Exploring Tennessee

Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies is located in downtown Gatlinburg and is among the top-rated aquarium in the country The tanks hold 1,4 million gallons of water and over 100 thousand marine animals have found their home here. The underwater tunnel is 340 feet long which makes it one of the longest in the world. It allows visitors to get up close to creatures of the deep like sharks, stingrays, and giant sea turtles.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Gatlinburg is one of the most visited National Parks in the U.S. and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Great Smokey Mountains are part of the Blue Ridge Mountains which are part of the Appalachian Mountain Range.

The park lies on the border of North Carolina and Tennessee. You can encounter wild black bears and elk in the park. There are 850 miles of hiking trails and Appalachian historic buildings are preserved at Cades Cove.

The best place to begin the tour of the Great Smokey National Park is in the small town of Gatlinburg where you’ll find the Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies.

Ober Gatlinburg is a ski resort and amusement park that offers year-round activities.

Other highlights in the park include the 6.643-foot high Clingmans Dome with Observation Tower that is perched atop the mountain summit and offers fantastic views. You can enjoy an overnight camping trip or stay in a rustic cabin in the woods.

The Lotz House Museum in Franklin is a museum and is listed on the U.S. National Registry of Historic Places. This home played a historic role in the Civil War and survived the Battle of Franklin and served as a military field hospital. The Lotz Family were artists who created fine art and handmade furniture. You can see many historic furnishings in the home including antiques, family heirlooms, fine art, and more.

Discovery Park of America in Union City is a museum, park, and garden with educational exhibits. This 50-acre park has hands-on exhibits and activities teaching about the history of Tennessee. Among the highlights here are a theater earthquake simulator, a 20,000-gallon aquarium, and a 60-foot replica of the human body.

The Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge has a half-scale replica of the famous ship the RMS Titanic. This two-story museum has about 400 artifacts in twenty separate galleries and is known as the world’s largest Titanic museum. The museum has been built in a pool of water. You’ll enter and feel like the original passengers did boarding the Titanic on its maiden and only voyage. The museum adds a real passenger name to each ticket and visitors learn about the individual story of that passenger including if they survived.

Parrot Mountain and Gardens is a bird park and garden in Pigeon Forge where parrot cottages line the paths. The tropical birds sit on open perches or fly overhead. Visitors can feed the birds from their hands, take photos with them, or just stroll through the gardens. There is a baby bird nursery on-site and you can purchase a bird to take home.

Dollywood is a theme park in Pigeon Forge partly owned by country music legend Dolly Parton. There are lots of thrilling rides like the Lightning Rod, the world’s fastest wooden roller coaster. You can see stage shows, and seasonal festivals, and enjoy a water park. There are over 40 rides among them the Tennessee Tornado roller coaster. You’ll find 10 themed areas like Timber Canyon and Jukebox Junction. You can ride the Dollywood Express around the park. You can enjoy a visit to Splash Country Water Park.

It is just minutes from the theme park’s lovely DreamMore Resort.

The Stones River National Battlefield is a Civil War Battlefield in Murfreesboro. This is the location of one of the bloodiest battles in the war. The park memorializes the Battle of Stones and educates visitors about the significance of the battle and the Civil War.

The Stones River National Cemetery has around 7,000 graves. Here you’ll also see the oldest surviving Civil War Monument standing in its original location – Hazen’s Brigade Monument. Park Service rangers and volunteers offer visitors talks, interpreted walks, tours, and history programs.

Bays Mountain Park and Planetarium in Kingsport is a large city-owned park. (Bay Mountian Park is pictured above) It consists of a nature preserve. There is a 44-acre lake, a Nature Center with a Planetarium, and exhibits displaying Animal Habitats. Bay Mountain also offers an Adventure Ropes Course with a 300-foot-long zip line. There are miles of hiking trails and you can enjoy mountain biking. The planetarium offers free seasonal astronomy viewings at night.

The Smoky Mountain Deer Farm and Exotic Petting Zoo is a 140-acre family-friendly attraction with many animals and animal-centered activities. The deer farm is a great way to get up to close with the deer. The petting zoo has camels, kangaroos, zebras, reindeer, emu, donkeys, Zonkey the Donkey, and more. Visitors can pet and feed the animals. The Deer Farm Riding Stables offer visitors horse-riding experiences. The trail offers amazing views of the Smokey Mountains.

Carnton Plantation in Franklin is a museum and historic plantation It played a key role in the Battle of Franklin during the Civil War and is on the U.S. National Registry of Historic Places. You can get guided tours that explore the house and grounds. There is a gift shop where you can get books about the history of the plantation.

The Museum of Appalachia in Clinton is a large open-air museum all about the people who settled in the Appalachian Mountains. It looks at their culture, livelihoods, and customs. It is one of the best heritage villages in the U.S. You can enjoy hands-on activities like weaving and farming. The museum has over 250,000 artifacts.

The amazing Lost Sea is a huge cave system with the largest underwater lake in the U.S. in Sweetwater. There are guided tours available including boat trips along the underground waterways. It also has a Civil War history. Confederate soldiers mined the Lost Sea caverns for saltpeter, an ingredient of gunpowder. After the war, locals created a party room called the Cavern Tavern.