Things to Do in Leiper’s Fork, Tennessee
The best things to do in Leiper’s Fork, Tennessee, are catching live music at Fox & Locke, walking the galleries and antique shops on Old Hillsboro Road, and hiking off the Natchez Trace Parkway. Leiper’s Fork is an unincorporated village of about 650 people in Williamson County, roughly 28 miles southwest of Nashville.
The village began as Bentontown, the homestead of the family of Thomas Hart Benton, later a U.S. senator from Missouri. When a post office opened in 1818, the name Hillsboro was already taken, so it was named for Leiper’s Fork, the creek that runs through town. The center is now a National Register historic district.
Fox & Locke
This is the heart of the village. It’s named for the original Fox & Locke General Store, founded in 1947, and the building was long known as Puckett’s Grocery. Expect Southern plates like fried catfish, pimento cheese sandwiches and biscuits and gravy, with live music through the week.
★ Good to know Thursday is open mic night, and weekend daytime shows are free; well-known artists have been known to drop in unannounced.
Galleries on Old Hillsboro Road
Leiper’s Creek Gallery has spent more than 20 years in a historic building in the middle of the village, showing paintings, sculpture and carvings. The Copper Fox Gallery handles ceramics, glass and furniture by Southeastern artists. David Arms Gallery, across the street, has a front porch and back windows over the creek.
★ Good to know Leiper’s Creek Gallery welcomes kids and dogs, and in colder months the fire pit outside is often stocked for s’mores.
Natchez Trace Parkway and Garrison Creek
The 444-mile Natchez Trace Parkway runs right past the village, following an old travel corridor used by American Indians, settlers and soldiers. At milepost 427.6, Garrison Creek is the northern trailhead of the Highland Rim section of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail. It’s named for a U.S. Army post from 1801 and 1802.
★ Good to know The trail runs 20 miles south from here toward the Gordon House, and horseback riders use it too, so there’s plenty of trailer parking.
Leiper’s Fork Distillery
This small-batch distillery makes whiskey mostly from local grain and limestone-filtered water. The tasting and retail rooms are in a log house built in 1829 and restored with its big wood-burning fireplaces. Tours end with a tasting.
★ Good to know It’s on Southall Road a few minutes from the village, and it’s closed Mondays.
Crown Winery Leiper’s Fork
Crown Winery, based in Humboldt, runs this satellite tasting room on the banks of Leiper’s Creek. You can do a self-guided flight or a hosted bar tasting. Then take a glass down to the backyard, where people sit by the fire pit or put their feet in the creek.
★ Good to know There’s often live music on weekends.
Props and the village shops
Props, on Leiper’s Corner at Old Hillsboro Road and Old 96, has been selling antiques, neon signs, collectibles and small-batch candy since 2015. Patina Home & Garden fills the old general store with antiques and keeps a pickin’ corner where musicians can take a guitar off the wall. Tennessee Turquoise Company and Dwell and Den round out the strip.
★ Good to know Props hosts occasional Pickin’ weekends with antique dealers and food trucks, so check its calendar.
Also in town
Leiper’s Fork Market is a gas station with a lunch counter, a community table and local beer; The Steel Pony serves coffee from a converted horse trailer in the courtyard near Patina Home & Garden; and the free Leiper’s Fork Village Trail from Visit Franklin maps a self-guided loop of shops and restaurants.
How far is Leiper’s Fork from Nashville?
About 28 miles southwest of downtown, or roughly 45 minutes to an hour by car. From Franklin, take Highway 96 west and follow Old Hillsboro Road into the village.
Is Leiper’s Fork a town?
No. It’s an unincorporated village of about 650 people in Williamson County, and most addresses use a Franklin ZIP code. Its center is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Can you see the Double Arch Bridge from Leiper’s Fork?
The bridge is on the Natchez Trace at milepost 438, about 8 miles west of Franklin. It has been closed while the park service adds a permanent safety barrier, so check the Natchez Trace alerts page first.
Where does Fox & Locke get its name?
From the original Fox & Locke General Store, founded in 1947; the building was later known as Puckett’s Grocery. For more places like it, see our small towns in Tennessee, including nearby Franklin.
Where to find them
- Fox & Locke 4146 Old Hillsboro Road, Franklin, TN 37064 Website Directions
- Leiper's Creek Gallery 4144 Old Hillsboro Road, Franklin, TN 37064 Website Directions
- Garrison Creek Trailhead Natchez Trace Parkway, milepost 427.6 Website Directions
- Leiper's Fork Distillery 3381 Southall Road, Franklin, TN 37064 Website Directions
- Crown Winery Leiper's Fork 4165 Old Hillsboro Road, Franklin, TN 37064 Website Directions
- Props 4208 Old Hillsboro Road, Franklin, TN 37064 Website Directions
Plan your trip: for events and current visitor info in Leiper's Fork, see the official visitor site →
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Where to stay in Leiper's Fork
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