Free tours in and around Nashville

Thanks to Ms. Cheap, (Mary Hance) of the Tennessean for this info.

Take a tour of Purity Dairies and see how ice cream is processed and packaged. Tours include a free ice cream novelty. You don't have to be a kid to enjoy this, but they want you to call first to schedule a tour. 760-2271, ext. 489.

Tour a Metro Fire Department fire hall (call first) and visit with some of the firefighters. 862-5421.

Take a tour of The Tennessean and find out how our newspaper works. Tour our newsrooms and see our production process. The tour hot line number is 664-2171 or you can e-mail tours@tennessean.com to make a reservation.

Tour some of the downtown churches.
1)Take a look inside Downtown Presbyterian Church at 154 Fifth Ave. N. (corner of Fifth and Church) to see its 1849 Egyptian Revival architecture. To get in, go to the church office between 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on weekdays. Call 254-7584.
2)The staff at Christ Church Cathedral (Episcopal) at 900 Broadway gives tours of its 1894 sanctuary for groups of five or more between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. (call ahead) on Thursdays and for any size group between 10:30 a.m. and noon on Saturdays. Call 255-7729.

Tour the Sri Ganesha Temple, which is at 521 Old Hickory Blvd. in Bellevue. Tours are by appointment. Call 356-7207.

Take a tour of the beautiful Vanderbilt University campus, with its historic grounds and buildings, sculptures and arboretum. During weekday office hours you can drop by the second floor of Kirkland Hall at the center of campus on the West End side and pick up a map. 322-7771.

Take your own tour of downtown. Walking tour brochures that offer details and outline points of interest downtown are available at the visitors center at Gaylord Entertainment Center or at the Metro Historical Commission at Sevier Park on Granny White Pike. 259-4747.

Tour the state Capitol, which was designed by architect William Strickland and built during the course of 15 years beginning in 1844. To enjoy a self-guided walking tour, just stop by the information desk at the Capitol, which is on Charlotte between Sixth and Seventh avenues. 741-1621.

Tour Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg, Tenn. This is the nation's oldest registered distillery and there are guided hour-long tours from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily except holidays. They offer free lemonade and coffee at the end, but no Jack Black, unfortunately. 1-931-759-6180.

Tour Saturn's auto plant in Spring Hill. There are three or four daily tours on weekdays open to anyone age 6 or older. Reservations are recommended. 1-800-326-3321.

Tour the Nissan auto plant in Smyrna, where they have free tours for people 10 and older on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 459-1444.

Tour some of the wonderful historic courthouses in Middle Tennessee. Two of the most interesting ones are the neoclassical Giles County Courthouse on the square in Pulaski, Tenn., and the Rutherford County Courthouse in Murfreesboro, which is one of only six remaining Tennessee courthouses built before the Civil War.