Things to Do in Tennessee

Choose from 54 Fun Things to Do in Tennessee

The Coaster at Goats on the Roof

On the edge of the Smoky Mountains, the family friendly roadside stop Goats on the Roof draws visitors with a wide range of attractions, including the eponymous goats that graze on the roof of the building, and also a unique Alpine-style roller coaster that twists and turns through the forest. Unlike traditional roller coasters, The Coaster at Goats on the Roof runs single carts that are driver operated. Riders can go alone or with a friend, and once they’re strapped in, they have control of the ride with a hand brake to adjust the speed. At full speed, the coaster reaches almost 30 mph, the track is about a mile long, and the average ride lasts for about 7 minutes.

Practical Info

The Coaster at Goats on the Roof is only about 20 minutes from both Dollywood and Gatlinburg, making for a fun afternoon activity when visiting the Pigeon Forge areas or Smoky Mountains National Park.

1341 Wears Valley Rd., Pigeon Forge, Tennessee 37863, USA

Open every day from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Adults, $15; children ages 7 to 12, $12l; children ages 3 to 6; $5.

From $ 15

Sun Studio

A veritable icon of music and a Memphis landmark, Sun Studio is known as the Birthplace of Rock ‘n’ Roll. In fact, the very first rock single, “Rocket 88,” was recorded here in 1951, when it was called the Memphis Recording Service. The former recording studio’s musical heritage—made famous thanks to the superstardom of artists such as Elvis and Johnny Cash—and collection of one-of-a-kind memorabilia makes for an unforgettable stop in Memphis.

The Basics

Die-hard music lover or not, it’s fascinating to take a guided tour of the famous recording studio’s headquarters and see where legendary performers like B.B. King and Roy Orbison laid down their first hit singles. Sun Studios is especially famous for the “Million-Dollar Quartet” recording of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins performing together. You can tour the studios with an advance-purchase ticket, with guided transportation, or in conjunction with other Memphis music-themed sights on a city sightseeing tour.

Things to Know Before You Go

Music fans and those interested in Memphis music history will enjoy this spot most.
Plan on spending one to two hours here for a tour and visit to the exhibition.
Check out the 1950s-style Sun Studio Soda Shop and Record Store for additional nostalgia or a souvenir to take home.
Kids ages 5 to 11 years old can visit (with accompanying adult) free of charge. Kids under 5 are not allowed.
Entrance for guests with limited mobility is free given that half of the tour is not wheelchair-accessible.
The site’s first-floor cafe and record stare are wheelchair-accessible.

How to Get There

Located right in downtown Memphis, Sun Studio is easily accessible from anywhere in the city. There is a free shuttle that runs between Sun Studio and Graceland, as well as the Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum, allowing you to visit some of Memphis’s key music-themed sights with ease. Parking is free.

When to Get There

Sun Studio is open daily from 10am to 6pm with guided tours offered every hour on the half hour. Crowds are lightest first thing in the morning.

Music Sites of Memphis

Sun Studio has been called one of the most significant musical history sites in the country, along with nearby Graceland—the former home of Elvis Presley. The Elvis-themed tours of the city are a must for hard-core fans, but for those seeking a more general tour of Memphis music, don’t miss Beale Street, the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, and the Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum.

706 Union Avenue, Memphis 38103-3218, USA

Tours daily from 10am - 6pm

Adults: US$14, Children (5-11yrs): Free. Kids under 5 years old prohibited

From $ 24

The Hermitage

The Hermitage is the historic home and plantation of Andrew Jackson, the seventh US president. Visiting gives you a sense of Jackson’s everyday life—original furnishings make the mansion homey—and also of 19th-century life in the South for everyone, from aristocrats to enslaved persons. Plus, it’s a great Nashville day trip.

The Basics

The Hermitage is much more than an historic home. The 1,120-acre (453-hectare) property has more than 30 historic buildings, large gardens, and the tombs of Andrew Jackson and his wife, Rachel. The property also has a number of historic slave cabins that tell the stories of the people Jackson enslaved to work on his plantation, plus farm buildings, a church, garden, and landscaped grounds.

The Hermitage offers some specialty tours with its docents, and private companies in Nashville also have options for guided visits. Visit on your own for a peaceful afternoon away from the city. Basic admission includes a guided audio tour of the main home, which means you can move through the many rooms at your own pace—an especially popular feature for families touring with kids. Or, join a guided tour to learn more about Jackson’s life in Tennessee.

Things to Know Before You Go

Most of the Hermitage is wheelchair accessible, and wheelchairs are available to rent free of charge.
Tour translations are available in Spanish, German, French, Russian, and Japanese.
Those with hearing impairments can request audio tour scripts.
Dress for the weather to fully enjoy the grounds.
Photography is allowed on the grounds, but not inside the mansion.

How to Get There

Only 11 miles (18 kilometers) east of Nashville, the Hermitage is most quickly visited by car. It is accessible from I-40 or I-65, and free parking is available at a lot next to the Andrew Jackson Visitor Center. If you don’t have a car, consider booking advanced transportation or taking the bus; the 6 and the 27 both run from central Nashville to the Hermitage.

When to Get There

The Hermitage is open daily during seasonal hours. It’s open from 8:30am to 5pm from April 1 to October 15 and from 9am to 4:30pm the rest of the year. It is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the third week of January.

Nashville Historic Homes

The Hermitage isn’t the only historic home around Nashville. Belle Meade Plantation, known as the Queen of the Tennessee Plantations, is another popular choice, as are the Civil War–era Carter House, Belmont Mansion, and the Historic Travellers Rest Plantation and Museum.

4580 Rachel’s Lane, Nashville 37076, USA

Varies

From $ 79

Starlite Theater

Amongst a row of theaters in Pigeon Forge, Starlite Theater is one of the smaller musical venues in the area. As such it offers plenty of seating close to the stage. Scenically surrounded by the Great Smokey Mountains, the theater is known by aficionados as one of the “hidden gems” for shows in Tennessee.

The theater features up to four performances and shows, and often several per day. Tributes to musicians with a wide repertoire are common. Classics that taken to the stage include The Ultimate Tribute to Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, A Tribute to Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack, Remembering Red - A Tribute to Red Skelton, and Magic Spectacular, which features two of the nation’s top magicians. The shows here feature energetic performers and a lively audience, which always makes for a fun night out on the town.

Practical Info

The Starlite Theater is located on Showplace Boulevard in Pigeon Forge, beside the Country Tonite theater. (Pigeon Forge is known as the home of Dollywood, the theme park of singer Dolly Parton.) Advance ticket purchases are recommended.

140 Showplace Blvd, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee 37863, USA

Hours vary depending on show

Varies with ticket price

From $ 32

Victorian Village

Victorian Village, an historic neighborhood once known as Millionaire’s Row, is lined with grand mansions dating back to the mid to late 1800s. Some of these Victorian-era estates, including the Mallory Neely House, James Lee House, and Woodruff-Fontaine House, have been converted into museums, inns, and even a nightlife hot spot.

The Basics

Most Memphis city tours pass through Victorian Village, which officially comprises 14 historic properties, a dozen of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Three houses—the Magevney House, Mallory-Neely House, and Woodruff-Fontaine House—are now museums with original period furniture. The James Lee House operates as an upscale bed-and-breakfast, and the Mollie Fontaine Lounge has become a trendy cocktail bar serving modern Southern comfort food. The other homes can only be viewed from the outside.

Things to Know Before You Go

Victorian Village is a must-see for architecture and history buffs.
Wear comfortable shoes to for a self-guided walking tour of the neighborhood.
The Mollie Fontaine Lounge and the first floors of the Mallory-Neely House and Woodruff-Fontaine House are wheelchair accessible.

How to Get There

The homes of Victorian Village run along Adams Avenue on the east side of Downtown Memphis. It’s easy to get there on foot from downtown.

When to Get There

It’s possible to take in the sights of Victorian Village anytime, but you’ll want to visit during daytime hours to tour the museums or in the evening to sip a cocktail at the Mollie Fontaine Lounge, where there’s live music on the weekends.

History of Victorian Village

From 1845 to 1890, when the dozen or so Victorian-style homes along Millionaire’s Row were being built, this stretch of Adams Avenue was on the outskirts of Memphis. As the neighborhood grew in prestige, wealthy riverboat and cotton tycoons scrambled to establish residencies in this trendy area. Eventually Memphis grew past the area, and by the end of World War II, many of the elite families abandoned their Victorian Village mansions.

Victorian Village, Memphis, Tennessee, USA

From $ 25

Tootsie's Orchid Lounge

Nashville is known for its eclectic music scene, live entertainment and commitment to country. No place is this more evident than at the world-famous Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge. The Nashville institution for nightlife and honky tonk has been a part of this dynamic city since the 1960s.

Its namesake is drawn from the lilac colored exterior, but Tootsie’s is more than just a Nashville lounge. Home to three stages that play host to live music and performers almost every night, visitors are as likely to catch an up-and-coming local strumming the steel guitar as they are a big name musician like Taylor Swift. Tootsie’s long-standing tradition of drawing country music super stars dates back to the days of Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings. Even the contemporary country singer Terri Clark got her big start on the stages at Tootsie’s.

Visitors can opt to spend an entire evening at this downtown Nashville staple, or make a stop as part of a Nashville Bar Pass or Nashville Evening tour that highlights the best of honky tonk in this country music capital.

Practical Info

Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge is located at 422 Broadway behind the Raymond Auditorium.

422 Broadway, Nashville, Tennessee 37203, USA

Daily from 10 am-2:30am

Pricing varies

From $ 35

Tennessee State Capitol

The Tennessee State Capitol stands tall on Nashville’s highest hill as a symbol of its time, virtually unchanged since its construction in 1859. The structure is the masterpiece of notable architect William Strickland, who passed away during construction and was laid to rest in the building. The National Historic Landmark was built in Greek Revival style and is one of few state capitols without a dome. It was modeled after an Ionic Greek temple. Though classic in design, at the time it was considered innovative in construction.

The capitol building is beautiful to see and historic to visit, with statues of many important political figures as well as the graves of President James K. Polk and his wife. Its walls are lined with beautiful murals, frescoes, and paintings, while its halls are lit by ornate chandeliers. It is still in use by the Tennessee state government today. It is the oldest operating state capitol in the country.

Practical Info

The Tennessee State Capitol is located on Charlotte Avenue between Sixth and Seventh Avenues in Nashville. To get there take the Charlotte Ave. exit off of I-40. There is plentiful free parking. Free guided tours are available at the top of each hour Monday to Friday. There are also brochures available for self-guided tours.

600 Charlotte Ave, Nashville, Tennessee, USA, USA

Open Tues-Sat 10am-5pm and Sun 1pm-5 pm

From $ 20

Titanic Pigeon Forge

Have you ever wondered what it was like aboard the RMS Titanic? Wonder no longer. At the Titanic museum, a two-story museum built half-scale (in a pool, to create the illusion of the big ship at sea), you can take a 2-hour self-guided tour designed to give you the sensation of being an original passenger on the ship's 1912 maiden voyage. As you enter, you'll be given a boarding ticket. Your ticket has the name and travelling class of one of the ill-fated ship's actual passengers, whose story you will learn as you pass through the museum.

At the end of the tour in the Titanic Memorial Room you'll have a chance to check if your boarding pass belonged to a shipwreck survivor, or to one of the less-fortunate passengers. Because more than half of the Titanic's two-thousand-plus survivors perished, the likelihood of "˜your' survival is fairly low. (Young children are issued boarding passes that belonged to survivors, as to not totally bum them out.) The museum, which is the largest permanent Titanic museum in the world, holds 400 pre-discovery artefacts (a.k.a. belongings that were recovered floating in the water) in twenty galleries. The personal natures of the items on display closely tie into the individual stories represented at the museum. In the interactive exhibits you'll get a real feeling for what it might have been like as a passenger on that ship.

Practical Info

Professionally produced audio tours that are geared toward children or adults can be purchased for $6 before entering the museum. The tours feature interviews with actual Titanic survivors, and the interactive nature of the children's audio tour is fun for kids. The museum's opening days and times vary seasonally.

2134 Parkway, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, USA 37863, USA

Varies seasonally

$28

From $ 29

Tennessee Aquarium

Home to more than 12,000 animals representing almost 800 species, the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, Tennessee, is a non-profit public aquarium. Because of its location on the banks of the Tennessee River in downtown Chattanooga, the aquarium offers a unique ‘river journey,’ which follows the life cycle of a single raindrop flowing from a mountaintop stream, to a creek, to a lazy river, and finally joining the ocean. Along the river journey exhibits offer a closer look at the habitats found along the route, beginning with an ‘Appalachian Cove Forest’ and finishing with ‘Seahorses: Beyond Imagination.’

There’s also an ‘ocean journey’ for guests to participate in. You can even pet several different stingray species! ‘Stingray Bay,’ where more than 100 feet of shoreline is filled with lush flowers and greenery, birdsong, and waterfalls, is the aquarium’s largest touch station. There’s also a butterfly garden with exotic flowers and hundreds of free-flying butterflies. The aquarium is home to otters, penguins, colorful frogs, turtles, and fish galore — including sharks.

Practical Info

The Tennessee Aquarium, consistently rated one of the nation’s top aquariums, has two buildings to explore: River Journey, with local and global freshwater habitats; and Ocean Journey, with exhibits featuring critters from the Gulf of Mexico to the South Pole. Admission includes both buildings, with in-and-out privileges. The average visit length is 2.5 hours.

1 Broad St, Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA 37402, USA

Open Tues-Sun 10am-6pm

Adults: $29.95; Children: $18.50

From $ 24

Schermerhorn Symphony Center

Nashville may be the country music capital of America, but the Schermerhorn Symphony Center brings a touch of class to a bustling downtown area that’s filled with gritty bars and live music venues.

Since 2006, the Center’s Laura Turner Concert Hall has been home to the Grammy Award-winning Nashville Symphony. Its natural lighting, 30 soundproof windows and custom-built organ make for a unique concert experience. The smaller Mike Curb Family Music Education Hall hosts performances for children, schools and families as part of the Center’s Music Education City initiative.

While the symphony is one of the hottest tickets in Nashville, visitors say even if you can’t catch a performance, it’s still worth touring the grand space and wandering through the beautiful public Martha Rivers Ingram Garden Courtyard on a trip to Nashville.

Practical Info

The Schermerhorn Symphony Center is located at 1 Symphony Place, between 4th Avenue South and 3rd Avenue South within walking distance of the Gaylord Entertainment Center in downtown Nashville. Free tours take place on most Wednesdays and Saturdays at noon.

1 Symphony Pl, Nashville, TN 37201, USA

From $ 21

Stax Museum of American Soul Music

Located in Memphis’ Soulsville area in the former Stax Records -- which had also been the old Capitol Theater and closed due to bankruptcy in 1976 -- the Stax Museum of American Soul Music is a recreation of what once was. After the original studio was torn down in 1989, there was a revitalization effort for the area and the institution was rebuilt to its former glory. Today visitors can peruse over 2,000 photos, films, music clips, costumes, original instruments, artifacts, trivia games and exhibits that tell the story of Stax Records and Memphis music history. You’ll learn about Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, Ike & Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and other soul legends.

The Stax Museum of American Soul Music is one of only a very few soul-focused museums in existence anywhere in the world. Some collection highlights include the dance floor from Soul Train, Isaac Hayes’ flashy gold and blue Cadillac El Dorado, a historical film on Stax Records you watch at the beginning of your visit, Studio A, Tina Turner’s gold sequined dress, a brown suede jacket owned by Otis Redding, the Hall of Records with its showcase of 912 singles and 292 full length albums, and a recreation of the Stax Records Control Room.

Don’t leave without perusing their gift shop for soul music inspired t-shirts, DVDs, CDs and memorabilia. Best of all, each purchase helps benefit the museum as well as the next door Stax Music Academy, which provides music education and arts opportunities to at-risk youth.

Allow about two to three hours to explore the museum.

Practical Info

The Stax Museum of American Soul Music is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 5pm and Sunday from 1pm to 5pm. Admission is $12 for adults; $11 for seniors 62 +, active military and students; $9 for children 9-12; and free for members and children under eight.

926 E McLemore Ave, Memphis, Tennessee 38126, USA

Adults: $12; Children: $9

From $ 13

Woodruff-Fontaine House

Built in 1871, this iconic home was a top attraction on what was once known as Millionaire’s Row. Today, it draws visitors from across the country eager to see how the wealthy set once lived.

Visitors who tour the grounds will learn about the life of Amos Woodruff—a famous carriage maker, president of the city council and candidate for mayor who first owned this stunning home. They will also hear about the life and times of Noland Fontaine, who ran the largest cotton business in the US and owned the Woodruff-Fontaine house between 1861 and the late 1920s. Travelers can step back in time as they explore the French Victorian architecture and family heirlooms that line the halls and rooms of this iconic home.

Practical Info

Woodruff-Fontaine House is located at 680 Adams Avenue. Tours take place at 12:30, 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30 pm.

680 Adams Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, USA

Wednesday through Sunday from noon-4pm

$6 for children $10 for adults

From $ 15

Ryman Auditorium and Museum

Known as the “Mother Church of Country Music,” Ryman Auditorium helped transform Nashville into a legendary music destination. Since 1892, the venue has hosted notable stars such as Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Van Morrison, and Minnie Pearl. Today, visitors can tour the 2,362-seat auditorium, visit the museum, or catch a live show.

The Basics

Travelers can visit independently or on a Nashville tour. Ride a hop-on hop-off trolley with flexible start times throughout the day and stop here for a self-guided tour to explore on your own, or take a guided backstage tour to see dressing rooms that have hosted countless stars, peruse the music venue’s exhibits and multimedia presentations, and check out an array of historic memorabilia and artifacts. Music history buffs can visit the auditorium on a walking tour of downtown Nashville, during which a tour guide tells tells stories of the city’s must-see sites. Foodies can stop by the Ryman on a culinary tour and sample local cuisine along the way, or, for a special treat, combine a visit with an evening tour of Nashville featuring live music and a traditional barbecue dinner.

Things to Know Before You Go

Café Lula, the Ryman’s on-site dining venue, serves up local food and drinks from 9am to 8pm every day, with extended hours for concerts and events.
Cameras are permitted during daytime tours but are not allowed backstage.
There are no coat check facilities.
The Ryman provides wheelchair escorts during nighttime events for guests with limited mobility. Accessible ticket options are available.

How to Get There

The Ryman is centrally located in the heart of downtown Nashville, at the junction of Broadway and Fourth Avenue. The entrance is located on the Fourth Avenue side of the building. The site does not have a dedicated public parking lot.

When to Get There

The Ryman Auditorium and museum are open year-round except for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Tours are offered daily between 9am and 4pm. The most popular time to visit is from April through October, when warm weather brings Music City to life. Winter is the city’s low season, when visitors may find cheaper prices.

Not Just for Country Music

Although it’s the original home of Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry country music concerts, the Ryman stage has seen superstars of every genre. Artists such as Paul Simon, the Pixies, MGMT, and even Houdini have performed here, in addition to comedians Joe Rogan and Bill Burr.

116 5th Avenue North, Nashville 37219-2309, USA

Tours offered daily 9am-4pm. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day

Standard Daytime Tour - Adults: US$21.95, Children (4-11yrs): US$16.95

From $ 20

Tennessee State Museum

Oddities and artifacts abound in the permanent collections of the free-to-the-public Tennessee State Museum, together they tell the story of this particular swath of the American South from 12,000 years ago to the early 1900s. The main exhibit space consumes the ground floor of the massive office tower at the James K. Polk Cultural Center, and is divided into six eras such as the “First Tennesseans,” “Civil War and Reconstruction,” and the “New South.” The Military Branch Museum, a vestige of the museum’s former nearby location in the War Memorial Building prior to its 1981 move, is run separately and offers an in depth look into major battles from the Spanish American War to World War II featuring weapons, uniforms, flags and personal items from Tennessee soldiers.

Among the more unusual finds in the main space are a 3,600-year-old mummy brought by Tennessean merchant marine to the state during the prosperous antebellum period, a Frontier-era log cabin showing colonial life, mastodon bones, a huge collection of quits, a hand-drawn Confederate battle field map, a covered wagon, a horse-drawn fire engine with brass water pump, Daniel Boone’s cutlery set and pocket knife, an early model of a flying machine, a moonshine sill, a model of a white wooden riverboat, Andrew Jackson’s personal items and a leather jacket once worn by former President Dwight D. Eisenhower during his role as a WWII General. Rotating exhibitions keep things fresh and have included artwork from Japanese museums, the original Emancipation Proclamation, photographs of Elvis and a collaborative exhibit with the adjacent Tennessee Performing Arts Center on Tennessee’s African American musical heritage. Though captivating for school children and adults, there is little interactive here to entertain families with very young children. Plans for a shiny new State Museum, proposed for a location along Bicentennial Mall a few blocks away, are in the works.

Practical Info

The Tennessee State Museum is located at 505 Deaderick Street in Downtown Nashville. It is open from Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. til 5 p.m. and Sundays from 1 p.m. til 5 p.m. and closed on major holidays. The Military Branch across the street (301 6th Ave. N) is open 10 a.m. til 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday only. Some visiting exhibits may charge admission fees. Flash-free photography is permitted. There is no designated museum parking, but several state and public pay lots are located around 5th Avenue.

505 Deaderick Street, Nashville, Tennessee 37243, USA

Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. til 5 p.m. and Sundays from 1 p.m. til 5 p.m. and closed on major holidays.

Some exhibits may charge admission fees

From $ 39