5 Best Things to Do in Lebanon, TN

By VI Staff on January 15, 2020

Lebanon is the city in Wilson County, Tennessee, about 25 miles east of downtown Nashville. Lebanon is part of the Nashville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city was named after the biblical cedars of Lebanon, which grow in the Cedars of Lebanon State Park, in the heart of the massive Cedars of Lebanon State Forest. Fiddlers Grove Historical Village, located on the grounds of the James E. Ward Agricultural Center, has more than 50 preserved buildings and artifacts that bring to life the history of the Wilson County. Fairgrounds Speedway is a racetrack located at the Nashville Fairgrounds, the oldest track in the United States operating continuously. The best time to visit Lebanon is in May, during the annual Southern Smoke BBQ championship.

1.Cedars of Lebanon State Park

Cedars of Lebanon State Park is a 900-acre state park in Wilson County, Tennessee, in the heart of the 9,420-acre Cedars of Lebanon State Forest. The park and forest are located about ten miles from Lebanon, Tennessee. Cedars of Lebanon State Forest is famous for its cedar glades, unique ecosystem that has adapted to the thin soil layers or no soil at all. That often happens in the eastern Central Basin. These glades are usually surrounded by thick stands of red cedar, a type of juniper that can survive in soil too thin to support most trees. Cedars of Lebanon State Park is situated in the eastern Central Basin and has 117 campsites, 11 picnic shelters, 8 miles of hiking trails, a group lodge, and a meeting hall. The Merritt Nature Center is a small museum that displays some of the natural features of the forest. The park also has a disc golf course.

328 Cedar Forest Rd, Lebanon, TN 37090, Phone: 615-443-2769

2.Don Fox Community Park

The Don Fox Community Park in Lebanon, Tennessee has a range of amenities for its residents. It has four pavilions that can be rented out. It has one large pavilion that is 54-feet long and 27-feet wide and three smaller pavilions that are 36-feet long by 18-feet wide. The pavilions have an electrical outlet, a grill, and at least eight picnic tables. There are also 61 other picnic tables throughout the park, and about 17 other grills. The park also has a 60-foot wading pool for small children and two larger playgrounds. There is a 2.5-mile long track that goes around the park and can be used for walking, biking, and skateboarding. There is also a smaller walking quarter-mile cinder track in the park’s center. The park also has a nine-station fitness center.

955 W Baddour Pkwy, Lebanon, TN 37087, Phone: 615-449-0303

3.Fiddlers Grove Historic Village

Fiddlers Grove Historical Village is located on the grounds of the James E. Ward Agricultural Center in Lebanon, Tennessee. Fiddlers Grove preserves and showcases the history of the Wilson County, Tennessee by preserving buildings, artifacts, and oral and written histories. Visitors can easily imagine the life of early pioneers by visiting a one-room log cabin, a one-room school, a small quaint church, a blacksmith’s shop that used to make cooking utensils and farm equipment, a doctor’s office, the buggy he used to make house calls, Sam Houston’s law office, an old cobbler’s shop, a 1700’s log cabin and grist mill. There is also a funeral home, drug store, post office, hardware store, sheriff’s office, jail, barber shop, sawmill, farm equipment museum, model train museum, caboose, train station and more. In total, there are over fifty-five buildings representing the entire Wilson County. The Village offers interpretation, exhibitions, education, publications and hands on experiences.

945 E Baddour Pkwy, Lebanon, TN 37087, Phone: 615-547-6111

4.Nashville Superspeedway

Fairgrounds Speedway is a racetrack located at the Nashville Fairgrounds near the town of Lebanon, Tennessee. It is the oldest track in the United States operating continuously. The track hosted NASCAR Grand National/Winston Cup races from 1958 to 1984. When it started NASCAR series races in 1957, the track was converted to a half-mile paved oval. The speedway was extended between the 1969 and 1970 seasons and was repaved between the 1995 and 1996 seasons. The first "horseless carriages" and motorcycles were introduced on the track on June 11, 1904.The track also hosted harness horse racing events. The track started holding annual events in 1915 during the state fair. Many drivers that participated in the Indianapolis 500 brought their cars to Nashville.

625 Smith Ave, Nashville, TN 37203, Phone: 615-254-1986

5.Southern Smoke BBQ

Southern Smoke BBQ is an annual championship event that takes place in May, in the Wilson County Exposition Center and Grounds, Lebanon, Tennessee. More than 40 BBQ Pitmasters will compete for $12,000.00 cash prize and the honor of being crowned Grand Champion. The event is free and everyone is invited to check-out some world-class cooking and enjoy the smell of Hickory Smoke in the air. There will also be plenty of kid-friendly activities and activities for the whole family, including: ZIP line, rock climbing wall, bouncy toys and more. The event is organized by the Greater Rotary Clubs of Wilson County and is sanctioned by the Kansas City BBQ Society.

James E Ward Agricultural Center, 945 E Baddour Pkwy, Lebanon, TN 37087, Phone: 404-414-6855