Image: Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art, Nashville
Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art in Nashville will present 'Fleurs de Villes THE GILDED AGE' from August 1 to 9, bringing the international flower show Fleurs de Villes back to the site with a new exhibition inspired by HBO’s 'The Gilded Age'. The show is presented in partnership with HBO Max and uses fresh floral artistry to interpret the opulence, ambition and characters of the series.
According to Cheekwood, the exhibition will feature one-of-a-kind floral mannequins installed across several areas of the property, including Botanic Hall, the Frist Learning Center and the Historic Mansion & Museum. The displays are described as a curated collection of fresh floral works spread throughout the garden and museum setting, with some exhibition hours listed as 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and select nights extending to 9 p.m.
The project centers on the drama’s late-19th-century New York setting, where old money and new ambition collide during a period of social change. Cheekwood says Nashville floral designers will create the floral pieces, translating the series’ visual language into arrangements that reference key characters and costume details rather than staging a conventional flower show. The site’s description highlights figures including Bertha Russell, Agnes van Rhijn, Marian Brook and Peggy Scott among the inspirations for the floral mannequins.
Cheekwood’s event listing also identifies the individual floral mannequins and their makers, with designers such as Flower Girls Floral Design, Studio Izrada, Rose Hill Flowers, Laurel & Leaf, Abbj Design, By Gossamer, Larson Floral Co., The Flower House, T Villager Designs and LL Floral contributing to the presentation. The exhibition is accompanied by additional floral installations titled 'Opera in Bloom', 'The Gilded Floral Frame', 'The Gilded Peacock' and 'Spring and Summer in Bloom', extending the show’s visual themes across the property.
The exhibition is part of a broader August schedule at Cheekwood. A Summer Soirée on July 31 is billed as an opening-night fundraiser for the return of Fleurs de Villes, while a range of public programs will run during the exhibition period. These include 'Gilded Paper Marbling', 'Margot Shaw Discussion & Book Signing', 'Gilded Garden', 'Cocktails in the Courtyard', 'Fleurs de Villes Floral Designer Talks', and 'Blooms of the Gilded Age', each tied to the floral installation in different ways.
Cheekwood’s shop is also preparing Fleurs de Villes merchandise, including shirts, totes, notebooks and greeting cards, with pre-orders available ahead of the exhibition and pickup or shipping beginning August 1. Ticketing information on the event page notes that a Garden & Mansion ticket is required to experience the full exhibition, with pricing set separately for Gardens Only and Gardens + Mansion admission. 'Fleurs de Villes THE GILDED AGE' runs August 1–9, 2026.
