How to Spend a Weekend in Maury County

Maury County occupies an enviable position in Middle Tennessee. It’s easily accessible from Nashville, just a 45-minute drive from BNA airport, but it spans several small communities, each with its own distinct vibe. In other words, if you’re traveling to Maury County, you can have multiple experiences all in a single weekend. Want to learn more? Here’s a primer on Columbia, Spring Hill, Mount Pleasant and beyond.

Columbia

Columbia is most widely known for its annual Mule Day, a week-long festival each March or April that culminates with mule shows, races, gospel singers, cloggers, a parade and the crowning of the Mule Day King and Queen. But the town is much more than mules.

The county seat, Columbia’s architecture blends Federal, Victorian and Mid-19th Century Revival styles into a tapestry of elegance. Kick off your day in Maury County on the courthouse square at Muletown Coffee Roasters sampling the wide selection of coffees, teas and pastry’s. For a gluten-free and vegan treats, swing by B’s Salty and Sweet, which is located at the Columbia Factory.

For the traveler who loves history, Maury County — which is on the Tennessee Civil War Trail — boasts historic homes like that of 11th U.S. President James K. Polk, whose house and museum is open to the public. It also houses the Historic Athenaeum, which was the site of a pair of girls’ schools from the 1830’s until the Great Depression. 

If you prefer shopping over history, you won’t have trouble spending money downtown at home décor staples like Amy Montgomery Home, the Linen Duck or Dwell Boutique. Columbia’s Antique Trail is populated by markets like Bleu 32 and Columbia Antique Marketplace that bring in visitors from all over.

Love the outdoors? Make a splash at the Duck River where you can rent a kayak and go for a paddle. Or, if it’s too cold for water sports, hop in one of Fisher’s Off-Road Rentals’ UTVs and cruise past Columbia’s many waterfalls and its pastoral farmland. If fishing is more your speed, Williamsport Lakes brim with large bass, bluegill and catfish. Enjoy a beautiful motorcycle ride — or a non-motorized bike — you’ll want to hop on the 444-mile Natchez Trace Parkway at least for a stretch. It’s a biker’s dream route.

If you’re looking for the best place to eat in Columbia, you’ll likely find yourself at Puckett’s — known for its barbeque, it now has multiple restaurant locations throughout Tennessee — including one on the downtown square. A few blocks away, Buck + Board specializes in elaborate cheese and charcuterie boards paired with hand-selected wines, but also offers brunch all day on weekends, as well as baguettes, soups and salads. Southern Tré Steakhouse is one of Columbia’s fine-dining restaurants with seafood, pasta, chicken and steaks rounding out the lengthy menu. For a more casual meal, McCreary’s Irish Pub serves up classic pub grub like bangers and mash and jacket potatoes with a selection of toppings.

Spring Hill

Sandwiched between Columbia and Thompson’s Station — and straddling the Williamson and Maury county lines — Spring Hill is not only one of Tennessee’s fastest-growing towns, but one of the fastest-growing cities in the country. Early’s Honey Stand has been in operation nearly a century and is worth a stop to stock up on country ham, sausage links, honey, syrup, sorghum and more. For lunch, grab a booth at Grecian Family Restaurant, a Mediterranean restaurant in the heart of Spring Hill, and try the chicken souvlaki.  Looking for a midday pick up stop by the locals favorite coffee shop Fainting Goat Café. 

The city is perhaps best known for the Battle of Spring Hill and its significance in the Civil War. The historic Greek Revival-style Rippa Villa home serves as a relic to this past. On Nov. 29, 1864, the day prior to the Battle of Franklin — one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War — the Battle of Spring Hill unfolded across the sprawling farm. The 1855 home is open daily for tours, and for even more context on the area’s Civil War history, you can also tour the Carter House and Carnton in Franklin, all three sites of which are on the Tennessee Campaign Ticket.

Mount Pleasant, Santa Fe & Culleoka

Once you get out of Columbia and Spring Hill, wind your way into some of the county’s smaller towns like Santa Fe (pronounced Santa FEE), home to Creole restaurant Papa Boudreaux’s Cajun Café, a taste of the bayou in Tennessee with shrimp and crawfish galore. The unincorporated community has no downtown, but that doesn’t stop the residents from gathering at beloved local spots like Santa Fe Diner for a meat and three or Athena’s Harvest for potluck dinners.

Mount Pleasant has a lively main strip lined with locally created murals and top-notch boutiques like Breckenridge Baby, whose shelves are well-stocked with children’s clothing, from holiday outfits to collegiate apparel. It also lays claim to Mt. Pleasant Grille, which whips up generous portions of breakfast bowls and biscuits and gravy for brunch, but also hosts live music several nights a month.  

In Culleoka, Campbell Station Country Store & Restaurant is not just a gas station and a grocery store, but also a restaurant that serves lunch and dinner on Fridays and Saturdays.

Where to stay in Maury County

Need more time to explore? Stay the weekend! In addition to traditional hotels, there are plenty of cool places to stay in Maury County, from guest cottages to cozy Airbnbs. If you want to make your base in Columbia, check into Mike Wolfe’s Two Lanes Guesthouse, filled with the “American Picker’s” vintage treasures from across the South. The 1,100-square-foot, one-bedroom loft looks out onto the square with views of downtown through the soaring picture windows. 

Traveling with your family or a group? For an even bigger vacation rental in Columbia, Soirée on the Square can sleep seven guests. The four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom luxury loft is an expansive 3,700 square feet and overlooks the Courthouse Square. Or if a peaceful country stay is more your speed, the guest cottage at Amber Falls Winery offers the opportunity to sleep among the vines.

One of Tennessee’s most unique lodging options is Forest Gully Farms in the small town of Santa Fe. The property is a look at sustainable living in action and a chance for full nature immersion for guests. Owners Jon and Mandy Giffin produce a holistic edible ecosystem at their pair of homesteads, one of which houses a trio of huts. Built underground, each is made from white cedar with bamboo flooring. A perfect getaway for a group, this Airbnb rental includes access to all three huts, as well as the 15-acre farm and the bathhouse exclusively for guest use. Guests are welcome to gather fresh eggs from the chickens, pick blueberries or blackberries or try their skills as a farmhand. The farm also has access to a nearby creek and a pair of small waterfalls.