Tennessee is the Volunteer State, a land where Appalachian mountain mist meets Mississippi Delta soul. From the neon honky-tonks of Nashville and the legendary blues clubs of Beale Street to the ancient hollows of the Great Smoky Mountains and the white-water rivers of the Cherokee National Forest, Tennessee delivers an extraordinary range of experiences. Home to more live music per capita than almost any state, birthplace of country, blues, and rock-and-roll, and blessed with stunning natural landscapes, Tennessee is a destination that rewards every type of traveler.
Historical timeline
Key moments that shaped Tennessee.
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1
Hernando de Soto leads the first European expedition through Tennessee territory
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2
Fort Loudoun cession — Cherokee sign over eastern Tennessee to British colonists
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3
Tennessee admitted to the Union as the 16th state; John Sevier becomes first governor
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4
Trail of Tears: US Army forcibly removes 16,000 Cherokee from Tennessee and surrounding states; approximately 4,000 die en route to Oklahoma
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5
Battle of Shiloh (April 6–7): 23,746 casualties in two days; one of Civil War's bloodiest battles
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6
Battle of Franklin (November 30): five Confederate generals killed; Carter House used as Union headquarters
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7
Ku Klux Klan founded in Pulaski, Tennessee — the organization's first chapter
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8
Tennessee becomes the 36th and decisive state to ratify the 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote
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9
Grand Ole Opry begins broadcasting on WSM Radio, Nashville — inaugurating country music's global reach
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10
Elvis Presley records 'That's All Right' at Sun Studio (706 Union Ave, Memphis) — rock-and-roll's genesis moment
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11
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. assassinated at the Lorraine Motel (now National Civil Rights Museum), Memphis, April 4
Historical sites
Places where Tennessee's past comes alive.
National Civil Rights Museum (Lorraine Motel)
Where: Memphis Downtown
Admission: Adult: $20 USD | Child: $15 (5–17 years)
Shiloh National Military Park
Where: Hardin County
Admission: Adult: $20/vehicle or $10/person USD | Child: Free under 15
Carter House (Battle of Franklin Site)
Where: Franklin
Admission: Adult: $18 USD | Child: $8 (6–12 years)
Andrew Jackson's Hermitage
Where: Nashville suburb (Hermitage)
Admission: Adult: $30 USD | Child: $16 (5–12 years)
Tennessee State Capitol
Where: Nashville Downtown
Admission: Adult: Free | Child: Free
Museum of Appalachia
Where: Norris, Anderson County
Admission: Adult: $17 USD | Child: $6 (5–16 years)
Lookout Mountain Battlefield (Point Park NPS)
Where: Lookout Mountain, Chattanooga
Admission: Adult: $5 USD (NPS fee) | Child: Free under 15
Graceland (Elvis Presley's Estate)
Where: Memphis
Admission: Adult: Elvis Experience Tour $47 USD; Platinum Tour $95 USD | Child: $20 (7–12 years)
Museums
Curated collections that tell Tennessee's story.
Tennessee State Museum
Hours: Tuesday–Saturday 10 AM–5 PM; Sunday 1–5 PM; closed Monday
Admission: Adult: Free | Child: Free
Pink Palace Museum (Memphis)
Hours: Tuesday–Friday 9 AM–4 PM; Saturday 9 AM–5 PM; Sunday noon–5 PM; closed Monday
Admission: Adult: $15 USD | Child: $11 (3–12 years)
Tennessee Valley Authority (Norris Dam State Resort Park)
Hours: Dam: open 24 hours; Park office: 8 AM–4:30 PM daily
Admission: Adult: Free day-use | Child: Free