Clarksville, TN – Historic Collinsville in rural Montgomery County has announced its special “Second Saturday” event for the month of May. Planting Day will be held on Saturday, May 11th, from 10:00am to 4:00pm.
Planting Day offers visitors a chance to exercise their green thumb and share their passion for gardening as flowers, herbs, and vegetables are planted throughout the site. Plants will be provided. Guests are invited to bring their own gloves and small gardening tools, including trowels for digging or hand cultivators for breaking up the soil. Plant and soil donations are welcome.
Montgomery County’s Master Gardeners will also be on hand to help. In addition to planting, there will be plant-themed activities along with 19th-century music, docents on-site, food for purchase, and more. All activities are included with special event admission.
More information is available at www.historiccollinsville.com.
In addition to special activities, visitors can tour the newly opened Weakley House Museum, which was the home of Historic Collinsville founders Glenn and JoAnn Weakley. The home’s humble beginnings date back to 1905 as a tenant house on a family farm.
The Weakleys moved into the home in 1960 and began renovations that continued until the 1980s. The unique home contains the couple’s many collections and the stories that accompany them. Inside, guests will find items that reflect the couple’s passion for antiques, hunting, quilts, and more.
Second Saturdays at Historic Collinsville
New in 2024, visitors can enjoy special activities on “Second Saturdays” at Historic Collinsville every month throughout the season. Each event features a unique theme, from gardening and quilting to history and art.
Tentative schedule (subject to change):
- May 11th: Planting Day
- June 8th: Montgomery County Heritage Day
- July 13th: Family Field Day and Picnic
- August 10th: Quilt Show and Tell
- September 14th: Storytelling by Day and by Night
- October 12th: Create at Collinsville
- November 9th: Let’s Talk Turkey
- December 14th: An 1860s Christmas
Visiting Collinsville gives guests the opportunity for a self-paced, self-guided stroll through a re-creation of the past with an audio tour, along with guided tours of the Weakley House Museum, which opened in 2024. The 40-acre, open-air property showcases pioneer life from 1840-1900 with 16 authentically furnished buildings.
See the earliest “first home” to the expansive Dogtrot House, a tobacco-drying house, smokehouse, church/schoolhouse, wildlife center, loom house, cobbler’s shop, teacher’s home, and more. Picnic tables are located throughout the property, and a covered pavilion with tables and restrooms is also on site. A visitor center greets guests and offers period souvenirs.
Historic Collinsville’s season runs now through November 9th. The site is open Thursday – Saturday, 10:00am–4:00pm; and Sundays, 1:00pm-4:00pm. Last admission at 3:00pm. Closed on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. Regular admission is $12.00 for ages 13 and up; $6.00 for ages 3-12 and free to children under age 3. Military receive a $1.00 discount with a valid ID. Special event admission varies. The property is open other days and times for groups of six or more guided tours, camps, rentals, weddings, or special events.
More information about Historic Collinsville is available at www.historiccollinsville.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/historiccollinsville.
About Historic Collinsville Pioneer Settlement
Historic Collinsville Pioneer Settlement was established to give children a hands-on experience outside of the classroom about life from the 1840s through the turn of the century.
It has been open to the public since 1997, recreating the past with restored historical structures, each filled with authentic period furnishings that show a glimpse of life before and after the Civil War. The property is located at 4711 Weakley Road in Southside, 20 minutes south of downtown Clarksville. Montgomery County Government purchased Historic Collinsville from founders Glenn and JoAnn Weakley in 2018.
The property is managed and marketed by Visit Clarksville.
