Franklin is a small agricultural town of around 8,000 people in Simpson County, just a few miles north of the Tennessee state line and about 45 miles north of Nashville. It's the kind of quietly proud Southern town that surprises visitors — home to a genuine oddity in Octagon Hall, a beloved golf course designed by a hometown pro, and the unlikely setting for one of country music's most famous weddings.
Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash were married here, which tells you something about the town's connection to the music world. Local country and bluegrass runs deep, celebrated each year at the Franklin Music Festival, which has drawn well-known artists and local talent every summer since 2004.
Kentucky Downs, just south of town, is the only all-turf flat thoroughbred racing track in the United States — a genuine rarity that draws serious racing fans from across the country.
About five miles north of downtown stands Octagon Hall Museum, the only eight-sided brick house in Kentucky and one of very few in the entire country. Built before the Civil War, it served as a camp for over 12,000 troops during the conflict and is now open as a historic site.
The town also celebrates its past with an Antique Auto Show and arts and crafts fair that has run for over 40 years, drawing car enthusiasts from across the region with more than 30 vehicle classes and awards in each. Downtown is anchored by the Simpson County Courthouse and a block of brick storefronts on the National Register.
Notable former residents include T.O. Chisholm, who wrote around 800 hymns — among them "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" — and actress Annie Potts of Designing Women. PGA Tour pro Kenny Perry grew up here and designed Country Creek Golf Club on the edge of town.