Dickson, TN

The Hotel Halbrook isn’t acting its age. It was built in 1913, yet is as vibrant today as it was during its heyday.

Recently, the long-standing downtown Dickson landmark was transformed into the Clement Railroad Hotel Museum, which now occupies the entire two-story building. The state of Tennessee owns the stately old brick hotel, while the non-profit museum serves as its lone tenant.

“When the magnificent Hotel Halbrook was first built in 1913, it was considered ahead of its time because it was equipped with rare luxuries such as electric lights, radiator heating and indoor plumbing,” says Cate Hamilton, museum executive director. “It was called a railroad hotel because it catered to the many Dickson County railroad workers of the day. Many of the other customers were traveling salesmen.”

Today, when visitors first enter the building, they immediately walk into a hotel lobby that looks like it would have looked in the 1920s and 1930s.

“You walk in the front door and immediately stroll up to the original registration desk, which has a registration book from 1921,” Hamilton says. “During the 1920s, rooms rented for 75 cents a night, plus 25 cents extra if you wanted a hot bath.”

Besides the eye-catching lobby, the museum has several elaborate exhibits on the second floor. Displays detail the settlement of Dickson County, early commerce, the storied railroad history, and the impact of the Civil War on this community.

The museum is also kid-friendly, with one display showcasing the inside of a locomotive where children can pull levers, push buttons and pretend they are engineers. There is also an extensive model railroad setup on site.

“Another exhibit informs the public about Frank G. Clement, who was actually born in the hotel on June 2, 1920,” Hamilton says. “Frank Clement went on to become a powerful, popular and well-respected three-term governor for the state of Tennessee.”

Hamilton says during the first 12 months of its operation, the museum attracted approximately 4,500 people.

“For a small local and regional museum, welcoming more than 4,000 visitors in one year is very successful,” she says. “And the word keeps getting out about this great attraction."

One final attraction in the museum is on the first floor – a dining room that is also interpreted from the 1920s. The room can be rented to the public, with a seating capacity of 45 for banquets and 100 for lectures and business events.

“We’ve already booked retirement dinners, bridesmaid luncheons, wedding receptions, birthday parties, a book review club, teas, a Southern Ladies coffee, chamber events and the Dickson County Leadership class graduation,” Hamilton says. “As a non-profit museum, our operational money is raised from the rentals along with membership pledges and admission charges.”

Those admission charges are $4 for adults, $2 for students and senior citizens, while youths ages 13 and under are admitted free. Guided tours take 45-60 minutes, and the Clement Railroad Hotel Museum is open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

For more information, visit www.clementrailroadmuseum.org or call (615) 446-0500.