Carnton

In the 1980s and 1990s, as historic sites took advantage of growing numbers of history-minded tourists, many began to offer various events such as weddings, concerts, and other social functions. Some sites also had holiday functions, teas, parties, and ghost tours. Most everyone involved with such things did so because it helped to generate revenue and there was some tangible marketing value. However, as the saying goes, time changes everything. For many years Carnton was just such a site. Over 20 years ago Carnton’s day-to-day tourism attendance was barely 10% of what it is today. In recent years we have scaled back events, and now we are ready to take the next step. Events have simply become a less necessary part of who we are, and that includes Carter House and Rippavilla. Our focus must shift almost solely to the 100,000+ visitors who come out every year. Our focus must be on the future and how to respectfully manage these important historic sites.