{ "id": "tn-historic-tours", "name": "Historic Tours and Trails in Tennessee", "description": "36 historic walking tours, ranger programs, heritage trails, National Historic Trails and heritage areas in Tennessee, with operator, price, schedule and length as each operator lists them.", "page": "https://itstennessee.com/history/historic-tours/", "csv": "https://itstennessee.com/data/downloads/tn-historic-tours.csv", "json": "https://itstennessee.com/data/downloads/tn-historic-tours.json", "license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "attribution": "It's Tennessee (itstennessee.com), CC BY 4.0", "citation": "It's Tennessee (2026). Historic Tours and Trails in Tennessee. https://itstennessee.com/history/historic-tours/", "publisher": "It's Tennessee", "geo_scope": "Tennessee, USA", "last_checked": "2026-10-20", "row_count": 36, "columns": [ "name", "kind", "city_or_area", "region", "operator", "price", "schedule", "length", "what_you_see", "official_url", "source_url", "checked" ], "column_notes": { "name": "Tour or trail name", "kind": "Self-guided walking, Guided walking, Ranger-led, Driving trail, National Historic Trail, Heritage area, House tour, Ghost & history tour, Boat/train/trolley, Bike or Audio/app", "city_or_area": "Where it runs", "region": "Our editorial region where one applies", "operator": "Who runs it", "price": "Price as listed, Free, or See official site", "schedule": "When it runs, as listed", "length": "Distance or duration as listed", "what_you_see": "One-sentence description", "official_url": "Operator's own page", "source_url": "Page the row was read from", "checked": "Date (YYYY-MM-DD) the row was read" }, "rows": [ { "name": "Trail of Tears National Historic Trail (Tennessee routes)", "kind": "National Historic Trail", "city_or_area": "Southeast to Middle and West Tennessee", "region": null, "operator": "National Park Service with partners", "price": "Free (sites vary)", "schedule": "Year-round", "length": "Multi-state; nine states", "what_you_see": "Routes of the 1838-1839 Cherokee removal; Tennessee sites include Red Clay, Cherokee Trail of Tears State Park (Blythe Ferry), Port Royal and David Crockett State Park (Bell's Route)", "official_url": "https://www.nps.gov/trte/", "source_url": "https://www.nps.gov/trte/index.htm; https://tnstateparks.com/parks/port-royal/highlights; https://tnstateparks.com/parks/cherokee-trail-of-tears", "checked": "2026-10-20" }, { "name": "Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail", "kind": "National Historic Trail", "city_or_area": "Sycamore Shoals (Elizabethton) and route through VA, TN, NC, SC", "region": null, "operator": "National Park Service", "price": "Free", "schedule": "Year-round", "length": "330 miles; 80+ miles walkable; Commemorative Motor Route", "what_you_see": "Route of the 1780 Kings Mountain campaign; Overmountain Men mustered at Sycamore Shoals September 25, 1780", "official_url": "https://www.nps.gov/ovvi/", "source_url": "https://www.nps.gov/ovvi/index.htm; https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/sycamore-shoals/", "checked": "2026-10-20" }, { "name": "Natchez Trace Parkway and National Scenic Trail (Tennessee)", "kind": "Driving trail", "city_or_area": "Nashville area south to Alabama line", "region": null, "operator": "National Park Service", "price": "Free", "schedule": "Year-round", "length": "444-mile parkway (whole); Highland Rim trail section about 20 miles", "what_you_see": "Old Trace corridor; 20-mile hiking/equestrian section south of Nashville", "official_url": "https://www.nps.gov/natr/", "source_url": "https://www.nps.gov/natt/index.htm", "checked": "2026-10-20" }, { "name": "Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area", "kind": "Heritage area", "city_or_area": "Statewide", "region": null, "operator": "MTSU Center for Historic Preservation (coordinating entity)", "price": "Free", "schedule": "Year-round", "length": "Whole state", "what_you_see": "Only national heritage area covering an entire state (designated 1996); focuses on 1860-1875; Heritage Center in Murfreesboro with free exhibits", "official_url": "https://www.tncivilwar.org/", "source_url": "https://www.nps.gov/places/tennessee-civil-war-national-heritage-area.htm; https://www.tncivilwar.org/", "checked": "2026-10-20" }, { "name": "Civil War Trails markers in Tennessee", "kind": "Driving trail", "city_or_area": "Statewide", "region": null, "operator": "Civil War Trails with Tennessee Department of Tourist Development and TN Civil War NHA", "price": "Free", "schedule": "Year-round", "length": "\"over 400 trails markers across the state\"", "what_you_see": "Roadside interpretive markers at Civil War sites", "official_url": "https://www.tncivilwar.org/", "source_url": "https://www.tncivilwar.org/", "checked": "2026-10-20" }, { "name": "U.S. Civil Rights Trail - Tennessee (Memphis, Nashville, Clinton)", "kind": "Driving trail", "city_or_area": "Memphis; Nashville; Clinton", "region": null, "operator": "U.S. Civil Rights Trail (state tourism partners)", "price": "Free (sites vary)", "schedule": "Year-round", "length": "Three Tennessee trail cities", "what_you_see": "Trail sites incl. National Civil Rights Museum (Memphis); downloadable Tennessee itinerary PDF", "official_url": "https://civilrightstrail.com/state/tennessee/", "source_url": "https://civilrightstrail.com/state/tennessee/", "checked": "2026-10-20" }, { "name": "Memphis Heritage Trail", "kind": "Self-guided walking", "city_or_area": "Memphis (South Memphis, Downtown; links to Orange Mound, Soulsville USA)", "region": "Memphis & West Tennessee", "operator": "Memphis Heritage Trail (City of Memphis initiative)", "price": "Free", "schedule": "Year-round", "length": "20-block area", "what_you_see": "\"Walking museum\" of African American business, cultural and musical history; app and brochure", "official_url": "https://memphisheritagetrail.com/", "source_url": "https://memphisheritagetrail.com/", "checked": "2026-10-20" }, { "name": "Nashville Sites walking and driving tours", "kind": "Audio/app", "city_or_area": "Nashville", "region": "Nashville Area", "operator": "Nashville Sites (public history project)", "price": "Free", "schedule": "Year-round", "length": "Varies by tour", "what_you_see": "Self-guided tours incl. Civil Rights Movement in Nashville driving tour narrated by Fisk professor Linda Wynn, Centennial Park, Music City North Broadway", "official_url": "https://nashvillesites.org/", "source_url": "https://nashvillesites.org/; https://www.tncivilwar.org/", "checked": "2026-10-20" }, { "name": "Fort Negley self-guided walking tour", "kind": "Self-guided walking", "city_or_area": "Nashville", "region": "Nashville Area", "operator": "Metro Nashville Parks", "price": "Free", "schedule": "Park dawn to dusk; visitor center Tue-Fri noon-4, Sat 9-4", "length": "Paved paths", "what_you_see": "Union fort site, education panels, 20-minute video", "official_url": "https://www.nashville.gov/departments/parks/historic-sites/fort-negley", "source_url": "https://www.nashville.gov/departments/parks/historic-sites/fort-negley", "checked": "2026-10-20" }, { "name": "Bicentennial Capitol Mall Pathway of History", "kind": "Self-guided walking", "city_or_area": "Nashville", "region": "Nashville Area", "operator": "Tennessee State Parks", "price": "Free", "schedule": "Daily", "length": "Park-length walk", "what_you_see": "Tennessee milestones etched in granite, 200-ft granite map, WWII Memorial, carillon, Civil Rights Memorial", "official_url": "https://tnstateparks.com/parks/bicentennial-mall", "source_url": "https://tnstateparks.com/parks/bicentennial-mall/highlights", "checked": "2026-10-20" }, { "name": "Ryman Auditorium self-guided and backstage tours", "kind": "House tour", "city_or_area": "Nashville", "region": "Nashville Area", "operator": "Ryman Auditorium", "price": "Self-guided $25 + tax; backstage $42.52 + tax", "schedule": "Daily 9-4 (varies on show days)", "length": "About 1 hour (self-guided); about 1.5 hours (backstage)", "what_you_see": "\"Soul of Nashville\" film, Opry 100 exhibit, stage photo, backstage dressing rooms", "official_url": "https://www.ryman.com/tours", "source_url": "https://www.ryman.com/tours", "checked": "2026-10-20" }, { "name": "Hermitage \"In Their Footsteps\" tour", "kind": "Guided walking", "city_or_area": "Hermitage", "region": "Nashville Area", "operator": "Andrew Jackson Foundation", "price": "$49.95 non-member; $39.95 member", "schedule": "See official site", "length": "60 minutes, about one mile outdoors", "what_you_see": "Lives of the enslaved community at the Hermitage, ending with a wreath-laying at the Enslaved Cemetery", "official_url": "https://thehermitage.com/visit/", "source_url": "https://thehermitage.com/visit/", "checked": "2026-10-20" }, { "name": "Hermitage VIP Tour", "kind": "Guided walking", "city_or_area": "Hermitage", "region": "Nashville Area", "operator": "Andrew Jackson Foundation", "price": "$69.95 non-member; $59.95 member", "schedule": "Daily within hours 8:30-6", "length": "90 minutes, max 15 guests", "what_you_see": "Skip-the-line mansion, balcony views, Jackson's Tomb", "official_url": "https://thehermitage.com/visit/", "source_url": "https://thehermitage.com/visit/", "checked": "2026-10-20" }, { "name": "Hermitage Ghost Tours", "kind": "Ghost & history tour", "city_or_area": "Hermitage", "region": "Nashville Area", "operator": "Andrew Jackson Foundation", "price": "$60 non-member; $55 member", "schedule": "Seasonal, evenings", "length": "See official site", "what_you_see": "Lantern-lit evening tours of the grounds", "official_url": "https://thehermitage.com/visit/", "source_url": "https://thehermitage.com/visit/", "checked": "2026-10-20" }, { "name": "Belle Meade \"Journey to Jubilee\" tour", "kind": "Guided walking", "city_or_area": "Nashville", "region": "Nashville Area", "operator": "Belle Meade Historic Site", "price": "See official site", "schedule": "See official site", "length": "See official site", "what_you_see": "Lives of enslaved African Americans brought to and born at Belle Meade from 1807, through Emancipation and after", "official_url": "https://visitbellemeade.com/", "source_url": "https://visitbellemeade.com/", "checked": "2026-10-20" }, { "name": "Battle of Franklin Trust battlefield and specialty tours", "kind": "Guided walking", "city_or_area": "Franklin", "region": "Nashville Area", "operator": "Battle of Franklin Trust", "price": "$29 per person (90-minute specialty tours); classic house tours $22 adults/$14 kids 6-15", "schedule": "Daily; specialty tours at set times Mon-Sat (e.g. Carter House battlefield tour 11 am Mon-Thu, 11 and 2 Fri-Sat)", "length": "60-90 minutes", "what_you_see": "Eastern Flank walking tour at Carnton, battlefield near Carter House, slavery and the enslaved tours, Behind the Scenes", "official_url": "https://boft.org/visit", "source_url": "https://boft.org/carnton; https://boft.org/carter-house", "checked": "2026-10-20" }, { "name": "Shiloh \"Meet the Past\" living history bus tour", "kind": "Ranger-led", "city_or_area": "Shiloh", "region": "Memphis & West Tennessee", "operator": "Shiloh National Military Park", "price": "See official site", "schedule": "Special dates (2026 season)", "length": "Bus tour", "what_you_see": "Living historians portray five people who experienced the Battle of Shiloh at battlefield stops", "official_url": "https://www.nps.gov/shil/", "source_url": "https://www.nps.gov/shil/learn/news/meet-the-past-living-history-bus-tour.htm", "checked": "2026-10-20" }, { "name": "Shiloh battlefield tour road", "kind": "Driving trail", "city_or_area": "Shiloh", "region": "Memphis & West Tennessee", "operator": "Shiloh National Military Park", "price": "Free", "schedule": "Daily 9-5", "length": "See official site", "what_you_see": "Self-guided drive past battle sites, Pittsburg Landing and the national cemetery", "official_url": "https://www.nps.gov/shil/", "source_url": "https://www.nps.gov/shil/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm", "checked": "2026-10-20" }, { "name": "Fort Donelson tour road", "kind": "Driving trail", "city_or_area": "Dover", "region": "Nashville Area", "operator": "Fort Donelson National Battlefield", "price": "Free", "schedule": "Gates 8-4:30 (winter) to 8-8 (summer); walkers/cyclists daylight", "length": "See official site", "what_you_see": "Fort, river batteries, Dover Hotel, national cemetery", "official_url": "https://www.nps.gov/fodo/", "source_url": "https://www.nps.gov/fodo/planyourvisit/hours.htm", "checked": "2026-10-20" }, { "name": "Stones River anniversary Real Time Walks", "kind": "Ranger-led", "city_or_area": "Murfreesboro", "region": "Nashville Area", "operator": "Stones River National Battlefield", "price": "Free", "schedule": "Annually around Dec 31 (163rd: Dec 26, 2025-Jan 2, 2026)", "length": "Walks at 10 am, 1 pm, 3 pm on Dec 31", "what_you_see": "Rangers lead walks at the Slaughter Pen, Hell's Half Acre and the Cotton Field at the hour the fighting raged", "official_url": "https://www.nps.gov/stri/", "source_url": "https://www.nps.gov/stri/learn/news/163rd.htm", "checked": "2026-10-20" }, { "name": "Point Park and Lookout Mountain ranger programs", "kind": "Ranger-led", "city_or_area": "Lookout Mountain (Chattanooga)", "region": "Chattanooga & Southeast", "operator": "Chickamauga and Chattanooga NMP", "price": "Point Park $10 (16+); programs free with entry", "schedule": "Daily 8:30-5 visitor center", "length": "See official site", "what_you_see": "\"Battle Above the Clouds\" site, Cravens House, views over Chattanooga", "official_url": "https://www.nps.gov/chch/", "source_url": "https://www.nps.gov/chch/planyourvisit/fees.htm; https://www.nps.gov/chch/planyourvisit/hours.htm", "checked": "2026-10-20" }, { "name": "Andrew Johnson Homestead guided tours", "kind": "Ranger-led", "city_or_area": "Greeneville", "region": "Tri-Cities & Northeast", "operator": "Andrew Johnson National Historic Site", "price": "Free (tickets required)", "schedule": "10, 11, 2, 3 daily (11 and 2 on limited-staff days)", "length": "See official site; groups of 10", "what_you_see": "Johnson's Homestead at 209 South Main Street", "official_url": "https://www.nps.gov/anjo/", "source_url": "https://www.nps.gov/anjo/planyourvisit/hours.htm", "checked": "2026-10-20" }, { "name": "DOE Public Facilities Bus Tour (Oak Ridge)", "kind": "Boat/train/trolley", "city_or_area": "Oak Ridge", "region": null, "operator": "U.S. Department of Energy via American Museum of Science and Energy", "price": "$20 standard; $30 special dates", "schedule": "2026 season ends November 20, 2026; departs 9:00 am from AMSE", "length": "About 3.5 hours", "what_you_see": "K-25 Atomic History Center, ORNL, Y-12 New Hope Visitor Center; X-10 Graphite Reactor on special dates", "official_url": "https://amse.org/bus-tours/", "source_url": "https://amse.org/bus-tours/; https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/oak-ridge-experience-a-guided-tour-behind-the-fence.htm", "checked": "2026-10-20" }, { "name": "Historic Jonesborough guided walking tours", "kind": "Guided walking", "city_or_area": "Jonesborough", "region": "Tri-Cities & Northeast", "operator": "Heritage Alliance of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia", "price": "See official site", "schedule": "See official site", "length": "See official site", "what_you_see": "Tennessee's oldest town", "official_url": "https://www.heritageall.org/historic-jonesborough-tour-schedule/", "source_url": "https://www.heritageall.org/historic-jonesborough-tour-schedule/", "checked": "2026-10-20" }, { "name": "Historic Rugby guided tour", "kind": "Guided walking", "city_or_area": "Rugby", "region": "Knoxville Area", "operator": "Historic Rugby", "price": "See official site", "schedule": "Visitor Centre Thu-Sat 9-5 ET, Sun noon-5", "length": "See official site", "what_you_see": "Free 22-minute film, then walk to the 1882 library, 1884 Kingstone Lisle, 1887 Christ Church, 1907 schoolhouse", "official_url": "https://historicrugby.org/", "source_url": "https://historicrugby.org/", "checked": "2026-10-20" }, { "name": "Knoxville Historic Homes PastPort", "kind": "House tour", "city_or_area": "Knoxville", "region": "Knoxville Area", "operator": "Blount Mansion and partner sites", "price": "$40", "schedule": "See each site", "length": "Self-paced", "what_you_see": "Single admission to Blount Mansion, Mabry-Hazen House, Crescent Bend, Marble Springs, James White's Fort, Ramsey House, Historic Westwood and East Tennessee History Center", "official_url": "https://blountmansion.org/visit/", "source_url": "https://blountmansion.org/visit/", "checked": "2026-10-20" }, { "name": "Tennessee Valley Railroad excursions", "kind": "Boat/train/trolley", "city_or_area": "Chattanooga", "region": "Chattanooga & Southeast", "operator": "Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum", "price": "See official site", "schedule": "Year-round; seasonal specials", "length": "Missionary Ridge Local about 65 minutes; longer trips 2-6 hours", "what_you_see": "Vintage trains from Grand Junction Depot through Missionary Ridge", "official_url": "https://www.tvrail.com/", "source_url": "https://www.tvrail.com/", "checked": "2026-10-20" }, { "name": "Lookout Mountain Incline Railway", "kind": "Boat/train/trolley", "city_or_area": "Chattanooga", "region": "Chattanooga & Southeast", "operator": "Lookout Mountain Incline Railway", "price": "See official site", "schedule": "Mon-Fri 9-6, Sat-Sun 9-7", "length": "See official site", "what_you_see": "Historic incline up Lookout Mountain", "official_url": "https://ridetheincline.com/", "source_url": "https://ridetheincline.com/", "checked": "2026-10-20" }, { "name": "Cades Cove Loop Road", "kind": "Driving trail", "city_or_area": "Great Smoky Mountains NP (Townsend)", "region": "Smoky Mountains", "operator": "National Park Service", "price": "Free; parking tag required to stop over 15 min ($5 daily)", "schedule": "Sunrise to sunset; closed to vehicles Wednesdays typically May-Sept", "length": "11-mile one-way loop; allow 2-4 hours", "what_you_see": "Historic log cabins, churches and mill", "official_url": "https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/cadescove.htm", "source_url": "https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/cadescove.htm", "checked": "2026-10-20" }, { "name": "Red Clay guided park tour", "kind": "Ranger-led", "city_or_area": "Cleveland", "region": "Chattanooga & Southeast", "operator": "Red Clay State Historic Park", "price": "Free", "schedule": "Scheduled dates (see park events)", "length": "See official site", "what_you_see": "Replica Cherokee structures, Council Spring, Eternal Flame", "official_url": "https://tnstateparks.com/parks/red-clay", "source_url": "https://tnstateparks.com/parks/red-clay", "checked": "2026-10-20" }, { "name": "Port Royal \"Follow Their Footsteps\" Trail of Tears hike", "kind": "Ranger-led", "city_or_area": "Adams", "region": "Nashville Area", "operator": "Port Royal State Park", "price": "Free (optional $5/$10 donation)", "schedule": "Nov 27, 2026, 10-11 am", "length": "1 hour", "what_you_see": "Walk on a preserved roadbed of the Trail of Tears where Cherokee detachments camped in fall 1838", "official_url": "https://tnstateparks.com/events/follow-their-footsteps-day-after-thanksgiving-hike", "source_url": "https://tnstateparks.com/events/follow-their-footsteps-day-after-thanksgiving-hike", "checked": "2026-10-20" }, { "name": "Sabine Hill guided tours", "kind": "House tour", "city_or_area": "Elizabethton", "region": "Tri-Cities & Northeast", "operator": "Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park", "price": "$10 adults; $8 seniors 65+ and veterans/military; $5 ages 17 and under", "schedule": "Scheduled dates year-round", "length": "1 hour", "what_you_see": "Federal-style house of the Taylor family", "official_url": "https://tnstateparks.com/parks/sycamore-shoals", "source_url": "https://tnstateparks.com/events/sabine-hill-guided-tour-67", "checked": "2026-10-20" }, { "name": "Tennessee Music Pathways", "kind": "Driving trail", "city_or_area": "Statewide", "region": null, "operator": "Tennessee Department of Tourist Development", "price": "Free", "schedule": "Year-round", "length": "Statewide", "what_you_see": "People and places significant to Tennessee music history, incl. a bluegrass pathway", "official_url": "https://www.tnvacation.com/things-to-do/music-entertainment/tennessee-music-pathways", "source_url": "https://www.tnvacation.com/things-to-do/music-entertainment/tennessee-music-pathways", "checked": "2026-10-20" }, { "name": "Tennessee America 250 Trail at the Museum of Appalachia", "kind": "Self-guided walking", "city_or_area": "Clinton", "region": "Knoxville Area", "operator": "Museum of Appalachia / Tennessee America 250", "price": "Museum admission (see official site)", "schedule": "March 25-December 31 (2026), 9-5 ET", "length": "See official site", "what_you_see": "America 250-themed trail through the museum grounds", "official_url": "https://tn250.com/", "source_url": "https://tn250.com/", "checked": "2026-10-20" }, { "name": "Sun Studio tour", "kind": "House tour", "city_or_area": "Memphis", "region": "Memphis & West Tennessee", "operator": "Sun Studio", "price": "$20 adults; $15 children 5-11", "schedule": "Daily, hourly at :30 from 10:30 to 4:30", "length": "See official site", "what_you_see": "The studio called the \"Birthplace of Rock 'N' Roll\"", "official_url": "https://www.sunstudio.com/", "source_url": "https://www.sunstudio.com/", "checked": "2026-10-20" }, { "name": "Mabry-Hazen House tours", "kind": "House tour", "city_or_area": "Knoxville", "region": "Knoxville Area", "operator": "Mabry-Hazen House", "price": "$10 adults; $8 students; under 13 free", "schedule": "Tours on the hour", "length": "See official site", "what_you_see": "Hilltop house museum", "official_url": "https://www.mabryhazen.com/", "source_url": "https://www.mabryhazen.com/", "checked": "2026-10-20" } ] }