With its world-renowned country music scene and highly rated BBQ food, it should come as no surprise that Tennessee is a state full of great things to do and see. From Nashville to Memphis and places in between, here are the must-visit attractions in the Volunteer State.
1. Graceland Building
Building
Even if you aren’t an Elvis fan, Graceland is a must-visit. It’s the second most visited home in America, and when you check it out, you’ll understand why. A tour of the mansion, via an interactive iPad tour hosted by John Stamos, takes visitors through the living room, the TV room, the Jungle Room, the kitchen and Elvis’s father’s office. You can step aboard Elvis’s airplanes and pay tribute to the King in the Meditation Garden where he is laid to rest with other members of his family.
2. Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Park
Chris Ried / Unsplash Straddling the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains and part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park in the US. The Appalachian Trail and the border between Tennessee and North Carolina run through the center of the park. There are also several recreational activities available, such as hiking, camping, fishing and taking in the sights of wildlife and waterfalls.
3. Ryman Auditorium
Concert Hall, Music Venue
William King / Unsplash Once called the Carnegie of the South, and currently known as the “Mother Church” of country music, the Ryman Auditorium dates back to 1885 when evangelist Sam Jones led a tent revival attended by 5,000 people, including Nashville businessman Thomas G. Ryman. After becoming a Christian, Ryman dedicated his life and fortune to building the Union Gospel Tabernacle for Jones, and upon his death, its name was changed to the Ryman Auditorium to honor his legacy. The 2,362-seat live performance venue hosts weekly music shows and performances.
4. Tennessee Aquarium
Aquarium
Chattanooga’s Tennessee Aquarium features two buildings that host all of the facility’s exhibits: River Journey and Ocean Journey. Visitors can learn about marine and freshwater animals such as frogs, otters, turtles, catfish, jellyfish, penguins and sharks. The exhibits at the aquarium celebrate the biodiversity of the Southeast and focus on restoring freshwater ecosystems in conjunction with the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute.
5. Centennial Park
Park, Hiking Trail
Nashville’s Centennial Park is a 132-acre (53ha) park featuring a 1mi (1.6km) walking trail, a band shell, volleyball courts, a playground, a dog park and the Centennial Art Center. Several festivals and music events take place throughout the year at the park. It’s also the home of the Nashville Parthenon – a replica of the original Parthenon in Greece – which is an art museum with a permanent collection of paintings by 19th- and 20th-century American artists. 
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6. Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
Museum
Photo by Matthew LeJune on Unsplash For more than 50 years, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, which seeks to “collect, preserve, and interpret the evolving history and traditions of country music,” has been a downtown Nashville music staple adding to the growing artistic community in the city. The main exhibition is Sing Me Back Home: A Journey Through Country Music, which uses artifacts, photographs, vintage video and interactive touchscreens to tell the stories of country music’s origins and traditions.
7. National Civil Rights Museum
Museum
Established in 1991, the National Civil Rights Museum teaches visitors about the history of the American Civil Rights Movement and how its legacy continues to shape the global mission of cultural equality today. The museum is at the former Lorraine Motel where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968 and features exhibits that honor him and what he stood for, with several interactive exhibits exploring important issues and events covered during the Civil Rights Movement.
8. Ruby Falls
Natural Feature
Visitors will find Ruby Falls, the country’s largest and deepest waterfall open to the public, at the end of the main passage of Ruby Falls Cave in Chattanooga. These limestone caves form when acidic groundwater enters subterranean streams, slowing dissolving the limestone and causing narrow cracks to widen. The waterfall, fed by rainwater and natural springs, lies 1,120 feet (341m) underground. Hundreds of gallons of water rush over by the minute, collecting in a pool on the cave floor, continuing through the mountain until joining with the Tennessee River at the base of Lookout Mountain.
9. Tennessee State Capitol
Building
Photo by Thomas Konings on Unsplash
Designed by architect William Strickland, the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville opened in 1859 as a tribute to the people of Tennessee. When Strickland died during construction, he was buried in the north façade of the building. The tombs of President and Mrs. James K. Polk are also on the grounds. Statues honoring Sam Davis, Sgt. Alvin York, President Andrew Jackson and President Andrew Johnson stand at the Capitol, which offers guided tours during the week.
10. Stax Museum of American Soul Music
Museum
The Stax Museum of American Soul Music, which is a replica of the Stax recording studio, opened in 2003. There are 17,000 square feet (1,580sq. m.) of videos, photographs, original instruments, stage costumes and interactive exhibits. One of the only museums in the world dedicated to soul music, the museum honors the legacy of Stax Records and its artists, such as Otis Redding, the Staple Singers and Albert King.
11. Grand Ole Opry
Concert Hall, Music Venue
The world-famous Grand Ole Opry started as a radio broadcast in 1925. Once housed at the Ryman Auditorium, it took up residence at the Grand Ole Opry House in 1974. Some of the Opry’s first performers were Roy Acuff, Minnie Pearl, and Ernest Tubb, who helped the venue earn the name of the “country’s most famous stage.” It currently hosts shows featuring country music legends, as well as contemporary artists; they are all broadcast on Nashville’s 650 AM WSM, SiriusXM Satellite Radio and on opry.com.
12. Sun Studio
Museum
Opened by Sam Phillips in 1950, Sun Studio was originally called Memphis Recording Service and shared a building with Sun Records. After Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats recorded “Rocket 88” at Sun Studio in 1951, it earned the status as the birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll. Music legends such as Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison and Johnny Cash recorded at the studio throughout the middle and late 1950s. In 1987, Gary Hardy reopened the original building that housed Sun Records and Memphis Recording Service and called it Sun Studio.
13. Mud Island
Park
Terrance Raper / Unsplash
Mud Island is not an island. It is a small peninsula in Memphis surrounded by the Mississippi River to the west and the Wolf River to the east. It’s home to the Mud Island Riverwalk, the Mississippi River Museum and a 5,000-seat outdoor amphitheater. The Riverwalk features bike trails, pedal boats and a hydraulic scale model of the lower Mississippi River. The museum presents the history of the lower Mississippi River Valley, emphasizing the steamboat, of which there is a full-scale replica for viewing.
14. Titanic Museum
Museum
Get closer to the history of the world’s most famous ship at Pigeon Forge, a city in-between Knoxville and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Dedicated to the ill-fated Titanic, the museum features an exact replica of the Grand Staircase. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. The museum is crammed with geographical and historical guides, and for entertainment, seek out the 26ft-long (8m) Titanic model built from 56,000 Lego bricks – it took 11 months to construct. How’s that for a science project completed by a 10-year-old boy from Iceland?
15. The Parthenon
Building, Museum
Photo by Joshua Woods on Unsplash There’s no need to study an atlas to check if you’re going crazy; this is a replica of Greece’s temple dedicated to Athena. Built in 1897, the Parthenon lends itself to one of Nashville’s nicknames – “The Athens of the South.” Thousands of tourists flock to the site to take snapshots of its iconic classical architecture. Inside, it doubles as an art museum, with its most notable exhibition being the statue of Athena Parthenos, having taken eight years to complete. Combining Greek mythology with American history, the Parthenon ranks highly on the list of Tennessee’s most desirable locations.
16. Beale Street
Architectural Landmark
Photo by Thomas Konings on Unsplash
Night owls head to Memphis’s premier entertainment thoroughfare for an evening’s dancing to a heady mix of frothy beer and blues-inspired live music. Enticing neon lights mark Beale Street out as a beacon of hedonism, although there’s a friendly vibe and an easy-going ambience that appeals to all. Grab a bite to eat at one of many authentic restaurants, with the rhythm of the Deep South blues always within earshot. Beale Street was a favorite amongst distinguished names as B.B. King, Muddy Waters and Louis Armstrong, so streets don’t come more distinguished for blues aficionados. Capture the sights and sounds for a treasured memory at the very core of Memphis’s musical history.
17. Belle Meade Plantation
Historical Landmark, Architectural Landmark
In 1807, John Harding founded the Belle Meade Plantation, which started as a single log cabin on 250 acres (101ha) and grew to a 5,400-acre (2,185ha) thoroughbred horse farm. It featured a Greek Revival mansion, a deer park, a train station and housing for enslaved workers. Today, there are 34 acres (14ha) of the original property and homestead still in place.
18. Dollywood
Amusement Park, Park
Located in Pigeon Forge, Dollywood is the biggest ticketed tourist attraction in Tennessee. Jointly owned by legendary country singer Dolly Parton and Herschend Family Entertainment, it features 10 different themed areas that focus on the history and culture of the state, as well as Dolly Parton’s life. In addition to the amusement park, there are sister attractions including Dollywood’s Splash Country, Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede Dinner Attraction.
19. Jack Daniel’s Distillery
Distillery
Marcel Strauß / Unsplash
Even if for those who don’t drink whiskey, touring Jack Daniel’s Distillery is a fascinating experience. The daily tours at the Lynchburg facility walk visitors through the entire process of how Jack Daniel’s whiskey is made. Tour guides share the both history of the distillery and many interesting facts about Jack and his life. The distillery offers several tour options, ranging in price from $13 for a 30-minute tour, to $75 for a three-hour tour that includes a meal at Miss Mary Bobo’s Boarding House Restaurant. Even though Jack Daniel’s is a whiskey processing facility, it is actually located in a dry county. This means that while visitors can learn about whiskey and even try samples on the tours, alcohol sales are not permitted. A loophole in this law, however, allows a distillery to sell one commemorative product, regardless of county statutes. The distillery sells the original No. 7 blend in a commemorative bottle and offers free cups of lemonade at the end of its tours.
20. The Bluebird Cafe
Music Venue
Despite being one of the world’s top listening rooms, The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville is a small, unassuming 90-seat live music venue. The original owner was Amy Kurland, who sold the establishment in 2008 to the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI). She saw NSAI’s mission to celebrate songwriters as a way to keep the café connected to local songwriters and the Nashville music community. Most nights, the Bluebird Cafe hosts up-and-coming artists. Many of these artists go on to become well-known singers and songwriters.
Cotton Museum
Memphis was once a thriving hub of the cotton industry, and the Cotton Museum now sits on the historic trade floor of the Memphis Cotton Exchange. Admission to the museum includes a self-guided audio tour of Cotton Row, where the center of the worldwide cotton trade was located for generations. The museum also explores the way blues music played an important role in the lives of Southern slaves and field hands who worked on cotton plantations.
Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage
In the city of Hermitage is the former home of President Andrew Jackson. The home, built between 1819 and 1821 by local carpenters, was originally a brick, Federal-style house. It had eight rooms, nine fireplaces and a basement summer kitchen, and it was decorated with French wallpaper. After the death of his wife, Rachel, Jackson decided to bury her in the garden on the property since it was her favorite place. Today, both the former President and his wife are laid to rest on the grounds.
Memphis Zoo
The Memphis Zoo features several animal exhibits, such as Once Upon a Farm, Primate Canyon, Northwest Passage, and Animals of the Night. The zoo houses two giant pandas, Le Le and Ya Ya; it is one of four zoos in the U.S. to house these beautiful animals. It was also the home of the world’s longest living hippopotamus; Adonis, a male hippo who died in 1965 at the age of 54, giving the zoo the title of “hippo capital of the world.”
| Joshua J. Cotten / Unsplash
Shelby Farms Park
At 4,500 acres (1,821ha), Shelby Farms Park is one of the largest urban parks in the country, covering more than five times the area of Central Park in New York City. Located in Memphis, the park has more than 40 miles (64km) of walking, biking and hiking trails and more than 20 bodies of water. Shelby Farms Greenline, a 10.7-mile (17km) paved trail connects Memphis to the city of Cordova through Shelby Farms Park.
Shelby Farms, Memphis, TN, USA | Photo by Stephanie Slavick on Unsplash
Bell Witch Cave
Call yourself intrepid? Forget the Blair Witch and instead venture to the tiny city of Adams in the north of the state for an utterly spooky encounter. The Bell Witch is claimed to be the ghost of Kate Batts, a cantankerous neighbor of John Bell, who believed she cheated him out of a piece of land in the early 1800s. The witch tormented Mr. Bell and his daughter, Betsy, and over a century later, many locals believed the eerie apparition never left the area. As the cave was owned by Mr. Bell, it’s well worth making the trip to test your nerves and partake in a spot of ghost-hunting. Oh, and the legend is still taught in schools – sweet dreams, kids!
The American Museum of Science and Energy
Established in 1949 in an old cafeteria (it’s amazing where some prominent museums originate), the AMSE provides educational programs that focus on the country’s Department of Energy’s nuclear usage. War enthusiasts will be intrigued to note the AMSE played a large part in the Manhattan Project, which researched and developed the first nuclear weapons in World War II. Fascinating exhibits include Big Science, National Security and Environmental Restoration. The AMSE is essential viewing for budding scientists and is crucial to the country’s future.
The RC-Moon Pie Festival
Held in the town of Bell Buckle, the annual RC-Moon Pie Festival takes places the third Saturday in June. The family-friendly event celebrates two Tennessee drink and food staples: RC Cola and the Moon Pie. There’s a 10-mile run to start the day and a parade to crown the festival king and queen. The grand finale is where visitors can expect free dessert thanks to the cutting of the World’s Largest Moon Pie. With live music, games, contests, and cloggers, this festival has been a Bell Buckle favorite since it first started in 1994.
Bush’s Beans Factory
Anyone who’s seen the commercials for Bush’s Baked Beans knows that Jay Bush, the great-grandson of the company’s founder, isn’t giving away the family’s secret recipe. But there’s still the opportunity to take a closer look at how the beans are made and learn more about the Bush family’s story at the Bush’s Beans Factory. It’s located in Chestnut Hill, approximately 40 miles from Knoxville. Housed in the original A.J. Bush & Company general store, the tour travels from 1897, when the business began, through to the present day. Walk through a giant replica of a Bush’s Baked Beans can, and get a glimpse into the methods of processing and canning beans. For die-hard fans of the Bush’s brand, the gift shop sells cookbooks, cookware, and Bush family (and Duke the dog) memorabilia.
CMA Music Festival
Every June, Nashville hosts the CMA Music Festival, a four-day live music event. It takes place at three venues downtown; the Music City Center, the Riverfront Park stage, and Nissan Stadium. Top country artists, as well as those who are still making a name for themselves in the country music scene, grace the stages to bring Music City four days of top-notch entertainment. A package must be purchased in advance in order to attend the event; packages have options that include hotel accommodations, as well as meet-and-greet opportunities with the performers.
International Biscuit Festival
Like biscuits? Then be sure to hit the International Biscuit Festival held in Knoxville every year. It began in 2009 by a group of biscuit-lovers who gathered as friends to share their fondness of biscuits. That small gathering evolved into a nationally recognized food festival. Some events include a biscuit baking contest, the Miss or Mister Biscuit Pageant, and the Biscuit Bazaar. The Southern Food Writing Conference was added to the festival’s schedule in 2012 to bring together southern food authors, chefs, and publishers.
Cooter’s Dukes of Hazzard Museum
Fans of Dukes of Hazzard know who Cooter is. Once the show ended, the real-life Cooter, actor Ben Jones, went into politics and served as a U.S. congressman in Georgia from 1989 to 1993. Today, he owns the fittingly named Cooter’s Place in Nashville, a museum with pictures, props, and memorabilia from the show. There is also a replica of the iconic 1969 Dodge Charger known as General Lee, as well as Cooter’s tow truck, Daisy’s Jeep, “Dixie,” and Sheriff Roscoe’s patrol cruiser.
Tuckaleechee Caverns
The Tuckaleechee Caverns lie under the Great Smoky Mountains, near the town of Gatlinburg. They run 150ft into the ground and were used by Native Americans to evade white settlers in the 1800s. Inside the caves you get to marvel at the pure water stream and the abstract geological formations such as the towering stalagmites. The main room is enormous but the tallest subterranean waterfall in the United States is just as impressive. It’s definitely worth travelling to the oldest mountain range on the planet for. Recommended by Frank Lopez.
Al Green’s Church
The soul man, Al Green, known all across the world for his yearning love songs such as ‘Tired of Being Alone’ quit music to follow a religious calling. His church is situated not far from Graceland. When he vowed to leave his lucrative career in music behind so that he could preach in his own church he transformed his world. Fans of his music still go to visit him preaching today – and he’s a stirring and passionate front man with a no less than electric backing band. Recommended by Frank Lopez.
Sound Waves
Sound Waves in Gaylord exclaim that they are not a waterpark. Let’s just say this is one of the best kinds of upscale water resorts for splashing around with friends and family, with more than 200,000 square metres of indoor and outdoor water activities that go from relaxing to extremely exhilarating. Whether it be state-of-the-art slides or poolsides to lounge in. There is even an adults-only bar for you to sip cocktails and really unwind in after a hard day of having fun. Recommended by Frank Lopez.
The Lost Sea Adventure
Travel to the town of Sweetwater to have a unique experience of visiting The Lost Sea Adventure, witnessing America’s largest underground lake by boat. It begins with a guided walking tour of the caverns that slope down into the depths. The lake itself is lit in such a way as to really highlight the fantastical formations, making the vivid saturated colours of the water and the cave walls seem to come alive. It all feels quite unearthly with a good lesson in history and geology to boot. Those who really love the cave even have the option of staying overnight. Recommended by Frank Lopez.
Additional reporting by Jo Varley
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