Tennessee - The Volunteer State

Tennessee Dept of Tourism Development

What’s New
• Titanic Pigeon Forge: A 2,787-square-metre ship-shaped structure situated on 2.3 hectares. Features 20 galleries with hundreds of artifacts from the Titanic.
• Delta Queen: The legendary Delta Queen, the last fully operational, overnight passenger steamboat in the country, is now docked in Chattanooga and functioning as a boutique hotel.
• Graceland: Explore the fashion trends set by Elvis through Elvis Presley – Fashion King, a new exhibit to commemorate Elvis Presley’s 75th birthday. See everything from Elvis’ handmade shirts and suits to flashy jewelry and shoes.

Attractions:
• National Civil Rights Museum: Chronicles the Civil Rights Movement from slavery to present-day human rights issues. This former motel is where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. Memphis.
• Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum: A treasure trove of historic video clips and recorded music, exhibits and state-of-the-art design and regular live performances. Nashville.
• Grand Ole Opry: An American icon and Nashville’s top attraction. Features live performances from well-known names as well as up-and-coming stars. Nashville.
• Dollywood: Features incredible rides, spectacular shows, heritage crafts and fun for the whole family. There is a new festival each season. Pigeon Forge.
•The Tennessee Aquarium: Features 10,000 animals; 3D IMAX movies on a six-storey screen; and the River Gorge Explorer, a thrilling riverboat cruise.
Tennessee Dept of Tourism Development• Bristol Motor Speedway: The speedway, with its 36-degree banked corners, is known as the “World's Fastest Half Mile”. Hosts NASCAR and Busch series racing. Bristol.
• Memphis Zoo: Home to over 3,500 other animals. Recently added a 1.6-hectare exhibit, The Teton Trek, featuring grizzlies, timber wolves, elk and trumpeter swans. Memphis.
• Casey Jones Home & Railroad Museum: Featuring an authentic 1890s train station experience and enhanced exhibits. Jackson.

Events:
• Riverbend Festival (June), Chattanooga.
• Smithville’s Fiddler’s Jamboree & Crafts Festival (July), Smithville.
• Gatlinburg Craftsmen’s Fair (July-October), Gatlinburg.
• Wilson County Fair (August) Lebanon.
• 72nd Annual Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration (August-September), Shelbyville.
• African Street Festival (September), Jackson.
• Boomsday Festival (September), Knoxville.
• Rocktoberfest (October), Rock City, Chattanooga.
• Reelfoot Arts & Crafts Festival (October), Tiptonville.
• 38th Annual National Storytelling Festival (October), Jonesborough.
• Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational Barbecue (October), Lynchburg.
• Christmas on the Cumberland (November-January), Clarksville.

Places:
• Beale Street Historic District: Four historic blocks of barbecue joints and live music venues that celebrate the soul of the blues, jazz and rock ‘n’ roll sound of Memphis.
• Franklin: Historic sites include the Carter House, Carnton Plantation and the newly opened Lotz House, featuring the finest private collection of Victorian furniture in the southeast.
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park: A World Heritage Site that preserves a rich, cultural tapestry of Southern Appalachian history. Tallassee.
• Lynchburg: Home to the oldest registered distillery, the Jack Daniel Distillery. Step back in time to enjoy unique shops and restaurants in restored buildings, and the old jail museum.

Hidden Gems:
• Museum of Appalachia: Features a frontier village with dozens of authentic structures, restaurants serving home-cooked meals, a gift shop and the Appalachian Hall of Fame Building. Norris.
• International Storytelling Center: Promotes the power of storytelling. The International Storytelling Festival takes place in October. Jonesborough.
• Loveless Café: Southern food icon for 50 years. Menu offerings include hams, jams, red-eye gravy and Southern fried chicken. Nashville.

Did You Know?
State Motto: Agriculture and Commerce
State Flower: Cultivated Iris
State Bird: Mockingbird

Fast Facts
Region: THE SOUTH
America’s Byways: Cherohala Skyway, Natchez Trace Parkway, East Tennessee Crossing, Great River Road and Woodlands Trace
Direct Flights: Air Canada, United Airlines
Sales Tools: Official Tennessee Vacation Guide
Info: Tennessee Department of Tourist Development
1-800-G0-2-TENN
www.tnvacation.com