100 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Tennessee - Atlas Obscura

Unusual Attractions in Tennessee

Gatlinburg, Tennessee

Synchronized Fireflies of the Great Smoky Mountains

For two weeks every June, fireflies in the Smoky Mountains perform an astonishing light show.

Sweetwater, Tennessee

Lost Sea

Enormous lake at the bottom of a unique cave system.

Adams, Tennessee

The Bell Witch Cave

Home of an evil witch famous within southern folklore.

Morristown, Tennessee

The Evil Dead Cabin

All that's left of the quintessential "cabin in the woods."

Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Oak Ridge "The Secret City"

The secret city built by the Manhattan Project.

Sevierville, Tennessee

Forbidden Caverns

Wild lights and sound effects turn a walk through some caves into an eye-popping 1960s tourist attraction.

Knoxville, Tennessee

The Body Farm

Bring out your dead.

Chattanooga, Tennessee

Ruby Falls

The mysterious wonder of an underground waterfall is illuminated by multicolored lights.

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Nashville, Tennessee

Concrete Parthenon

This replica makes Nashville the "Athens of the South."

Nashville, Tennessee

Hatch Show Print

At 135 years old and counting, this historic print shop is heaven for poster nerds and music buffs.

Nashville, Tennessee

Ryman Alley

The alley connecting two of country music’s most historic venues has a rich history of its own.

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Unique Food & Drink in Tennessee

Southern Butter Rolls

The sweet, spiraled pastries were once a staple on cold days in the American South.

Chocolate Gravy

Sweet sauce tops off buttermilk biscuits in the Appalachian and Ozark mountains.

Deep-Fried Peanuts

You eat the shell, too.

Chitlins

These entrails identified safe venues for Black musicians during the Jim Crow era.

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Post	Replies	Views	Activity
What would you do on a time crunch in DC?	19 December 9, 2019	3057	December 9, 2019
Carolina House with a Natural Cavern underneath	12 April 1, 2020	5478	April 1, 2020
New Orleans suggestions?	15 March 26, 2020	3550	March 26, 2020
Off the beaten path / hidden gems near Nashville?	9 November 20, 2019	2951	November 20, 2019
Nashville Music Shops — seeking recommendations	10 September 12, 2019	939	September 12, 2019

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Stories About Tennessee

Charles and Betty at home with their collection.

The Teetotaling Couple Who Filled Their Home With Novelty Whiskey Containers

For decades, Jim Beam made decanters shaped like Elvis, the Mount St. Helens eruption, and more.

Horace Burgess's treehouse in Crossville, Tennessee, in 2015.

The Life and Fiery Death of the World's Biggest Treehouse

Its dedicated, sagelike maker isn't at all upset.

by Matthew Taub

Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee.

A Look Back at Franklin, America's Lost State

It existed for a brief and treasonous four years.

by Madelyn Brown

The "Battle of the Tea" is on.

Was the Long Island Iced Tea Invented in ... Tennessee?

"Not since the 'Battle of Long Island' has Long Island's honor been so challenged."

Charles Manson's name is etched onto one of this guitars.

Charles Manson's Guitar Is a Symbol of Music and Murder

One of the infamous killer's instruments is on display in Tennessee.

by Eric Grundhauser

Red-eared sliders: cute but trouble.

Found: A 5.5-Million-Year-Old Ancestor of the Red-Eared Slider

The ancient relative of a popular (but invasive) pet.

by Vittoria Traverso

February 27, 2018

The doors on the north side of the Loveman's Building leading to a retaining wall.

The Mystery of Why Chattanooga Raised Its Downtown by a Level

There's a hidden layer of Chattanooga underneath the current city.

by Daniel Jackson

December 19, 2016

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