything we had ever hoped," said Fontanel co-owner Marc Oswald. "But to be included the in same category as the flood volunteers and We Are Nashville is absolutely over the top. We really wanted this property to be a destination for the people of Middle Tennessee -- a place just outside downtown where you could hike, have a great meal, listen to music and just enjoy the peace and solitude. A special thanks to the Fontanel team members, this recognition is a result of all of their efforts to make it a very special place.

 

The 27,000 square-foot Fontanel Mansion, which was formerly owned by Country star Barbara Mandrell and her family, opened to the public for tours on June 7, 2010. A tour of the Mansion is guided in small groups room by room, with amazing sights and special stories around every corner.  Tour guides escort guests from the moment they walk into the front door through the entire home starting in the great room and ending in the glorious sunlit pool atrium.  There, guests can grab refreshments, stay and relax as long as they wish, discussing the experience of Fontanel with experts and fellow visitors.  Tours are available Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Tickets are $19 for adults, $16 for seniors, $9 for youths and kids 6 and under are FREE.

 

About the Farm House Restaurant, Nashville Scene writer Carrington Fox writes: "And at The Farm House at Fontanel in Whites Creek, tomato vines and vegetable beds circle the sunny patio. More and more chefs are cooking with a pinch of dirt, and it tastes good."

 

The 140-seat restaurant showcases a "farm to fork" menu with items that feature local produce, dairy and meats delivered from area farms and sustainable sources.  Offering southern-style comfort food with a fun creative twist, the Farm House has an on-site organic teaching garden and houses photos of the farmers and families that produce the food for the restaurant.  The Farm House serves breakfast, lunch and dinner six days a week.  Hours of operation are Sunday and Tuesday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. -- 8:00 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 7:30 a.m. -- 9:00 p.m.

 

The Fontanel Mansion and Farm is currently hosting the inaugural Fall Festival on the park-like grounds each weekend in October through Saturday, the 23rd from 10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The free month-long community gathering will feature a pumpkin patch, activities for the whole family and a variety of local vendors. In addition to many free activities, guests are also invited to participate in fee-based activities such as carving and decorating pumpkins and gourds, dipping caramel apples and carriage rides. Visitors are asked to bring non-perishable food items to donate to Second Harvest Food Bank.

 

About the Fontanel Mansion & Farm: Located less than 15 minutes from downtown Nashville, The Mansion at Fontanel boasts three stories, over 20 rooms, thirteen bathrooms, five fireplaces, indoor pool and even an indoor shooting range on 136 acres of pristine land. An exclusive spot for the stars, the home and grounds have been the setting for numerous photo and video shoots,  top-rated "Gone Country" show and more.  Nashville's only country music mansion tour, the Mansion at Fontanel will give visitors a sneak peek into the lives of country music greats by providing a truly interactive experience!

 

A ticket to tour the Mansion at Fontanel is like a ticket to the inside life of Nashville's most famous export. Once the family home of country music legend Barbara Mandrell, the first artist to be named CMA Entertainer of the Year in consecutive years, the Mansion at Fontanel has been filled to the brim with photos, memorabilia and personal items from the period when the Mandrell family lived there. Additionally, the personal collections of current owners Dale Morris and Marc Oswald are featured which include one of a kind items, personal photos, and keepsakes of the artists they currently manage, including Alabama, Kenny Chesney, Big & Rich, Gretchen Wilson and many others.  But make no mistake, this is not a museum. At Fontanel, visitors get to do more than just look, guests are welcome to touch, see, feel and relax in this magnificent home.

 

Folks can learn about the process of building this log home, mere minutes from downtown, yet lifetimes away from the average home. Visitors can also learn about the land and how the Mandrell family started a legacy of sustainability that survives today.

 

There are many other exciting facets for visitors to Fontanel in addition to the "country music mansion tour."  Guests who want to enjoy nature can hike or mountain bike The Trails at Fontanel.  With over 136 acres of pristine land that the mansion resides on, the Trails at Fontanel provide a FREE system of trails for both locals and visitors.  Guests can access over two miles of trails during daylight hours.   The trails are open Tuesday through Sunday from 7:30 a.m. until dark. Unlike anything in Nashville, The Woods at Fontanel is an outdoor music venue surrounded by the woods of the Fontanel property. This new venue showcases major artists in an intimate format that no one will have a chance to experience anywhere else.

 

The property is managed by Fontanel Attractions, made up of entertainment entrepreneurs Dale Morris and Marc Oswald, world-class developer, Alex Marks and Tom Morales, owner of TomKats, Inc., with TomKats, Inc. as the operating partner. TomKats' experience ensures Fontanel Mansion's role as a www.osnpower.com.  Contact: Craig Campbell, 615-210-3602.