Unique Sights Found Only in Tennessee

Blue Hole Spring at Red Clay State Historic Park in Cleveland, Tennessee; Photo Credit: Tennessee State Parks

Tennessee is rich with history, music, culture, food, family-fun, scenic beauty and stories. Here are 13 experiences unique to Tennessee.

Minnie Pearl Chicken Wire Statue(link is external) – Centerville
In Centerville, the hometown of the Grand Ole Opry Star Minnie Pearl, is a larger-than-life memorial statue made entirely from chicken wire.
Blue Hole Spring at Red Clay State Historic Park(link is external) – ClevelandRed
Clay State Historic Park, the last seat of the Cherokee national government before enforcement of the Indian Removal Act, is where the Trail of Tears began. The park’s natural landmark, Blue Hole Spring, arises from beneath a limestone ledge to form a deep pool that flows into Mill Creek. The Cherokee used the spring for their water supply during council meetings.
Mule Day Festival(link is external) – Columbia
Tennessee’s “mule capital” of the world showcases an eclectic celebration of this animal is spent with a multi-day spring festival complete with dancing, music, log-loading and parade.
Elephant Sanctuary(link is external) – Hohenwald
The sanctuary offers hands-on, self-guided exhibits to teach visitors about the differences between the species and the ecological role elephants play in the wild and tells stories of elephants in the sanctuary.
World’s Largest Cedar Bucket at Cannonsburgh Village–(link is external) Murfreesboro
See the world’s largest cedar bucket at Cannonsburgh, a reconstructed pioneer village with a gristmill, one-room schoolhouse, town hall, log home, church, general store and working blacksmith shop.
Hatch Show Print(link is external) at Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum – Nashville
Hatch Show Print, a working letterpress print shop since 1879, focuses on preservation through production and uses its collection to educate diverse audiences and create iconic designs.
Crystal Shrine Grotto(link is external) – Memphis
Crafted in the 1930s, the only man-made crystal cave in the world is a mix of stone forms, expert craftsmanship and religious imagery
Manhattan Project National Historic Park(link is external) – Oak Ridge
The historic park features sites, equipment, artifacts and stories that enabled the U.S. to develop atomic weapons that brought an end to World War II. The legacy lives on in space travel, nuclear medicine and energy production. (Only U.S. citizens can take the bus tour.)
Historic Brushy Mountain Penitentiary(link is external) – Petros
Tennessee’s first maximum-security prison, known as the End of the Line, held the state’s most violent criminals for over a century, including James Earl Ray. Guests can tour the prison, eat at Warden’s Table restaurant and visit the distillery.
Backbone Rock – Shady Valley
Known as the “Shortest Tunnel in the World,” Backbone Rock is surround by a river and natural area in the beautiful Cherokee National Forest(link is external)
Historic Rugby(link is external) – Rugby
The 1800s colony, originally conceived as a class-free agricultural community, features a museum, historic building tours, lodging, stores, full-service restaurant and festivals.
Reelfoot Lake(link is external) – Tiptonville
In the winter of 1811-1812, the 150-mile long New Madrid fault line produced a series of four earthquakes so powerful the Mississippi River flowed backward. This intensity created Reelfoot Lake, noted for its bald cypress trees, bald eagles, hunting, fishing, canoeing, kayaking & hiking.
Beechcraft Heritage Museum(link is external) – Tullahoma
The world-class aviation museum features a rare collection of airplanes and original pieces of artwork from artists worldwide.

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