Country music star Barbara Mandrell’s former Tennessee home took on a new life after music manager Dale Morris and Marc Oswald bought the property in 2002.
The massive log mansion, known as Fontanel, was later opened to the public in 2010, giving fans a chance to step inside the home where Mandrell and her family lived for 14 years.
Located in Whites Creek near Nashville, Tennessee, Fontanel was built in 1988 for Mandrell and her family. The three-story home has more than 20 rooms, 13 bathrooms, five fireplaces and two kitchens. It also features an indoor pool atrium that could be turned into a dance floor and an indoor shooting range, according to The Boot.
Barbara Mandrell during 40th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards – Show at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.Photo by M. Caulfield/WireImage for Bragman Nyman Cafarelli
The property sits on a large tract of land and became more than just a former celebrity home. Over the years, Fontanel developed into a tourist destination with an inn, trails, an amphitheater, a winery, a distillery, zipline attractions and shops.
Barbara Mandrell’s Tennessee Mansion Became a Tourist Attraction
Mandrell and her family lived in the home from 1988 until 2002. She chose the name Fontanel because the word refers to the soft spot on a baby’s head. For Mandrell, the name represented the home as a “soft spot” for her family and a place where they could come together.
After the Mandrell family sold the property in 2002, Morris and Oswald acquired the mansion. The two Nashville music managers were connected to major country artists, including Kenny Chesney, Gretchen Wilson and Big & Rich.
Before opening Fontanel to tourists, the new owners used the property for television productions and music video shoots. The mansion later appeared in the television series Gone Country and the film Country Strong, adding another chapter to its connection with the entertainment industry.
In June 2010, Fontanel was opened to the public as a tourist attraction. Visitors could tour the mansion and see personal photographs, collections and memorabilia connected to Mandrell and other music stars.
The mansion’s rooms also contained memorabilia and instruments associated with artists managed by Morris and Oswald. The collection included items connected to Alabama, Kenny Chesney, Big & Rich, Gretchen Wilson, Old Dominion, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Jewel, among others.
Barbara Mandrell’s daughter, Jaime Dudney, also became involved with the property as its director of hospitality. Dudney had spent her childhood in the mansion and returned years after the family had left.
Speaking about the experience, Dudney told The Boot, “I’m super passionate about this.”
She also explained the emotional connection she had to the property after growing up there.
“It’s hard for anyone to leave their childhood home, and sell it. It doesn’t matter how big the house is, what kind of house it is, where you live, it doesn’t matter. It’s always emotional to leave your childhood home.”
The Fontanel property became a major entertainment complex beyond the mansion itself. Its facilities included The Inn, the Carl Black Chevy Woods Amphitheater, Adventureworks Ziplines, Natchez Hills Winery, Prichard’s Distillery, walking trails, a greenway, a gift shop and a café.
The complex also hosted live entertainment. During its 2010 opening, country artist John Rich performed at the property, while other events included bluegrass performances and artist autograph signings.
Morris’s involvement with Fontanel also tied the property to his long career in country music management. He helped guide the careers of Alabama and Kenny Chesney, among other artists. Morris died in August 2026 at age 89, according to Variety. His longtime protege Clint Higham described his death as “the end of an era.”
Morris’s country music career stretched across decades. He first worked as a songwriter before moving into music promotion, booking and artist management. His work with Alabama helped the group become one of country music’s most successful acts, while his later management of Chesney helped turn the singer into a major stadium performer.
Fontanel eventually changed ownership again. In 2016, Morris became the sole owner of two-thirds of the property after buying out Oswald. The property was later purchased by Chicago-based BlueRoad Ventures for $14.5 million in February 2019.
Later that year, Fontanel management announced that the property was closing “for the time being.” At that point, the Adventure Works ziplines and greenway trails were among the areas that remained open.
The property’s history, however, remains closely linked to Barbara Mandrell. What began as a private family home in 1988 became a filming location, music-related attraction and tourist destination after its sale in 2002.
Related: Michael B. Jordan paid $5.8 million for a Los Angeles house in 2019 and listed it for $6,988,000 in 2022; it returned to the market in September for $14 million
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