Happy Birthday Tennessee! Celebrate Statehood Day with 227 top attractions

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — Tennessee turns 227 years old Thursday!

To celebrate Statehood Day, FOX 17 News has compiled a list of 227 can’t-miss attractions in the Volunteer State. From Memphis to Knoxville and football to fried chicken, this list has something for everybody.

State Parks

1. Bicentennial Capitol Mall

2. Big Cypress Tree

3. Big Hill Pond

4. Big Ridge

5. Bledsoe Creek

6. Booker T. Washington

7. Burgess Falls

8. Cedars of Lebanon

9. Chickasaw

10. Cordell Hull Birthplace

11. Cove Lake

12. Cumberland Mountain

13. Cumberland Trail

14. Cummins Falls

15. David Crockett

16. David Crockett Birthplace

17. Dunbar Cave

18. Edgar Evins

19. Fall Creek Falls

20. Fort Loudoun

21. Fort Pillow

22. Frozen Head

23. Harpeth River

24. Harrison Bay

25. Henry Horton

26. Hiwassee/Ocoee

27. Indian Mountain

28. Johnsonville

29. Long Hunter

30. Meeman-Shelby Forest

31. Montgomery Bell

32. Mousetail Landing

33. Natchez Trace

34. Nathan Bedford Forrest

35. Norris Dam

36. Old Stone Fort

37. Panther Creek

38. Paris Landing

39. Pickett

40. Pickwick Landing

41. Pinson Mounds

42. Port Royal

43. Radnor Lake

44. Red Clay

45. Reelfoot Lake

46. Roan Mountain

47. Rock Island

48. Rocky Fork

49. Seven Islands

50. Sgt. Alvin C. York

51. South Cumberland

52. Standing Stone

53. Sycamore Shoals

54. T.O. Fuller

55. Tims Ford

56. Warriors' Path

Historical Sites/Museums

227 years of Tennessee means the Volunteer State has some great places for any history buff to check out. Here are some of our top picks!

57. Oak Ridge, Tennessee (Home of the Manhattan Project)

58. Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum: Nashville, Tenn.

59. The Crystal Shrine Grotto: Memphis, Tenn.

60. Lost Cove Settlement: Erwin, Tenn.

61. The Hermitage: Nashville, Tenn.

62. National Civil Rights Museum: Memphis, Tenn.

63. William M. Bass Forensic Anthropology Center: Knoxville, Tenn.

64. Hatch Show Print: Nashville, Tenn.

65. Titanic Museum: Pigeon Forge, Tenn.

66. Elkmont Historic District: Gatlinburg, Tenn.

67. Rugby Colony: Rugby, Tenn.

68. Sun Studio: Memphis, Tenn.

69. Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum: Gatlinburg, Tennessee

70. Jack Daniel’s Distillery: Lynchburg, Tennessee

71. Graceland: Memphis, Tennessee

72. Old Tennessee State Prison: Nashville, Tenn.

73. United Record Pressing: Nashville, Tenn.

74. Timothy Demonbreun’s Cave: Nashville, Tenn.

75. Chattanooga Choo Choo- Chattanooga, Tenn.

76. The Sunsphere: Knoxville, Tenn.

77. Tent Graves of Mt. Gilead Cemetery: Sparta, Tenn.

78. Native American Earth Mounds at Pinson Mounds: Pinson, Tenn.

79. Patsy Cline Crash Site Memorial: Camden, Tenn.

80. Dutchman’s Curve: Nashville, Tenn.

81. President James K. Polk’s Tomb: Nashville, Tenn.

82. Tina Turner Museum: Brownsville, Tenn.

83. E.T. Wickham Sculpture Trail: Palmyra, Tenn.

84. Trenton Teapot Museum: Trenton, Tenn.

85. The Little Tunnel: Westmoreland, Tenn.

86. Meriwether Lewis Monument: Hohenwald, Tenn.

87. Belz Museum of Asian and Judaic Art: Memphis, Tenn.

88. Sequoyah Birthplace Museum: Vonore, Tenn.

89. Casey Jones Village: Jackson, Tenn.

90. Site of the Looby House Bombing: Nashville, Tenn.

91. Old Stone Fort: Manchester, Tenn.

92. Rhea County Courthouse (Site of the Scopes Trial): Dayton, Tenn.

93. National Bird Dog Museum: Grand Junction, Tenn.

Food and Drink

Do you prefer Nashville hot chicken or Memphis barbecue? A big-city bar or a local diner? Whatever your answer, you can find what you like somewhere in the state. Here are some of the restaurants commonly named as Tennessee’s best.

94. Alleia Restaurant (Italian Cuisine): Chattanooga, Tenn,

95. Bastion (Bar and Restaurant): Nashville, Tenn.

96. Biscuit Love (Breakfast): Nashville, Tenn.

97. City House (Italian): Nashville, Tenn.

98. Hog and Hominy (Italian): Memphis, Tenn.

99. J.C. Holdway (American Cuisine): Knoxville, Tenn.

100. Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack: Nashville, Tenn.

101. Iris (French Cuisine): Memphis, Tenn.

102. The Stock and Barrel (Burgers): Knoxville, Tenn.

103. The Wild Plum Tea Room: Gatlinburg, Tenn.

104. Henrietta Red (American): Nashville, Tenn.

105. Bell Buckle Cafe (American): Bell Buckle, Tenn.

106. Bristol Bagel and Bakery (Breakfast): Bristol, Tenn.

107. Emilia (Italian): Knoxville, Tenn.

108. Warden’s Table (Barbecue): Petros, Tenn.

109. Whitebird (American): Chattanooga, Tenn.

110. Wellington’s (Breakfast): Johnson City, Tenn

111. Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken: Memphis, Tenn.

Sports

Whether you like football, basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer, or something else (roller derby, anyone?), there’s something for you in Tennessee! Here are some of the state’s best in college, pro, and even high school!

112. Tennessee Titans (football)

113. Memphis Grizzlies (basketball)

114. Nashville Predators (hockey)

115. Nashville SC (soccer)

116. Memphis Redbirds (baseball)

117. Nashville Sounds (baseball)

118. Memphis Roller Derby

119. Nashville Roller Derby

120. Tennessee Smokies (baseball)

121. Chattanooga Lookouts (baseball)

122. Memphis 901 FC (soccer)

123. Chattanooga Red Wolves SC (soccer)

124. Vanderbilt Baseball (2x National Champions)

125. Tennessee Football (6x National Champions)

126. Tennessee Women’s Basketball (8x National Champions)

127. Vanderbilt Bowling (3x National Champions)

128. Belmont Basketball (8x Conference Tournament Champions)

129. Memphis Tigers Pom Squad (competitive dance, 14x National Champions)

130. Lipscomb Academy Football (Ranked 11th in USA Today’s 2022 Top 25 Poll)

131. Maryville Football (17x State Champions)

132. Alcoa Football (21x State Champions)

133. McCallie Cross Country (9x State Champions)

134. Baylor Softball (16x State Champions)

Seasonal Sites

Whether you’re picking strawberries, sunflowers, or pumpkins, here are some Tennessee favorites you can only visit at certain times of year.

135. Walden Pumpkin Farm: Smyrna, Tenn.

136. Honeysuckle Hill Farm: Springfield, Tenn.

137. Lucky Ladd Farms: Eagleville, Tenn.

138. Fox Ferry Farm: Mt. Juliet, Tenn.

139. Boyd’s Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze: Clarksville, Tenn.

140. Keller’s Farm: Dickson County, Tenn.

141. Wilson Family Farm: College Grove, Tenn.

142. Gentry's Farm: Franklin, Tenn.

143. Grandaddy's Farm: Estill Springs, Tenn.

Waterfalls

No overview of the Volunteer State would be complete without a look at some of the state’s most beautiful waterfalls- there are over 850 across the state! Here are some of our favorites.

144. Greeter Falls (Also swimming hole): South Cumberland State Park

145. Laurel Falls: Cumberland County

146. Foster Falls (Also swimming hole): Sequatchie, Tenn.

147. Machine Falls: Coffee County

148. Rutledge Falls (Also swimming hole): Coffee County

149. Burgess Falls: Putnam/White counties

150. Cummins Falls (Also swimming hole): Jackson County

151. Virgin Falls: Sparta, Tenn.

152. Emory Gap Falls: Morgan County

153. DeBord Falls: Morgan County

154. Waterfall at Old Stone Fort : Coffee County

155. Park Great Falls: Warren/White counties

156. High Falls, aka "Lover's Leap": Rock City

157. Benton Falls: Polk County

158. Bald River Falls: Tellico Plains area

159. Jackson Falls: Natchez Trace Parkway

160. Ruby Falls: Chattanooga

161. Laurel Falls: Great Smoky Mountains

162. Meigs Falls: Great Smoky Mountains

163. The Sinks: Great Smoky Mountains

164. Place of a Thousand Drips: Great Smoky Mountains

165. Abrams Falls: Great Smoky Mountains

166. Grotto Falls: Great Smoky Mountains

167. Hen Wallow Falls: Great Smoky Mountains

168. Juney Whank Falls: Great Smoky Mountains

169. Indian Creek and Toms Branch Falls: Great Smoky Mountains

170. Mingo Falls: Great Smoky Mountains

171. Mouse Creek Falls: Great Smoky Mountains

172. Rainbow Falls: Great Smoky Mountains

173. Ramsey Cascades: Great Smoky Mountains

174. Lynn Camp Prong Cascades: Great Smoky Mountains

Kayaking

Gliding down one of Tennessee’s many rivers is a popular way for Tennesseans to spend a day. Here are 15 rivers that will make for an unforgettable experience.

175. Harpeth River

176. Caney Fork

177. Cumberland River

178. Barren Fork River

179. Big South Fork

180. Obed River

181. Hiwassee River

182. Nolichucky River

183. Tellico River

184. Little River

185. Buffalo River

186. Collins River

187. Duck River

188. Elk River

189. Stones River

The Can’t Miss Attractions

We’re 189 items into this list, and we haven’t even named some of Tennessee’s most iconic spots yet! That’s exactly what this last section is for. From the Parthenon to the Peabody, if you haven’t seen it yet, it’s probably here.

190. The Grand Ole Opry House: Nashville, Tenn.

191. Tennessee Aquarium: Chattanooga, Tenn.

192. Dollywood: Pigeon Forge, Tenn.

193. Memphis Zoo and Aquarium: Memphis, Tenn.

194. Silky O’Sullivan’s: Memphis, Tenn.

195. The Parthenon: Nashville, Tenn.

196. Beale Street, Memphis, Tenn.

197. The Lost Sea Adventure: Sweetwater, Tenn.

198. Bell Witch Cave: Adams, Tenn.

199. Mud Island River Park: Memphis, Tenn.

200. Peabody Hotel: Memphis, Tenn.

201. Spaceship House: Signal Mountain, Tenn.

202. Hermitage Hotel’s Award-Winning Men’s Restroom: Nashville, Tenn.

203. Nickajack Cave: South Pittsburg, Tenn.

204. George Boedecker’s Sculpture Garden: Nashville, Tenn.

205. St. Peter’s Spiritual Temple: Memphis, Tenn.

206. Backyard Terror’s Dinosaur Park: Bluff City, Tenn.

207. Loveless Cafe: Nashville, Tenn.

208. Rock Quarry Cave: Erin, Tennessee

209. Earnestine and Hazels’: Memphis, Tenn.

210. Hidden Heart of Music Row: Nashville, Tenn.

211. Fortress of Faith: Greenback, Tenn.

212. Dragon Park: Nashville, Tenn.

213. Billy Tripp’s Mindfield: Brownsville, Tenn.

214. Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center: Nashville, Tenn.

215. High Point Restaurant: Monteagle, Tenn.

216. Abrams Creek Underwater Bridge: Tallassee, Tenn.

217. Memphis Gong Chamber: Memphis, Tenn.

218. General Jackson Showboat Cruises: Nashville, Tenn.

219. Isaac Hayes’s Cadillac: Memphis, Tenn.

220. Boy Scout Catfish: Nashville, Tenn.

221. Clinton 12 Statue: Clinton, Tennessee

222. Minnie Pearl Chicken Wire Statue: Centerville, Tenn.

223. Asa Jackson’s Perpetual Motion Machine: Clinton, Tenn.

224. Peace Sign Geoglyph: Nashville, Tenn.

225. Eiffel Tower Park: Paris, Tenn.

226. Gatlinburg Space Needle: Gatlinburg, Tenn.

227. University of Tennessee Gardens: Knoxville, Tenn.

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