Cheekwood secures big gifts, plans expansions

Cheekwood officials on Tuesday morning said they have raised more than $20 million in their push to beef up the estate’s endowment and add features to its mansion and gardens.

Some of Nashville’s biggest names have made major gifts to Cheekwood, which was built in 1929 and attracts more than 225,000 people annually. Both the Bracken Foundation and The Ann and Monroe Carell Foundation have each donated $5 million, with the Frist Foundation having contributed $4 million.