109 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."

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.

Sparta, Tennessee

Virgin Falls Pocket Wilderness

Visit this playground of waterfalls, caves and sinkholes.

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Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Tennessee

Memphis, Tennessee

Silky O'Sullivan's

Home to drunken tower-climbing goats... seriously.

Gatlinburg, Tennessee

Salt & Pepper Shaker Museum

Over 20,000 sets of spice shakers reveal the surprisingly telling history of our most basic spices.

Lynchburg, Tennessee

Jack Daniel's Distillery Tour

All you ever needed or wanted to know about America's favorite whiskey, but not a drop to drink.

Memphis, Tennessee

Earnestine & Hazel's

The juke joint where legendary soul artists ate, drank, and made merry.

See all 7 places to eat in Tennessee See all 7 places to eat in Tennessee

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Study Guide: Road Trip from Knoxville to Nashville

East Tennessee boasts some of the state’s most beautiful highways and byways. Rather than rushing from one destination to the next, this is the perfect road trip to meander and stop along the way. Follow this suggested itinerary between Knoxville and Nashville, and you’ll discover lesser-known historical gems, stunning natural landscapes, and some memorable treats, all bookended by two of Tennessee’s truly great cities.

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Stories About Tennessee

Podcast: Minister's Treehouse

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.

by The Podcast Team

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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