Tennessee Travel Information

From the Mississippi River to the Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee is a place to discover the best of great musical styles, America's riveting history, exciting outdoor adventure, Southern hospitality and mouthwatering food. With cities such as Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga and thousands of acres of great outdoors, Tennessee is more than a vacation – it is an experience.


From Beale Street blues and Elvis' rock 'n' roll in Memphis, to Nashville's Grand Ole Opry and the bluegrass of Appalachia, Tennessee has endless opportunities for blockbuster entertainment. On any given night of the year, more than 1,200 venues across the state offer live music. World-famous events like Bonnaroo, America's No. 1 music festival, and the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest take place in Tennessee each year. More than 800 festivals highlight Tennessee's rich culture and unique flair, like South Pittsburg's Cornbread Festival, Bell Buckle's Moon Pie Festival and Jonesborough's International Storytelling Festival.

Hear homegrown music at festivals and attractions like the Smithville Fiddler's Jamboree where famous musicians are discovered. The Brownsville Blues Festival is rooted in talent that began in the cotton fields. Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge is jam-packed with musical shows, and the Cumberland Playhouse in Crossville offers performances of popular musicals each year. The Dixie Carter Performing Arts Center, in Carter's hometown of Huntingdon, offers some of Tennessee's finest theatrical events. Nashville's Bluebird Café, founded in 1982, is one of the country's premiere listening rooms where up-and-comers have a chance to give the history behind their songs and lyrics.

Tennessee has some of the finest collections of art museums in the country, offering a world of visual pleasures. Enjoy Tennessee's fine arts galleries like the Frist Center for the Visual Arts in Nashville and Knoxville's Museum of Art. The permanent collection in the Hunter Museum of American Art in Chattanooga is regarded as one of the most important gatherings of American art in the Southeast.

There are museums that help preserve all of Tennessee's history. The Sequoyah Birthplace Museum in Vonore details Cherokee heritage and the American Museum of Science & Energy in Oak Ridge chronicles America's transition into the Atomic Age with the Manhattan Project of World War II. The Stax Museum of American Soul Music, Rock 'n' Soul Museum and Sun Studio, all in Memphis, reveal the impact Tennesseans had on American music over the last 50 years. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville showcases country music's roots. The Casey Jones Village in Jackson illustrates one man's deeds in legend and song, and the children's Discovery Museums in Chattanooga and Memphis capture the imagination of Tennessee's youngest visitors.

Outdoor enthusiasts can take a hike through the deep forests of Big South Fork, kayak through the roaring rapids of the Ocoee River in the Tennessee Overhill, follow pioneers' footsteps through the Cumberland Gap and the Great Smoky Mountains, or catch a glimpse of the nesting American bald eagles in the cypress trees of Reelfoot Lake. Experience the adrenaline rush of hang gliding off Lookout Mountain with a pristine valley hundreds of feet below. Hike a portion of the Appalachian Trail, canoe the Hiwassee River or ride along its scenic shores in a vintage railroad coach. Tennessee's lakes offer the largest variety of freshwater fish in America. For the golfers, Tennessee has more than 150 courses, including five Bear Trace courses designed by the legendary Jack Nicklaus.

Discover Tennessee Trails & Byways, Tennessee's newest initiative, gives you a backstage pass to discover what lies off the beaten path. Take one of our five National Scenic Byways. Experience one of our three themed statewide trails – Civil War, Music or Motorcycles. Have fun with one of our 15 regional trails – with names like "Sunny Side," "Walking Tall" and "Ring of Fire" that take you to exciting sites.

Tennessee has four distinct seasons. In the splendor of winter, there is cross-country skiing at Roan Mountain State Park and the spectacular lights of Gaylord Opryland Resort's "A Country Christmas." Winterfest, in Pigeon Forge, celebrates the holiday season with over 5 million lights, and Christmas at Graceland has become a holiday highlight in Memphis. In spring, Tennessee wakes up to a landscape of living color. In East Tennessee, massive clouds of white dogwood blooms fill the forests and are celebrated each year at Knoxville's Dogwood Festival. In summer, cool off in Sweetwater's underground Lost Sea, or take a pontoon boat ride at Birdsong Resort in Camden to see divers harvest freshwater pearls. In the beauty of fall, pause under a tree of brilliant autumn colors at one of our 53 state parks, or take a ride along the Cherohala scenic drive in the Cherokee National Forest.