37 Top Things to Do in Tennessee

Dickens of a Christmas

Franklin · On our Nashville & Franklin route

Two-day street festival on Main Street with costumed Dickens characters, carolers, artisan stalls and food vendors.

Tip: Park in the free downtown garages early; Main Street is closed to cars during the festival.

Leiper's Fork

Franklin · On our Nashville & Franklin route

Village of galleries and old clapboard shops in the hills west of Franklin, with a homespun Christmas parade in December.

Tip: Drive out on the Natchez Trace Parkway and back on Old Hillsboro Road for the countryside.

Lotz House

Franklin · On our Nashville & Franklin route

1858 house museum on Columbia Avenue that stood at the center of the Battle of Franklin.

Graceland

Memphis · On our Arkansas Delta Blues & Bites route

Elvis Presley's mansion, cars and planes, with an exhibit complex across the street.

Tip: Book tickets online; the basic mansion tour is enough for most.

National Civil Rights Museum

Memphis · On our Arkansas Delta Blues & Bites route

Museum built around the Lorraine Motel, where Dr. King was assassinated in 1968.

Tip: Allow 2–3 hours; closed Tuesdays.

Stax Museum of American Soul Music

Memphis · On our Arkansas Delta Blues & Bites route

Rebuilt Stax Records site with Isaac Hayes' gold Cadillac and Soul Train dance floor.

Sun Studio

Memphis · On our Arkansas Delta Blues & Bites route

Studio where Elvis, Johnny Cash and B.B. King recorded; tours end in the working room.

The Peabody Memphis

Memphis · On our Arkansas Delta Blues & Bites route

Grand 1925 hotel where ducks march to the lobby fountain at 11am and back at 5pm.

Tip: Arrive 30 minutes early for a view of the duck march.

Belmont Mansion

Nashville · On our Nashville & Franklin route

1850s Italianate villa on the Belmont University campus, decorated in period style for the Christmas season.

Tip: Guided tours run through the house; check holiday hours before you go.

Cheekwood Holiday LIGHTS

Nashville · On our Nashville & Franklin route

Cheekwood's botanical garden and 1930s mansion lit with about a million lights on a mile-long winter walk.

Tip: There are fire pits and s'mores along the path; bring gloves.

Gaylord Opryland Resort

Nashville · On our Nashville & Franklin route

Huge glass-roofed resort whose indoor gardens are strung with lights for A Country Christmas, with the ICE sculpture exhibit.

Tip: The atriums are free to walk; ICE and the dinner shows need tickets.

Grand Ole Opry House

Nashville · On our Nashville & Franklin route

Home of the Grand Ole Opry, the long-running country music radio show; December brings Opry Country Christmas shows.

Tip: Backstage tours run most days and include the stage circle cut from the Ryman's floor.

Lower Broadway

Nashville · On our Nashville & Franklin route

Strip of neon-lit honky-tonks with live bands playing from late morning until late at night, no cover at most bars.

Tip: Afternoons are calmer and the musicians are just as good.

Knoxville Museum of Art

Knoxville · On our Smokies Weekend route

Free museum focused on East Tennessee art, with Richard Jolley's glass installation.

Tip: Free entry; closed Mondays.

Market Square

Knoxville · On our Smokies Weekend route

Pedestrian square with restaurants, patios and a Saturday farmers market.

Tip: Saturday farmers market runs May–Nov.

Tennessee Theatre

Knoxville · On our Smokies Weekend route

Restored 1928 movie palace with a Mighty Wurlitzer organ.

Tip: Catch a classic movie night or concert.

World's Fair Park & Sunsphere

Knoxville · On our Smokies Weekend route

1982 World's Fair grounds with the gold Sunsphere tower.

Tip: Free observation deck on the 4th floor.

Abrams Falls Trail

Townsend · On our Smokies Weekend route

5-mile round trip along Abrams Creek to a wide 20-ft waterfall.

Tip: Trailhead is off the Cades Cove loop; don't swim at the falls.

Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center

Townsend · On our Smokies Weekend route

Museum and historic buildings on Native American and pioneer life.

Tip: Pair with the logging museum nearby.

Little River Railroad and Lumber Company Museum

Townsend · On our Smokies Weekend route

Small museum on the logging railroad that shaped the Smokies.

Tip: Seasonal hours; donation-based.

Tuckaleechee Caverns

Townsend · On our Smokies Weekend route

Guided cave walk with a huge chamber and a 210-ft underground waterfall.

Tip: Open Mar–Nov; tours about 75 minutes.

John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge

Downtown Nashville · On our Nashville New Year's Eve route

Lit 1909 truss bridge over the Cumberland, now pedestrian-only, with the best skyline view in the city.

Tip: Cross after dinner on Dec 30 for the skyline without the New Year's Eve crowds.

Music City Midnight

Downtown Nashville · On our Nashville New Year's Eve route

Free New Year's Eve concert at Bicentennial Capitol Mall, ending with the Music Note Drop and fireworks at midnight.

Tip: Arrive by 8 p.m. for a spot with a view of the stage and the Capitol behind it.

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

Lower Broadway · On our Nashville Music Weekend route

Deep collection of instruments, costumes and recordings tracing country music's history.

Tip: Allow 2–3 hours; combo tickets add RCA Studio B tours.

Johnny Cash Museum

Lower Broadway · On our Nashville Music Weekend route

Compact museum of Cash's life with costumes, records and handwritten lyrics.

Tip: Go at opening; it gets cramped by afternoon.

National Museum of African American Music

Lower Broadway · On our Nashville Music Weekend route

Interactive museum on Black musicians' role across gospel, blues, jazz, R&B and hip-hop.

Tip: Pick up an RFID wristband to save songs to listen to later.

Frist Art Museum

The Gulch · On our Nashville Music Weekend route

Rotating exhibitions in a 1930s Art Deco post office building.

Tip: Under-18s free; the Martin ArtQuest gallery suits kids.

The Parthenon

The Gulch · On our Nashville Music Weekend route

Full-scale Parthenon replica in Centennial Park housing a 42-ft Athena statue and art gallery.

Tip: Walk Centennial Park's lake loop afterward.

Union Station Nashville Yards

The Gulch · On our Nashville Music Weekend route

1900 Romanesque railway station turned hotel with a stained-glass barrel-vault lobby.

Tip: Stop for a drink in the lobby bar to see the ceiling.

Shelby Bottoms Greenway

East Nashville · On our Nashville Music Weekend route + 1 more

Riverside paved and gravel trails through wetlands and meadows along the Cumberland.

Tip: Start at Shelby Park and cross the pedestrian bridge.

Big River Crossing

South Main & the Riverfront · On our Memphis New Year's Eve route

Walking and cycling path on the Harahan Bridge, nearly a mile across the Mississippi to Arkansas.

Tip: Walk out to the state line marker midway for the best look back at the skyline.

Lorraine Motel

South Main & the Riverfront · On our Memphis New Year's Eve route

Site of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, preserved as part of the National Civil Rights Museum.

Tip: The museum is traditionally closed Jan 1, but the balcony and wreath are visible from the plaza.

New Year's Eve on Beale

Beale Street & Downtown Memphis · On our Memphis New Year's Eve route

Free 21-and-up street party along Beale Street with bands, a DJ stage and fireworks and confetti cannons at midnight.

Tip: Arrive by 9 p.m.; entry is screened and the street fills fast after 10.