Enchanted Castles at Cheekwood Estate & Gardens
Five fun and fantastical castle play structures will be at Cheekwood May 1- August 17. This installation is a collaboration with Castle Homes, a custom home builder based in Middle Tennessee. I was able to check them out April 30 as they were finishing getting set up. Each of the castles has a theme: Dragon’s Den, Flower Fairy Palace, Crow’s Nest, Wizard’s Watchtower, and Formidable Fortress. They each have unique features that go along with their theme: The Dragon’s Den (Sponsored by Mary & Larry Wieck) has a climbing wall that leads to the dragon’s nest, with a treasure chest (the dragon’s hoard!) inside; The Flower Fairy Palace (Sponsored by the Mathman Family) has big whimsical spinning flowers and wind chimes that unite the beauty of nature with mystical fairy magic; The Crow’s Nest (Sponsored by the McCluggage Family) has two functional spyglasses with which to survey the landscape and prepare for adventure; the Wizard’s Watchtower (Sponsored by the Bracken Foundation) has a maze, fun mirrors and a crystal ball; while the Formidable Fortress (Sponsored by the Monroe Family) holds a Sword Throne protected by an alligator laden “moat.”
Parents will be glad to know that the castles are close enough to each other and to the parking lot that you won’t have to do too much walking if you don’t want to. They are all along the main road, which is great if you need to bring a stroller. The first one can be seen across from the building near visitor services & admissions that has a gift shop and restrooms. You can’t miss them, but if you have any questions, every staff member I’ve ever spoken to at Cheekwood has been very kind and helpful.
Now for the biggest question a parent will have: are they fun and can my kid spend a long time here? If you’re wondering what a 34-year-old would know about playgrounds, have no fear, I brought an expert: my three-year-old daughter. Even though she was too young to really understand the themes, she had an absolute blast exploring each castle pointing things out to me: “look there’s a nest,” “look at the big flower,” “that’s a big slide,” and so on. Then, she asked if we could go back the very next afternoon. There were some things that were too difficult for her to do, like the rope climbing walls, which is perfect because the structures have great things for all ages. I know that when I was in elementary school and obsessed with fairies, the Flower Fairy Palace would have been my favorite. But maybe your kid would rather be a wizard or a knight or a dragon; the possibilities are endless! So pack up your kids and bring them for a whole afternoon of fun. If you’ve never been, there are multiple gardens to explore, the mansion with an art collection, and the TRAINS! Exhibit, with its own Enchanted Express, which features multiple miniature train sets that go above and below you, so there’s plenty to do along with the castles.
Find more detailed descriptions of the castles here: https://cheekwood.org/calendar-events/enchanted-castles-at-cheekwood/
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Bethany is a wife, mother, and dog mom. In her spare time she likes to read, write fiction, and go out with her family. She feels lucky to live in Music City where she can go to the symphony or theatre all the time.
