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

Unusual
Attractions
in Tennessee

Gatlinburg, Tennessee

Fireflies of the Great Smoky Mountains

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

Dylan

Sweetwater, Tennessee

Lost Sea

Enormous lake at the bottom of a unique cave system.

Added by Myrandis

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."

Joey Freshwater

Added by Joey Freshwater

Knoxville, Tennessee

The Body Farm

Bring out your dead.

EmilyYaMei

Added by EmilyYaMei

Sevierville, Tennessee

Forbidden Caverns

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

Chattanooga, Tennessee

Ruby Falls

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

vivianilene

Added by vivianilene

Sparta, Tennessee

Virgin Falls Pocket Wilderness

Visit this playground of waterfalls, caves and sinkholes.

JBHewlett

Added by JBHewlett

See All 77 Things to Do in Tennessee See All 77 Places

Unique
Food & Drink
in Tennessee

Southern Butter Rolls

Gastro Obscura

Southern Butter Rolls

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

Gastro Obscura

Added by jcmbgarrison

Deep-Fried Peanuts

Gastro Obscura

Deep-Fried Peanuts

You eat the shell, too.

Gastro Obscura

davidplotz

Added by davidplotz

Barbecue Spaghetti

Gastro Obscura

Barbecue Spaghetti

Memphis adds a little Italian flair to its Southern repertoire.

Gastro Obscura

rachelrummel

Added by rachelrummel

RC-MoonPie Festival

Gastro Obscura

RC-MoonPie Festival

Every year, one tiny Tennessee town celebrates this sugary Southern duo.

Gastro Obscura

irispriscilla01

Added by irispriscilla01

See all 12 things to eat in Tennessee See all 12 things to eat in Tennessee

Explore Tennessee

Launch Map

Recent Tennessee Activity

SergioMiller wants to go to Pinson Mounds State Archeological Park

SergioMiller wants to go to Tent Graves of Mt. Gilead Cemetery

SergioMiller wants to go to Raccoon Mountain Caverns

ddoherty7211 has been to The Sunsphere

ddoherty7211 has been to The Jungle Room at Graceland

Stories
About Tennessee

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