Tennessee (TN)

Tennessee State Flag

"The Volunteer State"

"The Big Bend State", "The Hog & Hominy State", "The Lion's Den State" and The Mother of Southwestern Statesmen"

WonderWorks (Amusement Park), Pigeon Forge, TN. Photo Credit: Nathaniel Jordan/Pixabay 

Why visit Tennessee?

Offers something for everyone whether canoeing, caves, country music haven, culture, hiking, historical sites, kayaking, mountains, outdoor activities, southern cuisine and water water rafting.

Twin Falls, Rock Island, TN. Photo Credit: Chanh Nguyen/Pixabay 

At a Glance

• Capital: Nashville
• State Bird: Mockingbird
• State Dessert: None
• State Flower: Iris
• State Gemstone: Tennessee River Pearl 
• State Mammal: Raccoon 
• State Rock: Limestone & Tennessee Agate 

Gatlinburg (Great Smoky Mountains), TN. Photo Credit: hutchcc/Pixabay 

Fun Facts

• State earned their nickname from Volunteer Soldiers willing to serve during the Battle of New Orleans.
• In 1954, Legend Elvis Presley (1935-1977) recorded his first number one hit, 'Heartbreak Hotel' (Nashville).
• Dolly Parton, born (1946) in Locust Ridge and raised in rural Appalachia amongst 11 siblings moved to Nashville after graduating high school. A accomplished Grammy Award-Winning Musician and actress.
• Country music stars Patsy Cline, Cowboy Copas, and Hawkshaw Hawkins were killed in an airplane crash near Camden (March 5, 1963).
  
• Graceland was Elvis' home from 1957-1977 opening as a museum in 1982.
  
• The Presley Estate sold almost $45 million (2003).
  
• Has over 250 public and private museums.
  
• Home to two of our nation's newest civilian nuclear power reactors.
  
• Food Network Chef, Paula Ann Hiers Deen "Paula Deen" opened (2015) Paula Deen's Family Kitchen (Pigeon Forge) serving southern dishes.
  
• While Nashville is considered the "Capital of Country Music", it's in Bristol where country legends got their start.
• Considering their moderate climate and rich soil produce award-winning wineries and vineyards.
  
• Leading producer of ball clay in our country.
  
• Tennessee Aquarium, has the largest freshwater aquarium in our country.
  
• The breed Tennessee Walking Horse (Tennessee Walker) of gaited horses are known for their unique four-beat running-walk and flashy movement. 
• Does a BBQ exists without baked beans? Home to the popular brand, Bush Brothers & Company (Knoxville).
• Major source for cattle, cotton, electrical power, soybeans and textiles.
• Offers more than 3,800 documented caves.
• During the weekend NASCAR Cup Series races is known to sell out more than 160,000 seats daily.
  
• A major hub for the automotive industry.
  
• Features 1 National Forest, 15 State Forests and 54 State Parks.

“You don’t have to look like everybody else. You don’t have to be a raving beauty to be special and to be beautiful.” ~Dolly Rebecca Parton

Delta Queen (American Sternwheel Steamboat), Chattanooga River, TN. Photo Credit: riedlinger/Pixabay 

"Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you'll start having positive results." ~Willie Nelson

Thank You!

• Spotlight Celebrities: Arteha Franklin (Musician), Dolly Parton (Musician), Justin Timberlake (Musician), Kenny Chesney (Musician), Lisa Marie Presley (Musician), Lucy Hale (Actress), Luke Benward (Actor), Megan Fox (Actress), Miley Cryus (Musician), Morgan Freeman (Actor), Randy Orton (Athlete), Ric Flair (Athlete) and  Tina Turner (Musician), just to name a few.
• Movies to Inspire You: Coal Miner's Daughter (1980), Days of Thunder (1990), Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010),  The Blind Side (2009), The Firm (1993), The Fugitive (1993), The Green Mile (1999), The Matrix (1998), Walking Tall (1973) and Walk the Line (2005), just to name a few.
• Reads Set in Tennessee: A Death in the Family (written by James Agee), Child of God (written by Cormac McCarthy), Delicious and Suspicious (written by Riley Adams), Elvis and the Memphis Mambo Murders (written by Peggy Webb), Monkey Town (written  by Ronald Kidd), On Blue Falls Pond (written by Susan Crandall), Suttree (written by Cormac McCarthy), The Reivers (written by William Faulkner) and Walking to Gatlinburg (written by Howard Frank Mosher), just to name a few.

Sunsphere, Knoxville, TN. Photo Credit: Cija Tuttle/Pixabay 

"Truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain't goin' away." ~Elvis Presley

Good to Know

• You'll find dedicated equestrian farms (Shelbyville) of Tennessee Walking Horse (Tennessee Walker).
  
• Food is taxed at 4%, but candy, dietary supplements and prepared food are taxed at 7%.
  
• Eastern Tennessee beware of  bears and poisonous snakes. 
  
• National Scenic Byways include the Cherohala Skyway, East Tennessee Crossing Byway, Great River Road, Natchez Trace Parkway and The Trace.
  
• Mosquitos are known to carry the West Nile Virus.
• Unless you say "unsweet" tea, anticipate being served a sugary one.
  
• You may experience long distances between destinations.
• "Mother Church of Country Music" is Ryman Auditorium.
  
• Beale Street (Memphis) is considered the birthplace of the blues music.
  
• Feast your eyes on the Mississippi River sunset (Memphis).
• Some tourist attractions close after Labor Day and reopens early May.
  
• Smoky Mountains foliage colors appear around mid October through mid November.

Subject to humidity and snowstorms.

• Best Time to Visit: April - October
• Coldest Month: January
• Hottest Month: July 
• Peak Season: June - August and October

Country Legends Wall Mural, Nashville, TN. Photo Credit: Paul Brennan/Pixabay 

Your Must-See & Do

• Historical Sites: Alvin Cullom York Farm, Beale Street Historic District, Chucalissa Site, Delta Queen (River Steamboat), Fort Loudoun, Fort Pillow, Franklin Battlefield, George Peabody College for Teachers, Graceland (Home of Elvis Presley), Hermitage Hotel, Hiram Masonic Lodge No 7, James K Polk Home, Jubilee Hall Fisk University, Long Island of the Holston, Moccasin Bend Archeological District, Montgomery Bell Tunnel, Mountain Branch National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, Old First Presbyterian Church, Pinson Mounds, Rattle and Snap, Rhea County Courthouse, Ryman Auditorium, Shiloh Indian Mounds Site, Siege and Battle of Corinth Sites, Sun Record Company, Sycamore Shoals, Tennessee State Capitol, The Hermitage, William Blount Mansion, Wynnewood, and X-10 Reactor Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
• Museums: Adventure Science Center, African American Museum,
  Alcatraz East Crime Museum, American Museum of Science & Energy, Andrew Johnson National Historic Site, Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage, Art Museum of the University of Memphis, Battles For Chattanooga Museum, Beechcraft Heritage Museum, Belmont Mansion, Belz Museum of Asian & Judaic Art, Blount Mansion, Blues Hall of Fame, Bradley Academy Museum & Cultural Center, Brooks Museum, Buford Pusser Home & Museum, Bush's Visitor Center, Carnton, Casey Jones Home & Railroad Museum, Chasing Rainbows Museum, Children's Museum of Oak Ridge, C.H. Nash Museum Chucalissa, City Garage Car Museum, Coke Oven Museum,  Cookville History Museum, Cooter's Nashville, Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum, Cowan Railroad Museum, Creative Discovery Museum, Customs House Museum & Cultural Center, Dinosaur Walk Museum, Discovery Park of America, Dixon Gallery & Gardens, Ducktown Basin Museum, East Tennessee Historical Society & Museum,Elvis & Hollywood Legends Museum, Elvis Presley Automobile Museum, Farragut Folklife Museum, Fire Museum of Memphis, Floyd
  Garrett's Muscle Car Museum, Frist Art Museum, Gray Fossil Site, Great Smoky Mountains
  Heritage Center, Green McAdoo Cultural Center, Hands On Discovery Center, Historic Travellers Rest Historic House Museum, Hollywood Star Cars Museum, Hollywood Wax Museum, Houston Museum-Decorative Arts, Hunter Museum of American Art, International Towing & Recovery Museum, Lane Motor Museum, Little Congress Bicycle Museum, Live Museum, Lorraine Motel, Lotz House Museum, Mabry-Hazen House,
  Madame Tussauds Nashville, McClung Museum of Natural History & Culture, Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum, Military Branch Museum, Military Memorial Museum,Mississippi River Museum, Moore County Old Jail Museum, Muse Knoxville, Museum of Appalachia, Museum of Science & History - Pink Palace, Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum, National Bird Dog Museum, National Civil Rights Museum, Patsy Cline Museum, Pink Palace Museum & Planetarium, Reece Museum,Rusty's TV & Movie Car Museum, Salt & Pepper
  Shaker Museum, Sequoyah Birthplace Museum, Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum, Southern Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame & Museum, Stax Museum of American Soul Music, Stones River National Battlefield, Swift Museum Foundation, Tennessee Agricultural Museum, Tennessee Central Railway Museum, Tennessee Museum of Aviation, Tennessee State Museum, Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, The Children's Museum of Memphis, The Johnny Cash Museum & Cafe, The Parthenon, TITANIC Museum Attraction, Trenton Teapot Museum, W C Handy House Museum,Willie Nelson & Friends Museum, Withers Collection Museum & Gallery, Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, Woodruff-Fontaine House Museum and Wyatt Archaeological Museum. 
• Popular Attractions: Anakeesta, Appalachian Mountains, Arrington Vineyards, Beachaven Winery & Vineyards, Belle Meade Plantation, Beale Street Entertainment District, Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area, Boro Beach, Bristol Motor Speedway, Burgess Falls State Park, Cades Cove Visitor Center, Carl Black Chevy Woods Amphitheater, Cataract Falls, Cathedral of the Incarnation, Centennial Park, Chattanooga Choo Choo, Chattanooga Zoo, Cheekwood Botanical Gardens', Cherohala Skyway, Cherokee National Forest, Chickamauga National Military Park, Christ in the Smokies Museum & Gardens, Christmas Place, Coolidge Park, Crave Golf Club, Cumberland Caverns, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, Cumberland General Store, Discovery Park of America, Dixon Gallery & Gardens, Dollywood, Fall Creek Falls State Park, Forbidden Caverns, Fort Donelson National Battlefield, Foxfire Mountain Adventure Park, Frank Lloyd Wright Seamour & Gerte Shavin House, Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Frozen Head State Park, Gallery 202, Gatlinburg Space Needle, Gatlinburg SkyLift Park, Graceland, Grand Ole Opry, Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community, Great Smoky Mountains, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Handy Park, Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Show, Hillsboro Village, Historic RCA Studio B, Honky Tonk Highway, Jack Daniel's Distillery Visitor Center, John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge, Knoxville's Market Square, Ijams Nature Center, Lookout Mountain Incline Railway, MagiQuest, Market Square, Memphis' Lorraine Hotel, Memphis' South Main Arts District, Memphis Zoo, Montgomery Bell State Park, Mysterious Mansion, NASCAR SpeedPark Smoky Mountains, Nashville WhatLiftsYou Wings Mural, Nashville Zoo at Grassmere, Newfound Gap, Norris Dam State Park, Oaklands Mansion, Ober Gatlinburg, Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park, Ole Smoky Moonshine, Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail, Overton Park, Parthenon, Paula Deen's Lumberjack Feud Show & Adventure Park, Pigeon Forge, Parrot Mountain & Gardens, Patriot Park, Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show, Point Park, Printers Alley, Raccoon Mountain Caverns, RainForest Adventures Discovery Zoo, Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center, Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies, Ripley's Believe It or Not!, Ripley's Marvelous Mirror Maze, River Gallery, Rock City, Rock Island State Park, Ross's Landing, Ruby Falls, Ryman Auditorium, Shelby Farms Park, Shiloh National Military Park, Smoky Mountain Ziplines, Soaky Mountain Waterpark, South Cumberland State Park, SpeedZone Fun Park, Sri Ganesha Temple, St Johns Cathedral, Stones River National Battlefield, Sugarlands Distilling Company, Sunsphere, Sun Studio, Tennessee Aquarium, Tennessee Safari Park, Tennessee State Capitol, The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee -Elephant Discovery Center, The Hermitage, The Island in Pigeon Forge, The Lost Sea Adventure, The Schemerhorn Symphony Center, Thomas Kinkade Gallery, Three Bears General Store, Tom Lee Park, Tootsies Orchid Lounge, Tuckaleechee Caverns, Walk of Fame Park, Wat Lao Buddharam, Wetlands Water Park, Wild Bear Falls Water Park, WonderWorks Pigeon Forge and Zoo Knoxville.
• Popular Cities/Towns to Visit: Chattanooga, Clarkesville, Collierville, Crossville, Dayton, Franklin, Gatlinburg, JohnsonCity, Knoxville, Lebanon, Lynchburg, Memphis, Murfressboro, Nashville, Oak Ridge, Pigeon Forge, Sevierville, Shelbyville and Sun Studios.
• Special Events: (January) Elvis Birthday Proclamation Ceremony, (February) Reelfoot Lake Eagle Festival, Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Weekend, (March) Blooming Arts Festival, Cousin Jake Tullock Memorial Bluegrass Festival, Daffodil Day, River City Brewer’s Festival, Tin Pan South, (April) St Jude's Rock 'N' Roll Marathon (May) Beale Street Musical Festival, Iroquois Steeplechase, Lincoln County Spring Demolition Derby, Tennessee Renaissance Festival, (June) Arts & Crafts Festival, Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, CMA Music Fest, Exit 56 Blues Fest, Fun Fest, Riverbend Festival,(July) Art On The Mountain, Asian Festival, Bicycle Ride Across Tennessee (BRAT), Japanese Moon Viewing, Let Freedom Sing!, Motor Mania Car Show, Smithville Fiddlers' Jamboree & Crafts Festival, (August) AMA Amateur Nationals Motocross Race, Smoky Mountains Songwriters Festival, Tomato Art Festival, (September) African Street Festival, Ancient Sounds Celtic & Appalachian Outdoor Music Festival, Archeofest, Haunting in the Hills, Bellevue Community Picnic, Heritage Festival, International Food & Arts Festival, LickSkillet Spring Barn Sale, National Rolley Hole Marbles Championship & Festival, Parade of Horse Breeds, Rhythm & Roots Reunion Music Festival, Riverfest, Teen Challenge Chili Cook-Off, Tennessee Honey Festival, Tennessee State Fair, (October) Annual Fall Festival, Art on Track Festival, Baxter Harvest Festival, Days Gone By Annual Harvest Fest, Harvest Street Festival, History Hayride by Friends of Edgar Evins State Park, Loretta Lynn's Fall Trail Ride, Mountain Makins Festival, Nashville Film Festival, National Storytelling Festival, Reelfoot Arts & Craft Festival, Rocktoberfest, Roller Coaster Yard Sale, Smokies Balloon Festival, Southern Festival of Books, Standing Stone State Park Car Show, (November) Enchanted Garden of Lights, Tree Lighting on Town Square,  (December) Christmas Festival & Parade, LANA Holiday Home Tours and Livingston, Overton and County Christmas Parade.
• UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The Parthenon, Nashville, TN. Photo Credit: Paul Brennan/Pixabay 

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                                                                                            All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.