Whiskey, banjo and Rock’n’Roll: welcome to Tennessee, where the history of music merges with that of the United States itself. This is where Jack Daniel’s was born, where Elvis established his home at Graceland and recorded his first hits at Sun Studios. It’s also home to the country capital, Nashville, and the site of some of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War.
For these reasons and more, if you’re preparing for a road trip to the southern states, you can’t overlook Tennessee. This article was created as a list of suggestions of things not to be missed and, like all Top 10s, it obviously does not claim to be exhaustive.
Are you ready to discover what awaits you in this fascinating state?
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Nashville
Along with Memphis, Nashville is definitely a city that is a symbol not only of Tennessee but also of the United States. Considered for its history to be a true capital of music, let’s take a look at what the main attractions are.
For starters, you can’t say you’ve truly paid homage to the city’s musical history without having been to at least RCA Studio B, the Country Music Hall of Fame, The Grand Ole Opry and the Johnny Cash Museum, just to name the most important attractions you’ll find here.
But to reduce the city of Nashville to just its musical history would be to do a disservice to this great city. Take a stroll through Centennial Park and you’ll be able to see and touch a full-scale replica of the Parthenon in Athens, or, keeping with the historical theme, move to the suburbs and visit Andrew Jackson Hermitage, the plantation that belonged to the famous American president.
If you want to discover in detail everything that awaits you by visiting the city you can read our article entirely dedicated to what to do in Nashville.
Memphis
The name of the city is inextricably linked to that of Elvis Presley. Here in fact you can go on a Gracelands tour and visit the legendary Sun Studios, where the King of Rock’n’Roll recorded his first hits. Don’t miss a walk along Beale Street accompanied by dinner in one of the local characteristic places where live music is played practically all day long.
Don’t miss a visit to the National Civil Rights Museum, which stands on the site of the former Lorraine Motel, where Martin Luther King was assassinated. Memphis is also one of the main points from where you can embark on a fascinating cruise on the Mississippi, the river that more than any other has shaped the history of the United States.
To discover all that this city has in store for you, I suggest you read our in-depth look at the things to do in Memphis.
Shiloh National Military Park
This place was the scene of one of the bloodiest battles of the American Civil War; more than 23,000 soldiers lost their lives in the field. To put this number into context, it’s enough to know that such high numbers had not been reached in any of the wars previously fought by the United States. Shiloh National Military Park is also known to be one of the best preserved battlefields of the American Civil War era.
Inside the visitor center, we find a well-organized museum that traces the salient events of the battle and brings together a good collection of wartime uniforms and materials. Along the perimeter of the park there are numerous memorials and monuments, as well as cannons from the period and the usual cemetery with the tombstones of more than 4,000 soldiers who lost their lives here. It is possible to drive through the park in a rental car, stopping at the most important points.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Although it is perhaps one of the lesser-known parks in America, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is actually the park with the most visitors in all the United States. Considering its size, there are two entrances to the park, one in Tennessee (more crowded) and one in North Carolina (less crowded). Therefore, bear in mind a considerable concentration of tourists, especially in the high season.
A town to be taken into consideration as a privileged point of support to explore the national park is Gatlinburg, which closely resembles a typical Bavarian town, and is considered the privileged entry point to the park from the Tennessee side.
The most appreciated place on this side of the park is most definitely Cades Cove, once home to the settlers who settled in this area and now a center of attraction for thousands of tourists eager to see with their own eyes the picturesque meadows, the characteristic farms and mountain views of this place where time seems to stand still.
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Jack Daniel’s Distillery
Besides being the homeland of music, Tennessee is also the home of probably the most famous whiskey produced in the United States of America, namely Jack Daniel’s. Visiting the distillery of the well known liquor is therefore a must, both for the lovers of the genre and for the simply curious who want to discover something more about a brand which has made history.
Tours are daily from 9am to 4:30pm. You must be over the age of 21 to participate in the tours. There is not just one tour but as many as 5 different ones to choose from based on your time and needs:
- Dry County Tour: (approximately one hour, cost $20) tour only without tasting.
- The Flight of Jack Daniel’s tour: (1 1/2 hours, cost $30) tour with tasting of the famous whiskey.
- The Angle’s Share: (1 1/2 hours, cost $35) distillery tour with tasting of the sought-after single-barrel whiskey.
- The Taste of Lynchburg: (3 hours, cost $125) distillery tour with lunch at a typical restaurant in town.
If your home base is Nashville you can rely on a guided tour. Check out this one-day package with round trip transportation included.
From Nashville to Jack Daniel’s distillery
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Burgess Falls State Park
Here we are at the most scenic waterfalls in the state. The most interesting activity in the park is of course the scenic route called River Trail that runs along the river up to the Big Falls Overlook, a lookout from where you can observe the fascinating falls from above.
Attention: for safety reasons the park is closed when the river water exceeds the alert level. For this reason, you should consult the official website to check the actual availability of the park.
Chattanooga
One of the city’s biggest nature attractions is definitely Lookout Mountain, which it shares with the state of Georgia. Here we also find Rock City, which we’ve already talked about in the article dedicated to Georgia’s top 10. On the Tennessee side, however, you can visit one of the state’s most striking attractions, Ruby Falls, which are spectacular underground waterfalls that are also the highest in America.
Train lovers should not miss the opportunity to visit the historic Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum (where you will find many historical artifacts) and the quaint Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel, which takes its name from the famous Glenn Miller song and is located in what used to be the old train station (yes, you can even sleep inside an old train carriage). Today, in addition to the hotel, in the old station complex, you can also find bars and restaurants where you can find refreshments for your stay.
In addition to these attractions, it is also worth taking a stroll around the city, especially along the Riverpark and the historic Walnut Street Bridge.
Franklin
A city with deep ties to the events of the American Civil War, whose historic buildings still bear witness to the fighting that marked the era.
One of the historic houses to visit is certainly the Carnton Plantation. Built in 1826, it became with time one of the most famous and important plantations of the state, so much so that it was visited by the American president Andrew Jackson. In 1864 during the battle of Franklin, during which more than 9,500 soldiers died on both sides, the plantation became a real field hospital. The grounds near the plantation thus became a cemetery for more than 1,500 Confederate soldiers that today takes the name McGavock Confederate Cemetery.
Lotz House (now a museum) is the house around which the Union soldiers’ defenses were erected, and where the fiercest fighting of the battle was concentrated. This house also temporarily became a hospital that housed many wounded. A few foot away we find Carter House, which shares a similar history (it became the headquarters of the Union army) and where you can still see signs of the battle in the bullet holes on the walls and in the blood stains on the floor of some rooms.
Pigeon Forge
This small town is home to three of the state’s most curious attractions. The first is Dollywood, an amusement park created by the famous country singer Dolly Parton. Here you can find more than 40 different types of rides divided into 10 large thematic areas (in short, everyone can find something that suits them). Don’t miss a ride on the Dollywood Express, a train that circumnavigates the entire park, or one of the many concerts that are performed in the area.
The other curious attraction is the Titanic Museum which, in addition to hosting a large exhibition with more than 400 artifacts, also includes a giant replica of the Titanic itself that dominates the entire structure.
The third attraction that’s impossible to miss is the local Hollywood Wax Museum, whose exterior features a giant representation of King Kong scaling the Empire State Building and a Hollywood-esque copy of the famous Mount Rushmore, on which, instead of American presidents, profiles of John Wayne, Elvis, Marilyn Monroe and Charlie Chaplin are reproduced.
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Knoxville
In this city, which was the first capital of Tennessee, the World’s Fair of 1982, now also known as Expo, was held. The spaces that housed the pavilions of the fair are now home to the World’s Fair Park, which we can define as the beating heart of the town. The most famous attraction of the area is undoubtedly the Sunsphere, a golden hexagonal observation tower, which at 265 feet high is impossible not to notice from any point of the city. Obviously you can climb inside and enjoy the 360° panorama of the surrounding area and see the outline of the Smoky Mountains in the distance.
There are some great examples of historic homes in Knoxville as well. Let’s start with the Mabry-Hazen House Museum, whose construction dates back to 1858, once the home of the city’s most important family. Today it is a museum where you can observe more than 2,000 original artifacts that will give you a glimpse of how people lived in the 1800s. The other historic home of note is Blount Mansion, formerly owned by William Blount, who was one of the signers of the U.S. Constitution and governor of the Southwest Territory, which later became the state of Tennessee.
For those who do not want to miss a relaxing walk immersed in the tranquility of nature, do not miss a visit to the Ijams Nature Center a few minutes drive from downtown. This park is known for its very scenic walkway along the river.
