Guided tours offer full access to the Lotz House, where you can peek into the kitchen and bedrooms, and witness first-hand the damage done during the battle. The house has been preserved as it was left, complete with original 19th-century furnishings, personal effects belonging to the Lotz family, and fine art works—along with the blood stains and holes left by the cannon fire. Learn about the Lotz family, relive the events of the Battle of Franklin through their eyes, and gain insight into the Civil War and its impact on the entire country.
Lotz House is located at the corner of Columbia Avenue and Fowlkes Avenue, a half-mile (1-kilometer) south of Franklin. There is no public transport but it is possible to walk from town—an about 10-15-minute walk. Free parking is available for those with their own transportation.
Lotz House is open daily year-round. Sunday tours are held in the afternoon only. Look out for seasonal events such as the Christmas candlelight tours and Halloween ghost tours.
Three key sites tell the story of the Battle of Franklin. After visiting the Lotz House Museum, head across the street to the Carter House, now preserved as a museum, which remains riddled with bullets from the battle. Visitors can see the basement where the family and their neighbors, including the Lotz family, hid out while the battle raged outside. A few miles south, visit the Carnton Plantation, where Confederate units prepped for battle and hear how the plantation owners, the McGavocks, transformed their house into a war hospital and cemetery for fallen soldiers.
