Discover the stories, history, traditions, and unexpected finds that make Tennessee special. From fascinating state facts to remarkable people and unusual places, explore the character of the Volunteer State.
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Discover places to visit, things to do, food, hotels and stories from across Tennessee.
Discover the stories, history, traditions, and unexpected finds that make Tennessee special. From fascinating state facts to remarkable people and unusual places, explore the character of the Volunteer State.
Tennessee dedicated a new state park on May 8, 2026. More than five months later, you still can’t walk in. Underneath it runs a cave system with more than 27 miles of mapped passages. You can tour those caves today, just not through the state park. In a meadow below the mountain stands an earthen … Read more
Across the eastern United States, about 60% of the forests where white oaks grow have no white oak seedlings coming up beneath them. About 87% have no young white oak saplings at all. The giant oaks are still standing. The trees meant to replace them aren’t there. Tennessee is asking for help fixing that, one … Read more
In 1978, a new zinc refinery started up beside the Cumberland River in Clarksville. It was built to run on ore from zinc mines in Smith County. A year later, Tennessee led the nation in zinc production. Nearly 50 years on, that same pairing of a Clarksville refinery and Gordonsville mines is at the center … Read more
The General Jackson’s paddlewheel weighs 36 tons. For 41 years, it has pushed one of the largest showboats ever built up and down the Cumberland River. On December 15, it stops for good. Opry Entertainment Opry Entertainment Group confirmed on October 19 that it’s retiring the General Jackson Showboat because of ongoing maintenance problems. The … Read more
Right now, black bears in the Great Smoky Mountains can eat up to 20,000 calories a day. That’s ten days’ worth of food for an average adult, every single day. About 1,900 of them live in the park, roughly two bears for every square mile. Most of that food comes from plants. And the biggest … Read more
Some people are happy to share their favorite small town in Tennessee. Others would rather keep it a secret, worried that too much attention might change the very things they love about it. I asked Tennessee locals on Facebook, “What’s your favorite small town in Tennessee?” The answers included mountain communities, historic downtowns, quiet country … Read more
Tennessee is beautiful, the people are friendly, and there’s no place quite like home. Just don’t tell too many people about it, because apparently, we’re running out of room! That was one of the funniest contradictions I noticed when I asked Tennessee locals on Facebook, “What’s something you wish everyone knew about Tennessee?” Some people … Read more
Ask a room full of Tennesseans to name the single most beautiful place in our state, and you will get a dozen different answers before anyone takes a breath. I asked that exact question to locals on Facebook recently: “What’s the most beautiful place in Tennessee?” Hundreds of responses poured in from every corner of … Read more
