College Visit Guides

Drive guide · 3 days, 4 campuses

MTSU, Belmont, Tennessee Tech and Austin Peay in 3 Days: A Middle Tennessee College Trip

A parent-first plan for seeing Belmont University, Austin Peay State University, Middle Tennessee State University and Tennessee Tech in three days from one hotel in Nashville's West End: Belmont and a drive to Austin Peay in Clarksville on day 1, MTSU in Murfreesboro on day 2, then Tennessee Tech in Cookeville on day 3 before flying home from Nashville. Official visit sign-ups, parking at all four schools, Belmont's partner-hotel rates, the free Tennessee State Museum for siblings, and Nashville weather by season.

Belmont's Wilson Music Building, a brick-and-glass building with white columns, beside a campus drive with a Belmont welcome banner
Wilson Music Building, Belmont University, Nashville (May 2024). Photo: Warren LeMay from Chicago, IL, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Last checked Oct 27, 2026. Every fact comes from the pages listed in Sources at the bottom. Some hotel and tour links are affiliate links (disclosure).

The short version

Trip at a glance

Schools
Belmont University (Nashville) · Austin Peay State University (Clarksville) · Middle Tennessee State University (Murfreesboro) · Tennessee Tech (Cookeville)
Days
3: Belmont and Austin Peay on day 1, MTSU on day 2, then Tennessee Tech on day 3. Arrive the evening before.
Fly into
Nashville International (BNA), about 19 minutes from the hotel with no traffic. Fly home from BNA too, about 1 hour 29 minutes from Tennessee Tech.
Best base
Courtyard Nashville Vanderbilt/West End, a Belmont partner hotel about 4 minutes from Belmont's visitor garage.
Car or transit
You'll need a car. From the hotel it's about 1 hour to Austin Peay and 49 minutes to MTSU, and Tennessee Tech is about 1 hour 33 minutes away, all with no traffic.
Registration
All four schools take visit sign-ups online: Belmont's Undergraduate Campus Visit, Austin Peay's campus tours, MTSU's Guided Campus Tours and Tennessee Tech's VIP Campus Visit.

1. Who this guide is for

This plan is for parents with a high schooler, and maybe younger siblings, who want to compare four very different Middle Tennessee schools: Belmont, two miles from downtown Nashville; Austin Peay in downtown Clarksville; MTSU in Murfreesboro, at the geographic center of Tennessee; and Tennessee Tech in Cookeville.

Belmont is minutes from a West End hotel, Austin Peay and MTSU are each about an hour or less away, and Tennessee Tech is about an hour and a half east, so one Nashville hotel keeps all four within a day's drive.

Why this order

  • Day 1: Belmont's weekday Undergraduate Campus Visit pairs an admissions information session and campus tour with an academic information session, then it's about an hour to Austin Peay, which runs individual campus tours Monday through Friday.
  • Day 2: MTSU's Guided Campus Tours include an information session, a walking tour of campus (including housing) and a chance to talk with an admissions representative; MTSU says to allow about two hours.
  • Day 3: Tennessee Tech's VIP Campus Visit runs about three hours, with an admissions presentation, a campus tour with a student Trailblazer, a campus meal voucher and a free T-shirt. Then it's about 1 hour 29 minutes to BNA with no traffic.
Each campus parks you differently
  • Belmont: park in the underground Johnson Center garage (1909 15th Ave. S.) and follow the signs to Massey Center visitor parking on P1 and P2. Your confirmation email has parking instructions.
  • Austin Peay: check in at the O'Malley Family Welcome Center, 317 College St., with visitor parking in the lot next to the building.
  • MTSU: leave your tour confirmation email on the dashboard, or pick up a parking pass at the information desk in the Student Services and Admissions Center before your tour.
  • Tennessee Tech: get a free virtual visitor permit online with your license plate number, then park in any visitor space on campus.
Tour availability varies by season.
  • Spring is the wettest stretch: April and May each average more than 4.5 inches of rain at Nashville International.
  • MTSU's daily campus visits go on rain or shine, and Austin Peay cancels tours only for severe weather or a university closure, so pack an umbrella.
  • Summers are hot: July averages about 91°F highs at Nashville International.
  • Winters are mild but can bring some snow: January averages about 49°F highs and 30°F lows, with about 2 inches of snow.

2. The suggested 3-day plan

  • Drive and walk times are no-traffic estimates from OpenStreetMap routing, using addresses geocoded with OpenStreetMap Nominatim. Leave extra time on I-24 and I-40 and in Nashville rush hour.

Arrival evening: fly into Nashville and check in on West End

  1. Nashville International Airport (BNA) → Courtyard Nashville Vanderbilt/West End (1901 West End Ave.)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~19 min, 9.7 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving
    Drive
  • The Courtyard's Belmont listing says numerous restaurants are within one to two blocks of the hotel, and downtown Nashville is about a mile away.

Day 1: Belmont in Nashville, then Austin Peay in Clarksville

  1. Courtyard West End → Belmont's Johnson Center garage (1909 15th Ave. S.)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~4 min, 1.7 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving
    ~34 min walk, 1.6 mi

  2. Belmont → Austin Peay's O'Malley Family Welcome Center (317 College St., Clarksville)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~1 hr 3 min, 50.2 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving
    Drive

  3. Austin Peay → Courtyard West End

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~1 hr 1 min, 48.8 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving
    Drive
  • Book Belmont's weekday Undergraduate Campus Visit on its sign-up page. An Honors Program information session is added on Mondays and Fridays only.
  • Book Austin Peay on its tour reservation page. Academic appointments are available by request on the form, depend on faculty availability and aren't guaranteed.
  • Both visits in one day is a full schedule: pick Belmont and Austin Peay time slots with the hour-long drive in between in mind.

Day 2: MTSU in Murfreesboro, then back to Nashville

  1. Courtyard West End → MTSU Student Services and Admissions Center (1860 Blue Raider Dr., Murfreesboro)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~49 min, 36.1 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving
    Drive

  2. Courtyard West End → Tennessee State Museum (Rosa L. Parks Blvd. at Jefferson St.)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~5 min, 2.1 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving
    Drive
  • Book a Guided Campus Tour on MTSU's sign-up page. Daily campus visits start in the Student Services and Admissions Center, labeled SSAC on the campus map.
  • MTSU asks visitors to arrive early, since a late arrival could cut your visit short.
  • Want to meet your major's department? MTSU suggests contacting the department ahead of time through its Academic Programs page.

Day 3: Tennessee Tech in Cookeville, then fly home

  1. Courtyard West End → Tennessee Tech, Jere Whitson Building (805 Quadrangle, Cookeville)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~1 hr 33 min, 80.5 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving
    Drive

  2. Tennessee Tech → Nashville International Airport (BNA)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~1 hr 29 min, 74.7 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving
    Drive
  • Book a VIP Campus Visit on Tennessee Tech's sign-up page. Visits run Monday through Friday; academic department meetings are only offered on Monday, Wednesday and Friday visits, subject to department availability.
  • Plan on about three hours on campus, then leave time for the drive back to BNA.

3. Campus by campus

Belmont's Wilson Music Building, a brick-and-glass building with white columns, beside a campus drive with a Belmont welcome banner
Wilson Music Building, Belmont University, Nashville (May 2024). Photo: Warren LeMay from Chicago, IL, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Campus

Belmont University (Nashville)

Where visits start
  • The weekday Undergraduate Campus Visit includes an admissions information session and campus tour and an academic information session; an Honors Program session is added on Mondays and Fridays.
  • Belmont also hosts Saturday Preview Days, with academic sessions, a residence hall open house, a campus tour and lunch, plus shorter Sneak Peek Saturdays.
Visitor parking
  • Park in the underground Johnson Center garage, 1909 15th Ave. S. Follow the signs and bear paws on P1 and P2 to Massey Center visitor parking, then take the Massey Center elevators to the first floor; the Admissions Welcome Desk is to the right.
  • Using a ride-share? Belmont's drop-off point is the Jack C. Massey Center, 1905 15th Ave. S.
Getting there
  • About 4 minutes from the Courtyard and 2 minutes from the Moxy (a 13-minute walk) with no traffic. Belmont says campus is two miles from downtown Nashville.
What to know
  • Belmont's Nashville page points families to 12 South, just around the corner from campus, and to the Hillsboro-West End neighborhood's restaurants, bookstores and coffee shops.
Contact
Belmont University, 1900 Belmont Blvd., Nashville, TN 37212; 615-460-6000.

Last checked Oct 27, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.

Official pages: Belmont: In-person admissions visits · Belmont: Where to park · Belmont: Directions to campus

A green hillside with a flowering dogwood leading up to the white-columned Emerald Hill mansion on the Austin Peay campus in spring
Emerald Hill from Second Street, Austin Peay, Clarksville (Apr 2014). Photo: Nyttend · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Campus

Austin Peay State University (Clarksville)

Where visits start
  • Visits begin with a 15–20 minute admissions presentation, then a walking tour that typically lasts 1.5 to 2 hours. Tours are free.
  • Austin Peay asks you to sign up ahead for planning but accepts walk-ins. Each prospective student in a group should fill out their own reservation.
  • The tour is entirely on foot, so wear comfortable shoes; call admissions at 931-221-7661 if you need accommodations. Tours in Spanish are available on request.
Visitor parking
  • Check in at the front desk of the O'Malley Family Welcome Center, 317 College St. Visitor parking is in the lot next to the building.
  • Saturday tours leave from a different spot on campus; check your confirmation email or call admissions.
Getting there
  • About 1 hour 3 minutes from Belmont and 1 hour 1 minute back to the Courtyard with no traffic. Austin Peay says BNA is about 50 miles from campus.
What to know
  • The Welcome Center, a converted former car dealership dedicated in April 2025, links campus with downtown Clarksville.
Contact
Austin Peay Office of Admissions, O'Malley Family Welcome Center, 317 College St., Clarksville, TN; 931-221-7661, admissions@apsu.edu.

Last checked Oct 27, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.

Official pages: Austin Peay: Schedule a campus tour · Austin Peay: O'Malley Family Welcome Center · Austin Peay: Visit

The red-brick Kirksey Old Main at MTSU, with tall white columns across its front, as a tour group gathers on the walk outside
Kirksey Old Main, MTSU, Murfreesboro (Jul 2007). Photo: Dailynetworks at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Campus

Middle Tennessee State University (Murfreesboro)

Where visits start
  • Guided Campus Tours include an information session, a walking tour of campus (including housing) and time with an admissions representative at the end. Allow about two hours.
  • MTSU also offers a self-guided walking tour map and a virtual tour on its visit page.
Visitor parking
  • Leave your tour confirmation email on the dashboard, or pick up a parking pass at the information desk in the Student Services and Admissions Center before your tour. If you get a ticket during a daily campus visit, call 615-898-5670.
Getting there
  • About 49 minutes from the Courtyard with no traffic.
What to know
  • After the tour, MTSU emails a link to a short survey about your visit.
Contact
MTSU Events & Tours, Student Services and Admissions Center, 1860 Blue Raider Dr., Murfreesboro, TN 37132; 615-898-5670.

Last checked Oct 27, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.

Official pages: MTSU: Schedule a visit · MTSU: Traveling to MTSU

A blazing orange-red maple and other autumn trees across a green lawn in Sherlock Park at Tennessee Tech under a clear blue sky
Sherlock Park in fall, Tennessee Tech, Cookeville (Nov 2011). Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Campus

Tennessee Tech (Cookeville)

Where visits start
  • The VIP Campus Visit includes a presentation from an admissions counselor, a campus tour with a Trailblazer, a complimentary campus meal voucher and a free Tennessee Tech T-shirt. It takes about three hours.
  • Visits run Monday through Friday. Academic department meetings are added on Monday, Wednesday and Friday visits, subject to department availability; Tuesday and Thursday visits don't include them.
  • To reschedule, email visit@tntech.edu or call 931-372-6104. In bad weather, check the Tennessee Tech homepage for closures.
Visitor parking
  • Get a free virtual visitor permit through Tennessee Tech's parking portal (have your license plate number ready); it lets you park in any visitor space on campus.
  • If visitor spaces are full, Parking and Transportation Services (Roaden University Center 122, 931-372-6428) can help you find another space.
Getting there
  • About 1 hour 33 minutes from the Courtyard and 1 hour 29 minutes from BNA with no traffic.
What to know
  • Your meal voucher covers a meal on campus, so plan lunch there before the drive back to Nashville.
Contact
Tennessee Tech Office of Admissions, Jere Whitson Building, Room 208, 805 Quadrangle, Cookeville, TN 38505; visit team visit@tntech.edu, 931-372-6104.

Last checked Oct 27, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.

Official pages: Tennessee Tech: Visit · Tennessee Tech: Visitor parking

4. Where to stay: three nights in Nashville

Price tiers (Budget, Mid-range, Upscale) follow each hotel's star class on Expedia. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.

Hotel · Our pickMid-range

Courtyard by Marriott Nashville Vanderbilt/West End

1901 West End Ave., Nashville, TN

Why here

  • It's about 4 minutes from Belmont's visitor garage, 1 hour from Austin Peay, 49 minutes from MTSU, 1 hour 33 minutes from Tennessee Tech and 19 minutes from BNA with no traffic.
  • Expedia lists this hotel as a 3-star property, so we place it in the Mid-range tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.

Good to know

  • It's one of Belmont's partner hotels. Parking at the hotel garage carries a fee, so confirm parking and amenities on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Hotel · AlternateBudget

Moxy Nashville Vanderbilt at Hillsboro Village

1911 Belcourt Ave., Nashville, TN

Why here

  • Expedia lists this hotel as a 2.5-star property, so we place it in the Budget tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
  • It's about a 13-minute walk to Belmont's visitor garage, and about 50 minutes from MTSU and 1 hour 3 minutes from Austin Peay with no traffic. Belmont calls it walking distance to campus.

Good to know

  • Expedia's listing gives a minimum check-in age of 21, and amenities change, so confirm both on the listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Hotel · AlternateUpscale

Hotel Fraye Nashville, Curio Collection by Hilton

1810 Broadway, Nashville, TN

Why here

  • Expedia lists this hotel as a 4-star property, so we place it in the Upscale tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
  • It's about 4 minutes from Belmont's visitor garage, 49 minutes from MTSU and 18 minutes from BNA with no traffic. Belmont lists it as a partner hotel about 1.5 miles from campus.

Good to know

  • Confirm parking and amenities on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Three nights on West End put Belmont minutes away and Austin Peay, MTSU and Tennessee Tech each within a day's drive. On day 3, check out and drive to Cookeville, then straight on to BNA.

5. Meals between tours

Hours change, so check before you go.

Near Belmont (Nashville)

Belmont's own Nashville guide points to Bongo Java, just across Belmont Boulevard, and Martin's BBQ Joint, a short walk away, plus the shops and restaurants of 12 South around the corner.

At Tennessee Tech (Cookeville)

Every registered VIP Campus Visit student gets a complimentary meal voucher to eat on campus.

6. Things for siblings along the route

With siblings

Tennessee State Museum

Rosa L. Parks Blvd. at Jefferson St., Nashville, TN

Admission is free, with Tennessee history, art and culture from natural history to today, and a Children's Gallery. Free parking is in the lot shared with the Nashville Farmers' Market, which fills fast on weekends. It's about 5 minutes from the Courtyard.

Official page →

7. Practical tips

Driving and parking

  • At Belmont, use the Johnson Center garage and follow the signs to Massey Center visitor parking. At Austin Peay, use the lot next to the Welcome Center. At MTSU, display your confirmation email or a pass from the SSAC. At Tennessee Tech, register a free virtual visitor permit.
  • Tennessee Tech's visitor spaces are reserved for guests; if they're full, call its parking office at 931-372-6428.

Flying in and out

  • Nashville International (BNA) is about 19 minutes from the Courtyard and 1 hour 29 minutes from Tennessee Tech with no traffic.
  • Coming from the airport to Belmont, Belmont's directions page routes you via I-440 West.

Weather by season (1991–2020 NOAA normals: Nashville International Airport)

  • Spring: April averages about 73°F highs and 49°F lows, with about 4.7 inches of rain.
  • Summer: July averages about 91°F highs and 71°F lows, with about 4.2 inches of rain.
  • Fall: October averages about 74°F highs and 50°F lows, with about 3.4 inches of rain.
  • Winter: January averages about 49°F highs and 30°F lows, with about 4 inches of precipitation and 2 inches of snow.

Parent checklist

  • Register for all four visits online: Belmont and Austin Peay on day 1, MTSU on day 2 and Tennessee Tech on day 3.
  • Want a department meeting at Tennessee Tech? Book a Monday, Wednesday or Friday visit. Want Belmont's Honors session? Pick a Monday or Friday.
  • Register Tennessee Tech's free virtual visitor permit and print or save MTSU's confirmation email for your dashboard.
  • Book three nights in Nashville and fly in and out of BNA.
  • Pack comfortable shoes; Austin Peay's tour is entirely on foot, and MTSU's visits go on rain or shine.
  • After each visit, take five minutes to jot down what stood out to your student.

8. Student-athlete recruiting visits

For families whose student hopes to play a college sport. Rules below are the NCAA's; each school's links were checked Oct 26, 2026.

Coaches arrange the recruiting part of a visit, not the admissions office. The tour sign-ups in this guide are for the regular family visit. An official (school-paid) visit is offered by the school, and contact with coaches follows NCAA rules that vary by division, sport and grade level.

Start with your sport's questionnaire, then email the coaches. The NCAA suggests emailing coaches with your achievements, highlight videos and interest in their program, including your name, position, NCAA ID and graduation year.

4 Division I

NCAA basics for parents

  • Unofficial visit: any campus visit you or your family pay for. You can take as many as you like; in Divisions I and II each one has to come after the first permissible date for your sport.
  • Official visit: a visit paid for by the school. Each school can offer your student only one. Before a Division I official visit, your student must be registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center, be on the school's institutional request list, and the school must have their high school transcripts.
  • Division I (Belmont University, Austin Peay State University, Middle Tennessee State University and Tennessee Tech): on an official visit the school can pay for travel for the student and up to two family members, lodging, up to three meals a day for the student and up to four family members, and up to $60 a person in entertainment, including five home-game tickets. On an unofficial visit there are no free meals, but the school can give up to three home-game tickets. Division I uses recruiting calendars with contact, evaluation, quiet and dead periods; in a dead period, no in-person contact and no visits.
  • Rules change. Confirm with the coach, or check the NCAA's recruiting page and recruiting calendars, before you plan dates.

Planning around the season

  • Check each school's athletics schedule (linked above) before you pick dates, so a coach meeting doesn't land on a road trip or game day for your sport.
  • Our recommendation, not a school rule: ask the coach whether they can line up an admissions session or tour around your meeting. If not, book the regular family tour yourself through the official sign-up links in this guide, and leave time between the two.

Student-athlete sources

All checked Oct 26, 2026.

  1. NCAA, 2026-27 Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete (pp. 3, 21–25)
  2. NCAA.org: NCAA Recruiting
  3. NCAA: Division I and II Recruiting Calendars and Guides
  4. NCAA Directory: Belmont University
  5. Belmont University Athletics (official site)
  6. Belmont University Athletics: Compliance
  7. Belmont University Athletics: Staff Directory
  8. Belmont University Athletics: schedule of events
  9. NCAA Directory: Austin Peay State University
  10. Austin Peay State University Athletics (official site)
  11. Austin Peay State University Athletics: Compliance
  12. Austin Peay State University Athletics: Staff Directory
  13. Austin Peay State University Athletics: schedule of events
  14. NCAA Directory: Middle Tennessee State University
  15. Middle Tennessee State University Athletics (official site)
  16. Middle Tennessee State University Athletics: Compliance
  17. Middle Tennessee State University Athletics: Staff Directory
  18. Middle Tennessee State University Athletics: schedule of events
  19. NCAA Directory: Tennessee Technological University
  20. Tennessee Tech Athletics (official site)
  21. Tennessee Tech Athletics: Recruiting guidelines
  22. Tennessee Tech Athletics: Staff Directory
  23. Tennessee Tech Athletics: schedule of events

Trip planner

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Sources

All checked Oct 27, 2026. Tour schedules change constantly, so always confirm on each school's official sign-up page. Photo credits are under each photo and on our About page.

  1. Belmont University: Undergraduate in-person admissions visits
  2. Belmont University: Undergraduate campus visit (official sign-up)
  3. Belmont University: Where to park
  4. Belmont University: Directions to campus
  5. Belmont University: Places to stay (partner hotels)
  6. Belmont University: Experience Nashville
  7. Austin Peay State University Admissions: Visit
  8. Austin Peay State University: Schedule a campus tour
  9. Austin Peay State University: Campus tour reservation (official sign-up)
  10. Austin Peay State University: O'Malley Family Welcome Center
  11. Middle Tennessee State University: Schedule a visit
  12. Middle Tennessee State University: Guided campus tours (official sign-up)
  13. Middle Tennessee State University: Traveling to MTSU
  14. Tennessee Tech Admissions: Visit Tennessee Tech
  15. Tennessee Tech: VIP Campus Visit (official sign-up)
  16. Tennessee Tech Parking & Transportation: Visitor parking
  17. Tennessee Tech Admissions: Counselors and office address
  18. Tennessee State Museum: Plan your visit
  19. OSRM routing (OpenStreetMap), driving profile
  20. OSRM routing (OpenStreetMap), foot profile
  21. OpenStreetMap Nominatim geocoder
  22. NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 Monthly Normals, Nashville International Airport, TN (USW00013897)
  23. Expedia listing: Courtyard by Marriott Nashville Vanderbilt/West End (star class, checked 2026-10-27) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Nashville-Hotels-Courtyard-By-Marriott-Vanderbilt-West-End.h11157.Hotel-Information)
  24. Expedia listing: Moxy Nashville Vanderbilt at Hillsboro Village (star class, checked 2026-10-27) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Nashville-Hotels-Moxy-Nashville-Vanderbilt-At-Hillsboro-Village.h38515571.Hotel-Information)
  25. Expedia listing: Hotel Fraye Nashville, Curio Collection by Hilton (star class, checked 2026-10-27) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Nashville-Hotels-Hotel-Fraye-Nashville-Midtown.h82673868.Hotel-Information)