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Myles New

Tennessee

Most states have one official state song. Tennessee has 10! And there's a reason for that: Tennessee has music deep within its soul. Here, the folk music of the Scots-Irish in the eastern mountains combined with the bluesy rhythms of the African Americans in the western Delta to give birth to the modern country music that makes Nashville famous.

The state's three geographic regions, East, Middle and West Tennessee, are represented by the three stars on the Tennessee flag. Each has its own unique beauty: the heather-colored peaks of the Great Smoky Mountains; the lush green valleys of the central plateau around Nashville; and the hot, sultry lowlands near Memphis.

In Tennessee you can hike shady mountain trails in the morning, and by evening whoop it up in a Nashville honky-tonk or on the blues-infused sidewalks of Beale St.

Explore Tennessee

  • Songbirds

    Myriad songbirds of the avian variety call Tennessee home, but Chattanooga's newly revamped Songbirds – an innovative interactive learning space devoted…

  • Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum

    This monumental museum, reflecting the near-biblical importance of country music to Nashville's soul, is a must-see whether you're a country music fan or…

  • Lookout Mountain

    Just ten minutes from downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee, rising along the upper rim of the city, Lookout Mountain is rich in both Civil War history and…

  • Graceland

    If you only make one stop in Memphis, it should be here: the sublimely kitschy, gloriously bizarre home of the King of Rock and Roll. Though born in…

  • Sun Studio

    This dusty storefront is ground zero for American rock and roll. Starting in the early 1950s, Sun's Sam Phillips recorded blues artists such as Howlin'…

  • National Civil Rights Museum

    Housed partly inside the Lorraine Motel, where Martin Luther King Jr was fatally shot on April 4, 1968, is the gut-wrenching National Civil Rights Museum…

  • Stax Museum of American Soul Music

    Wanna get funky? Head directly to Soulsville, USA, where this 17,000-sq-ft museum sits on the site of the old Stax recording studio. This venerable spot…

  • T

    Titanic Museum

    On April 15, 1912, the steamship Titanic sank on her maiden voyage after colliding with an iceberg. The ship's history and the stories of many of her…

  • Tennessee Aquarium

    Situated on the Tennessee River in downtown Chattanooga, TN, the Tennessee Aquarium is home to 10,000 animals. The aquarium, Chattanooga’s most visited…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Tennessee.

  • See

    Songbirds

    Myriad songbirds of the avian variety call Tennessee home, but Chattanooga's newly revamped Songbirds – an innovative interactive learning space devoted…

  • See

    Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum

    This monumental museum, reflecting the near-biblical importance of country music to Nashville's soul, is a must-see whether you're a country music fan or…

  • See

    Lookout Mountain

    Just ten minutes from downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee, rising along the upper rim of the city, Lookout Mountain is rich in both Civil War history and…

  • See

    Graceland

    If you only make one stop in Memphis, it should be here: the sublimely kitschy, gloriously bizarre home of the King of Rock and Roll. Though born in…

  • See

    Sun Studio

    This dusty storefront is ground zero for American rock and roll. Starting in the early 1950s, Sun's Sam Phillips recorded blues artists such as Howlin'…

  • See

    National Civil Rights Museum

    Housed partly inside the Lorraine Motel, where Martin Luther King Jr was fatally shot on April 4, 1968, is the gut-wrenching National Civil Rights Museum…

  • See

    Stax Museum of American Soul Music

    Wanna get funky? Head directly to Soulsville, USA, where this 17,000-sq-ft museum sits on the site of the old Stax recording studio. This venerable spot…

  • See

    Titanic Museum

    On April 15, 1912, the steamship Titanic sank on her maiden voyage after colliding with an iceberg. The ship's history and the stories of many of her…

  • See

    Tennessee Aquarium

    Situated on the Tennessee River in downtown Chattanooga, TN, the Tennessee Aquarium is home to 10,000 animals. The aquarium, Chattanooga’s most visited…

Featured videos

The Travel Kitchen: Nashville Hot Chicken

3:22

  • Back to nature in Nashville’s Percy Warner Park

  • Nashville's zero-waste retail shop

  • Pinball and pints in East Nashville

  • Which US national park is right for you?

  • Distilleries around the world

  • Where to find Nashville's coolest murals

  • When to go to Tennessee

Guidebooks

Learn more about Tennessee

Uncover the heart of travel and be inspired to see new sights with one of Lonely Planet’s in-depth, award-winning guidebooks.