"The Barn" was established in the early 1960's as a franchise. On March 29, 1967 "the old red barn" went big time, with the special press opening of Nashville's first "Barn Dinner Theatre", with over 300 people in attendance. Today, Chaffin's Barn is one of only two original "Barn's" in the franchise with a fully functioning "magic stage" making the start of all our productions even more exciting! Chaffin's is the second oldest professional dinner theatre in the Nation. Chaffin's Barn is located just on the outskirts of Nashville in Bellevue on Highway 100.
Since that day in 1967, when A.W. and Puny Chaffin opened Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre, we have been offering the Nashville audiences exciting top quality professional theatre and a mouth- watering buffet. The Barn was Nashville's first professional dinner theatre and continues to produce top quality comedies, musicals and mysteries year round. The 1967 opening night crowd included local celebrities, Senators, and the Mayor. It was a thrilling time for the Nashville community hungry for entertainment offerings and the Barn has been fulfilling that need for 45 years as one of the most unique landmarks in Nashville.
We continue to remain a favorite place for enjoying an evening or special occasion, but we also are a leader in facilitating fundraising events, birthday parties, tour groups, and office parties. We have space for seating 296 to make your special event a gathering to remember or our small intimate Backstage Theatre that seats 65. Both theatres large enough and well suited for live entertainment.
Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre understands how important the community is, and during the year they support and donate over one hundred fifty thousand dollars to schools, churches, and other local charities. Chaffin's also holds yearly fundraising events for many local organizations. A Member of the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce, Nashville Chamber of Commerce, Better Business Bureau, The Frist Center, and The Nashville Symphony.
Our actors have impressive stage credits and training prior to their performance at Chaffin's...Nationally and Local award winning professionals in music, vocal technique, choreography as well as acting. Over 44 years Chaffin's has been the back-bone of local theatre...working with most of the theatres in Middle Tennessee to bring live theatre to the stage. We sometimes say, "The world is a stage", the Chaffin's truly believe each of us at some point in our life wanted to be on that stage. We may not perform on a stage but we perform daily in our world. "The Barn" gives us an opportunity to enjoy looking into our "mirror of life" and leaving as if we were the performers, through someone else's eyes.   Â
"The Barn" has welcomed over a million visitors over the past 45 plus years. We are still making cherished memories and hopefully we have touched your lives as you have touched ours.
