Chattanooga
Myriad songbirds of the avian variety call Tennessee home, but Chattanooga's newly revamped Songbirds – an innovative interactive learning space devoted…
Must-see attractions in Tennessee
Chattanooga
Just ten minutes from downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee, rising along the upper rim of the city, Lookout Mountain is rich in both Civil War history and…
Memphis
If you only make one stop in Memphis, it should be here: the sublimely kitschy, gloriously bizarre home of the King of Rock and Roll. Though born in…
Memphis
This dusty storefront is ground zero for American rock and roll. Starting in the early 1950s, Sun's Sam Phillips recorded blues artists such as Howlin'…
Memphis
Housed partly inside the Lorraine Motel, where Martin Luther King Jr was fatally shot on April 4, 1968, is the gut-wrenching National Civil Rights Museum…
Stax Museum of American Soul Music
Memphis
Wanna get funky? Head directly to Soulsville, USA, where this 17,000-sq-ft museum sits on the site of the old Stax recording studio. This venerable spot…
Chattanooga
Situated on the Tennessee River in downtown Chattanooga, TN, the Tennessee Aquarium is home to 10,000 animals. The aquarium, Chattanooga’s most visited…
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Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center
Chattanooga
A 317-acre green oasis just 15 minutes from downtown Chattanooga, Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center pairs outdoor recreation with botanical and…
Nashville
One of Music Row's most historic studios, this is where Elvis, the Everly Brothers and Dolly Parton all recorded numerous hits. The latter did a little…
Cheekwood Botanical Garden & Museum of Art
Nashville
Cheekwood is a botanical garden with an arty inclination, just southwest of downtown Nashville. The numerous gardens combine themes (Japanese, water,…
Nashville
A beautiful day trip or extended road trip from Nashville, the Natchez Trace Parkway runs for 444 miles through three states until reaching its eponymous…
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National Museum of African American Music
Nashville
The National Museum of African American Music tells the story of the impact that African American culture has had on music around the world, from gospel to…
Memphis
Don't laugh, but the most striking building in Memphis, a 32-story pyramid completed in 1991, is now home to an enormous Bass Pro Shop. Even if you don't…
Nashville
This unassuming modern brick building seats 4400 for the Grand Ole Opry multiple times per week. Daytime backstage guided tours are offered every 15…
Nashville
For a photogenic view of this graceful double-arch bridge, pull into the Birdsong Hollow overlook, about 4 miles south of the northern terminus of the…
Chattanooga
Set high on the river bluffs, this striking edifice of melted steel and glass – fronted by an early-20th-century mansion – is easily the most singular…
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Chattanooga
Finished in 1891, this half-mile span carried vehicles from downtown to the North Shore until 1978, when it was closed for safety reasons. In 1993 it was…
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Tennessee
The irony of the Jack Daniel's Distillery being in a 'dry county' is lost on no one – local liquor laws dictate that no hard stuff can be sold within…
Memphis
It was a long time coming, but Memphis finally has a shrine to its own. This small but well-done museum, the sister gallery to the Memphis Rock 'n' Soul…
Nashville
Opened in 1927 and named after two local park commissioners, Percy (the larger) and Edwin (the smaller) Warner Parks are where Nashvillians come to enjoy…
Nashville
The former home of seventh president Andrew Jackson lies 15 miles east of downtown. The sprawling, well-kept grounds of this 1150-acre site offer a peek…
Chattanooga
Tucked between the Tennessee Aquarium and the Tennessee River, the patch of greenery known as Ross's Landing marks the starting point of the Trail of…
Nashville
Mammals chill out along the grassy Savannah Loop and the bamboo-filled Jungle Loop, and amphibians get their own special house. We're partial to the…
Memphis
Dedicated to Blues Hall of Fame inductees, this intimate and well-done space features a rotating art gallery on the lobby level and a small but well…
Nashville
It's hard to imagine that this beautiful lake is artificial, but so it is, built by a railway company in 1914 and handed over to public use in 1973. These…
Nashville
Built in 1897 to celebrate the state of Tennessee's centenary, Nashville's Parthenon is a full-scale replica of the Ancient Greece original, with a jaw…
Memphis
On Sunday, put on your 'smell goods' and head to services in South Memphis, where soul-music legend turned reverend Al Green presides over a powerful…
Chattanooga
A 13-mile, multiuse paved greenway on the south side of the Tennessee River, the Riverwalk runs from downtown through Amnicola Marsh and along South…
Memphis
This Smithsonian museum, next to FedEx Forum, examines how African American and white music mingled in the Mississippi Delta to create the modern rock and…
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Tennessee
This vast park is located just north of the Mississippi border near the town of Crump, TN, and is best seen by car. Sights include the Shiloh National…
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Nashville
The centerpiece of this museum is the 75ft-high Adventure Tower, a multi-floor pyramid loaded with interactive features covering music, health and energy…
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Nashville
Don't be surprised if your tour guide strums an original song on his or her guitar while you explore Fontanel Mansion, the former home of country-music…
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Stones River National Battlefield Park
Tennessee
The stillness is eerie at the Slaughter Pen, a cedar-dotted grove of limestone boulders where Union soldiers were penned in and gunned down by Confederate…
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Tennessee
Carnton’s grand main house, slave quarters and lovely garden are worth a visit in their own right. But add the plantation’s role as a field hospital…
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Tennessee
On November 30, 1864, 37,000 men (20,000 Confederates and 17,000 Union soldiers) fought over a 2-mile stretch of Franklin’s outskirts. Sprawl has turned…
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Nashville
The story of Belmont Mansion is the story of Adelicia Acklen, a Nashville socialite turned savvy businesswoman. One maneuver of note? Asking her second…
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Travellers Rest Plantation & Museum
Nashville
Tours of this historic house, which dates from 1799, tell the story of John Overton, a Tennessee attorney, judge and businessman who also founded Memphis…
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Nashville
For outdoor recreation near Opryland, head to this 374-acre park beside the Cumberland River. Kids can splash around in Wave Country or roll around the…
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Chattanooga
A good place to start a riverfront stroll, Coolidge Park has a play fountain, a carousel ($1 per ride), well-used playing fields, and a 50ft climbing wall…
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Tennessee
Along with nearby Carnton Plantation and neighboring Carter House, Lotz House is the other must-see in the trio of Battle of Franklin historic sites. As…
