MAIN Travel USA Tennessee

With all there is to see and do in Tennessee, one of the state's most popular attractions remains the incredibly scenic views and recreation to be found in and around Great Smoky Mountains National Park,

More major hot spots for summer fun vacations also include the amusement park at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, and first-rate country music shows at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville,

Elvis Presley's Graceland Mansion in Memphis is also a must-see and, for great family fun, head for the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga (with more info on kid-friendly Tennessee attractions just up ahead) :

Top attractions in Tennessee include scenic tours around the Great Smokey Mountains (left); trips
to Dollywood in Pigeon Forge (middle); and paying homage to Elvis at Graceland in Memphis (right).

2025 Tennessee Events & Festivals

The Country Music Association pulls out all the stops at the annual CMA Fest in Nashville..

Check out our 2025 Tennessee travel calender featuring memorable events and major festivals happening throughout the state with dates, locations and official links for more information.

Happy travels!

Weekends in May 2025 -- Tennessee Renaissance Festival Arrington -- Welcome and well met! - as visitors thrill at jousting tournaments and enjoy festival food and browsing the craft and artisan booths.

June 5 - June 8, 2025 -- CMA Fest Nashville - Head to Nissan Stadium for a country music lovefest with a roster of A-list performers, courtesy of the Country Music Association.

June 10 - June 14, 2025 -- International Folkfest Murfreesboro - Check out folk singers and dance performances at several venues around town.

July 4, 2025 -- Nashville Hot Chicken Festival Nashville - Hot chicken is a Nashville specialty, brought to you by various local food vendors in East Park, plus don't miss the big Fire Truck Parade!

August 8 - August 9, 2025 -- Tomato Art Fest Nashville - The show features paintings, sculptures, textiles, and more along with popular local Nashville musicians providing live entertainment.

also see -> Tennessee Beachs   |   2025 TN Fall Foliage

This Christmas in Tennessee

Tennessee Wineries & Vineyards

Kid-friendly Tennessee

From east to west, family-friendly fun in Tennessee naturally begins in Great Smoky Mountains National Park with stops at world famous Dollywood as well as the spectacularly beautiful Cade's Cove driving loop in Pigeon Forge.

In central Tennessee, major must-see's in Chattanooga include the nationally top-rated Tennessee Aquarium, home to more than 10,000 denizens of both land and sea in state-of-the-art exhibits, as well as the aquarium-sponsored 2-hour tour aboard the River Gorge Explorer.

For toddlers and younger kids, the very popular Creative Discovery Museum also offers exhibits, hands-on activities and other fun stuff for children 1-8.

Meanwhile, fun for the whole family awaits at Lookout Mountain offering great views of Chattanooga and the entire river valley, visits to awesome waterfalls, and special events scheduled throughout the year.

Of course, moms and dads visiting Nashville will also find it to be Tennessee's entertainment capitol for kids as well, with a visit to the Nashville Zoo offering a menagerie of animals from all over the world in natural-looking habitats along with activities, shows and events going on throughout the year.

More Nashville hot spots for family fun await at Imaginarium Children's Adventure Museum providing interactive fun and games; while older kids will enjoy a trip to the Adventure Science Center with interesting exhibits as well as awesome laser and planetarium shows.

Ending our tour in Memphis, there is pop history galore on exhibit for Elvis fans young and old at world famous Graceland, with an entire day of family-friendly attractions at Memphis Pink Palace Museum and Planetarium including an IMAX theater, the Sharpe Planetarium, and The Lichterman Nature Center. And no visit to Memphis would be complete without a visit to the Memphis Zoo to see thousands of different mammals ranging from panda bears to spider monkeys including a tropical bird house, an aquarium and butterfly garden.

Sorry. No liquor served.

DID YOU KNOW? Tennessee Travel Fun Facts

. • There is no sampling the merchandize during a tour of the Jack Daniel's distillery in Lynchburg, TN. It lies in the middle of a completely dry county with the sale and consumption of liquor strictly prohibited.

• Sweet! Tennessee is the original home of Mountain Dew, Moonpies, and cotton candy.

• The Lost Sea in Sweetwater is the largest underground lake in the United States.

More information about Tennessee travel & tourism around the Web:

Explore Tennessee - The State's Offiical Travel Planning Web Site - Fun, easy-to-use travel guide with a "top tenn" list of things to see throughout the state all searchable by keyword, region, or area of interest - including nature & outdoors, music & art, sports & recreation, history & heritage, with pictures and video presentations.

Upper Cumberland Tourism Association - Nature in all its glory for a Tennessee mountain getaway, including where to go and what to see, festivals & special events, photo gallery, maps & directions.

Visit Chattanooga - A virtual tour of the city with photos & information on major attractions, hotels, dining, shopping, current weather, vacation packages.

Memphis Travel Information - Insider feature stories, detailed guides on what to do and see (besides Graceland), tips on hotels & restaurants, picture gallery and event calendar, from Lonely Planet.com

Nashville Key Magazine, the Nashville Visitors Guide - The digital edition of the magazine covering entertainment in depth with a current event roster, kid-friendly fun, local restaurants & attractions, photo gallery, related links.