Nashville, February 19, 2010 – Ah, spring – the days are getting longer, flowers are blooming – it’s a time of new opportunities and beginnings. What better way to kick off the spring than with new events of our own?

Alice, the Mad Hatter, and the Queen of Hearts Visit Belmont Mansion in March

On Saturday, March 20, Belmont Mansion hosts an Alice in Wonderland Character Tea Party from 1-3 pm. Come join Alice, the White Rabbit, the Queen of Hearts, and all of their friends for the maddest tea party this side of the rabbit hole.

The tea party is open to families and kids of all ages. There will be peanut-butter and jelly finger sandwiches, “eat me” cookies, tarts, and of course, tea! Kids can have the Cheshire Cat’s grin painted on their faces, play a spot of hedgehog croquet, and build their own Wonderland terrariums.

So, come join the zany bunch from Wonderland for a cup of tea. This is one important date you don’t want to miss! This event is $5 per person, reservations are suggested.

Put on Your Easter Bonnet for Belmont Mansion’s First Annual Easter Egg Hunt

Search for golden eggs on Saturday, April 3 from 1-3 pm as part of Belmont Mansion’s first annual Community Easter Egg Hunt. This FREE event is open to families and will feature a petting zoo, an Easter Bunny, and prizes in addition to the egg hunt.

The holidays are going to the dogs! Belmont Mansion has partnered with Nashville Humane Association to help needy animals in the Nashville area.  Every Monday-Thursday in December bring a can or small bag of dog food or a dog toy and receive (1) free adult admission per item donated to Belmont Mansion.

The Nashville Humane Association is a local, non-profit organization formed to protect the animals of Davidson County. Incorporated in 1946, the NHA is one of  Nashville’s oldest service organizations, tracing its roots back to a society formed in 1887 to protect children and draft horses from inhumane working conditions and mistreatment. Today, the Nashville Humane Association is dedicated to “promoting humane treatment of animals, finding good homes for stray or abandoned dogs and cats, educating the public about their responsibility to help control the pet population, and providing treatment and care to ensure the well being of animals in our community.” For more information about the Nashville Humane Association, please visit www.nashvillehumane.org.

This June, we unearthed Belmont Mansion’s most elusive hidden treasures: the Bear House and the Bowling Alley/Billiards Building.  Tucked beneath the layers of asphalt sitting behind Heron Hall, these two structures went unnoticed for nearly 100 years, providing those who knew of them little more than mystery as to their exact location and design.

That mystery was resolved, however, when curious structures were discovered beneath the construction site of Belmont University’s new dorm, curious structures that turned out to be remnants of the elusive Bear House and Bowling Alley.

An intense archaeological dig ensued that recovered the buildings’ foundations, as well as artifacts and structural materials ranging from Victorian medicine bottles and glazed pottery fragments to pieces of yellow pine floorboard and ochre plaster samples.  But perhaps the most intriguing discoveries were those of the reinforced and engineered masonry and sophisiticated waterproofing techniques found on the exterior and interior of the Bear House’s basement.  According to Republic, the preservation and conservation group that participated in the excavation, this basement was not just a “brick-lined hole in the ground. There was a designed use.”

Adelicia Acklen, the original mistress of Belmont Mansion, designed and constructed an ornate octagonal house on the property of her estate to house her family’s pet bear.  The only structure of its type in the United States, Belmont’s Bear House was based on a garden building from the Chateau de Versailles in France and reflected the classical style of the Mansion.  Along with the Bowling Alley/Billiards Building, the Bear House was constructed chiefly for the amusement of the Acklen family and their guests.  After the Mansion was sold, these two buildings became part of Belmont College and Seminary, and later Ward-Belmont, before being razed sometime between 1928 and 1932.

On August 13th, a lecture and Q&A session led by Mark Brown, Belmont Mansion’s Executive Director, and Steve Brown, historic preservationist at Republic, were held before an enthusiastic audience interested in the mystery of the Bear House and Bowling Alley.  Guests were invited to hear details of the dig and history of the structures while viewing the artifacts discovered in June.