Historic Sites in Tennessee: Hours and Admission

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We list 66 historic sites you can visit in Tennessee: 8 National Park Service units, state historic sites, museums, battlefields and house museums. 26 are free. Hours and admission were read from each operator’s own page.

Header photo: Monument on the Stones River battlefield, 1860s. Credit: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Civil War Photographs.

66historic sites
26free to visit
8National Park Service units
8regions covered

Memphis & West Tennessee
Nashville Area
Southern Middle Tennessee
Upper Cumberland & Plateau
Chattanooga & Southeast
Knoxville Area
Smoky Mountains
Tri-Cities & Northeast
Free sites

Download this data: CSV · JSON · 66 sites · free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with a link to It’s Tennessee. All open data: catalog.json.

Historic Sites in Tennessee by Region

Memphis & West Tennessee (10)

Memphis & West Tennessee events →

Site	Type	Where	Hours	Admission	What to see
Shiloh National Military Park Free	NPS unit	Shiloh, Hardin	Daily 9-5 (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day)	Free – “There are no entrance fees at the Shiloh and Corinth battlefields.”	Battlefield tour road, Pittsburg Landing, Shiloh National Cemetery, Shiloh Indian Mounds (NHL); Corinth Interpretive Center in MS
Alex Haley Museum and Interpretive Center	State historic site	Henning, Lauderdale	Tue-Sat 10-5; closed Sun, Mon, holidays	See official site	1919 Palmer House (Haley’s grandparents’ home) where Alex Haley lived 1921-1929
Beale Street Historic District Free	Historic district	Memphis, Shelby	Public street	Free to walk	Historic commercial street tied to W. C. Handy and the blues
C.H. Nash Museum at Chucalissa	Archaeological site	Memphis, Shelby	See official site	See official site	Mississippian mound site (built and occupied 1000-1500 AD), archaeology lab, exhibits, nature trail
Fort Pillow State Historic Park Free	Battlefield	Henning, Lauderdale	Grounds daily; museum hours see official site	Free	Breastworks, reconstructed inner fort, museum with 12-minute film on the 1864 battle and massacre accusations
Graceland	House museum	Memphis, Shelby	Daily 9-4 (last mansion tour 4:00)	From $53 adults / $30 kids (cheapest package listed)	Elvis Presley’s home (built 1939, bought by Presley 1957, opened 1982) and grave
National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel	Museum	Memphis, Shelby	Wed-Mon 9-5, closed Tue (last tickets 5:15 per site)	$25 adults, $23 seniors 65+ and college students, $22 children 5-17	Former Lorraine Motel where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated April 4, 1968; museum of the civil rights movement
Pinson Mounds State Archaeological Park Free	Archaeological site	Pinson, Madison	Grounds daily; museum hours see official site	Free	One of the largest Middle Woodland mound complexes in the U.S.; at least 17 mounds incl. 72-ft Sauls Mound; museum
Stax Museum of American Soul Music	Museum	Memphis, Shelby	Tue-Sun 10-5, closed Mon (last admission 4)	$20 general admission	Museum on the site of Stax Records in Soulsville USA
Sun Studio	Museum	Memphis, Shelby	Daily 10-5:15; tours hourly at :30 from 10:30 to 4:30	$20 adults, $15 children 5-11	Studio where Sam Phillips recorded “Rocket 88” (1951) and the Million Dollar Quartet; working studio tour

Nashville Area (23)

Nashville Area events →

Site	Type	Where	Hours	Admission	What to see
Fort Donelson National Battlefield Free	NPS unit	Dover, Stewart	Visitor center daily 8:30-4; Dover Hotel daily 8:30-4; grounds 8-4:30 in winter up to 8-8 in summer	Free – “An entrance pass is not required to access Fort Donelson National Battlefield.”	Fort earthworks and river batteries, Dover Hotel (Surrender House), Fort Donelson National Cemetery, tour road
Stones River National Battlefield Free	NPS unit	Murfreesboro, Rutherford	See official site	Free – “An entrance pass is not required to access Stones River National Battlefield.”	Battlefield, Stones River National Cemetery (6,100+ Union burials), Hazen Brigade Monument, McFadden Farm
Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage	House museum	Hermitage, Davidson	Daily 8:30-6 (last tickets 5:00); closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Day	$29.95 adults 13+, $26.95 seniors/veterans/military, $19.95 youth 5-12, 4 and under free; VIP tour $69.95	Hermitage Mansion, 1,120+ acres of grounds, gardens, Jackson’s Tomb, First Hermitage, enslaved community sites and cemetery
Belle Meade Historic Site	House museum	Nashville, Davidson	Daily 9-5; mansion tours 9:30-4	Mansion tour from $32	1853 Greek Revival mansion; Journey to Jubilee tour on the enslaved people at Belle Meade from 1807
Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park Free	State historic site	Nashville, Davidson	Daily, sunrise-sunset (state park standard hours)	Free	Pathway of History granite timeline, 200-foot granite state map, World War II Memorial, 95-bell carillon, Civil Rights Memorial
Carnton	House museum	Franklin, Williamson	Mon-Sat 9-5, Sun 10-5; last tour 4	$22 adults, $14 children 6-15 (classic tour); specialty tours $29	1826 McGavock home used as the largest field hospital after the Battle of Franklin; McGavock Confederate Cemetery (nearly 1,500 soldiers)
Carter House	State historic site	Franklin, Williamson	Mon-Sat 9-5, Sun 11-5 (THC) / Sun 10-5 (BOFT); last tour 4	$22 adults, $14 children 6-15 (classic tour); combo with Carnton $27-$28 online	c.1830 Carter family house at the center of the Battle of Franklin; bullet-scarred outbuildings
Clement Railroad Hotel Museum at Hotel Halbrook	State historic site	Dickson, Dickson	Tue-Fri 9-5, Sat 9-4	See official site	1913 railroad hotel; Clement family rooms; Dickson County, Civil War and railroad exhibits
Cragfont State Historic Site	State historic site	Castalian Springs, Sumner	Apr 7-Nov 12 Thu-Sun 9:30-4:30, tours 10, 12, 2; winter call	See official site	Gen. James Winchester’s stone house, built 1798-1802
Dunbar Cave State Park Free	Archaeological site	Clarksville, Montgomery	Cave tours on schedule (seasonal closures for bats)	Free park entry; cave tour fees see official site	Cave with Mississippian cave art and Cherokee syllabary writing; resort-era history
Fort Nashborough Free	Fort	Nashville, Davidson	Self-guided daily 9-4	Free	Interpretive site of the 1780 Cumberland settlement fort on the riverfront
Fort Negley Park Free	Fort	Nashville, Davidson	Park dawn-dusk; visitor center Tue-Fri noon-4, Sat 9-4	Free	Union fort site with visitor center, 20-minute video, self-guided paths
Hawthorn Hill State Historic Site	State historic site	Castalian Springs, Sumner	One Saturday a month, April-October, by reservation	See official site	Circa 1806 masonry I-house with rare hall-and-parlor plan, shown unfurnished
Historic Rock Castle State Historic Site	State historic site	Hendersonville, Sumner	Mar-Dec; THC: Tue-Fri 10-5, Sat 10-2, Sun 1-5; operator: Tue-Fri 9:30-4:30 (tours 10, 11:30, 1:30, 3), Sat 9:30-2	See official site	House begun 1784 by surveyor Daniel Smith, family cemetery and smokehouse on Old Hickory Lake
Johnsonville State Historic Park Free	Battlefield	New Johnsonville, Humphreys	Grounds daily; visitor center hours see official site	Free	Upper and lower redoubts of Fort Johnson, ruins of the 1864 Union supply depot town, six African American cemeteries
Oaklands Mansion	House museum	Murfreesboro, Rutherford	Tours Tue-Fri 10, 11, 2, 3 (reservations requested)	See official site; children 5 and under free	Historic mansion; guided tours
Port Royal State Historic Park Free	State historic site	Adams, Montgomery	Grounds daily	Free	Preserved roadbed of the Trail of Tears northern route, 1859 general store, site of 1797 river town
Ryman Auditorium	Other	Nashville, Davidson	Daytime tours daily 9-4 (varies on show days)	Self-guided $25 + tax; guided backstage $42.52 + tax; 12 and under free with paid adult on self-guided	Former Union Gospel Tabernacle (1888-1892), home of the Grand Ole Opry 1943-1974; exhibits and stage
Tennessee State Capitol	Other	Nashville, Davidson	See official site	See official site	William Strickland’s capitol (cornerstone laid July 4, 1845; last stone in the cupola 1855; finished 1859)
Tennessee State Library and Archives	Other	Nashville, Davidson	See official site	See official site	State archives and library; displays of the 1796, 1834 and 1870 constitutions on Statehood Day; TeVA digital collections
Tennessee State Museum Free	Museum	Nashville, Davidson	Tue-Sat 10-5, Sun 1-5, closed Mon	Free	Permanent galleries from natural history and First Peoples through the Civil War and Reconstruction to modern Tennessee; Tennessee Time Tunnel
Travellers Rest Historic House Museum	House museum	Nashville, Davidson	Tours Tue-Sat 10-4:30	See official site	Historic house museum
Wynnewood State Historic Site	State historic site	Castalian Springs, Sumner	Apr 7-Nov 12 Thu-Sun 9:30-4:30, tours 11, 1, 3; winter by appointment	See official site	Largest surviving log structure in Tennessee, built 1828 as a stagecoach inn

Southern Middle Tennessee (4)

Southern Middle Tennessee events →

Site	Type	Where	Hours	Admission	What to see
David Crockett State Park Free	Other	Lawrenceburg, Lawrence	See official site	Free	Site of Crockett’s gristmill and powder mill; museum with mill stones
Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park Free	Archaeological site	Manchester, Coffee	Grounds daily; museum hours see official site	Free	Middle Woodland ceremonial earthwork enclosure (100 BCE-500 CE) between the Duck and Little Duck rivers; mill ruins
President James K. Polk Home and Museum	State historic site	Columbia, Maury	Apr-Oct Mon-Sat 9-5, Sun 1-5; Nov-Mar Mon-Sat 9-4, Sun 1-5	$14 adults, $12 seniors 60+, $8 youth 6-18, under 6 free; family max $35	1816 Federal-style house, only surviving residence of Polk besides the White House; Sisters’ House, Presidential Exhibit Hall, garden
Sam Davis Memorial Museum	State historic site	Pulaski, Giles	See official site	See official site	1950 memorial museum on the site where Confederate scout Sam Davis was executed November 27, 1863

Upper Cumberland & Plateau (2)

Upper Cumberland & Plateau events →

Site	Type	Where	Hours	Admission	What to see
Cordell Hull Birthplace State Park Free	State historic site	Byrdstown, Pickett	See official site	Free	Log cabin believed to be Hull’s 1871 birthplace; museum on the Secretary of State and 1945 Nobel laureate
Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic Park Free	State historic site	Pall Mall, Fentress	Grounds daily; home tour hours see official site	Free	York’s home, gristmill, farm (NHL 1976) and replica WWI trench

Chattanooga & Southeast (6)

Chattanooga & Southeast events →

Site	Type	Where	Hours	Admission	What to see
Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park – Lookout Mountain Battlefield and Point Park	NPS unit	Lookout Mountain, Hamilton	Visitor centers daily 8:30-5 ET; Point Park gate opens 8:30; all units daylight hours	Point Park only: $10 per person 16+ (7 days), 15 and under free, credit card only; rest of park free	Point Park on Lookout Mountain, Lookout Mountain Battlefield Visitor Center, Cravens House, Missionary Ridge, Orchard Knob, Signal Point; Chickamauga Battlefield is in Georgia
Cherokee Trail of Tears State Park Free	Memorial	Birchwood, Meigs	See official site	Free	Memorial of names, museum and visitor center, Hiwassee Overlook near the Blythe Ferry crossing
Ducktown Basin Museum and Burra Burra Mine	State historic site	Ducktown, Polk	Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri, Sat 10-5 (THC) / 10-4:30 (museum); closed Wed and Sun	$5 adults 18+, $3 ages 7-17, 6 and under free (museum page)	Tennessee Copper Company mine headquarters (1899-1975), 10 buildings on 17 acres, 14-minute film
Fort Loudoun State Historic Park Free	Fort	Vonore, Monroe	Grounds daily; visitor center hours see official site	Free (most events have optional donations)	Reconstructed 1756 British fort, westernmost British outpost; living-history garrison weekends
Red Clay State Historic Park Free	State historic site	Cleveland, Bradley	Daily; 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset (grounds); museum hours see official site	Free	Last Cherokee council ground east of the Mississippi (1832-1838), Council (Blue Hole) Spring, Eternal Flame, replica council house and farmstead, James F. Corn Interpretive Facility
Sequoyah Birthplace Museum	Museum	Vonore, Monroe	Mon-Sat 9-5, Sun 12-5; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s	See official site	Museum on Sequoyah and Cherokee history near Fort Loudoun

Knoxville Area (12)

Knoxville Area events →

Site	Type	Where	Hours	Admission	What to see
Cumberland Gap National Historical Park	NPS unit	Cumberland Gap, Claiborne	Visitor center daily 9-4 (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s)	Park entry free; guided tours have fees (e.g. $8 adults/$4 kids 5-12 and $10 adults/$5 kids 12 and under for two tour types)	Cumberland Gap, Wilderness Road, Pinnacle Overlook; visitor center is in Middlesboro, KY
Manhattan Project National Historical Park – Oak Ridge	NPS unit	Oak Ridge, Anderson	NPS visitor center Tue-Sat 10-4, Sun 1-4, closed Mon	NPS visitor center: no fee listed; DOE bus tour $20 ($30 special dates)	NPS visitor center (in Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge); DOE public bus tour to K-25 Atomic History Center, ORNL and Y-12 New Hope Center
American Museum of Science and Energy	Museum	Oak Ridge, Anderson	Mon-Sat 9-5, Sun 1-5	See official site	Museum of Oak Ridge’s Manhattan Project and energy history; departure point for DOE bus tour
Blount Mansion	House museum	Knoxville, Knox	Tue-Sat 10-4, Sun 12-4, closed Mon (last tour 3)	$15 adults, $12 seniors/AAA, $10 children; Historic Homes PastPort $40	1792 home of territorial governor William Blount, the territory’s capitol
Fort Southwest Point State Historic Park Free	Fort	Kingston, Roane	See official site	Free	Reconstructed buildings on original foundations of the 1797 federal fort; museum exhibits
Historic Ramsey House	House museum	Knoxville, Knox	Thu-Sat 10-4, tours hourly, last 3	$10 adults, $8 seniors 60+/military/children 5-17, under 5 free	Stone plantation house; stories include Levy, born enslaved at Swan Pond
Historic Rugby	Historic village	Rugby, Morgan	Visitor Centre Thu-Sat 9-5 ET, Sun noon-5	Guided tour fee see official site; 22-minute film free	Rugby colony buildings: 1882 Thomas Hughes Free Public Library, 1884 Kingstone Lisle (founder’s home), 1887 Christ Church Episcopal, 1907 schoolhouse
James White’s Fort	Fort	Knoxville, Knox	Apr-Nov Mon-Sat 9:30-5; Dec-Mar Mon-Fri 10-4 (last admission one hour before close)	$10 adults, $9 AAA/senior/military, $5 children 5-17	Reconstructed 1786 fort and cabins of Knoxville founder James White
Mabry-Hazen House	House museum	Knoxville, Knox	Tours on the hour (see site for days)	$10 adults, $8 students, under 13 free	Hilltop house museum; tours on the hour
Marble Springs State Historic Site	State historic site	Knoxville, Knox	Wed-Sat 10-5, Sun 12-5; guided tours 11, 1, 3	Self-guided free; guided tour fee see official site	Plantation of John Sevier, first governor of Tennessee; cabin, kitchen, loom house, smokehouse, Walker Cabin
Museum of Appalachia	Historic village	Clinton, Anderson	See official site	See official site	Living museum founded 1969 by John Rice Irwin; 35 log cabins plus barns, churches, schools on 65 acres
Museum of East Tennessee History Free	Museum	Knoxville, Knox	Mon-Fri 9-4, Sat 10-4, Sun 1-5	Free June 1, 2026-February 14, 2027	Regional history museum in the East Tennessee History Center; “Lines Were Drawn” Treaty of Holston exhibit

Smoky Mountains (2)

Smoky Mountains events →

Site	Type	Where	Hours	Admission	What to see
Great Smoky Mountains National Park – Cades Cove	NPS unit	Townsend, Blount	Loop road sunrise to sunset; closed to vehicles Wednesdays typically May-September	No entrance fee; parking tag required to park over 15 minutes ($5 daily, $15 weekly, $40 annual)	11-mile one-way loop past preserved log cabins, churches and a working mill
Sam Houston Schoolhouse State Historic Site	State historic site	Maryville, Blount	Tue-Sat 10-4, closed Mon and major holidays	See official site	Hewn poplar log field schoolhouse where Sam Houston taught before the War of 1812

Tri-Cities & Northeast (7)

Tri-Cities & Northeast events →

Site	Type	Where	Hours	Admission	What to see
Andrew Johnson National Historic Site Free	NPS unit	Greeneville, Greene	Visitor center daily 9-4 Apr-Nov; Wed-Sun 9-4 Dec-Mar; Homestead tours 10, 11, 2, 3	Free – “There is no admission charge for tours, but tickets are required.”	Visitor center with Johnson tailor shop, Early Home, Homestead (guided tours), Andrew Johnson National Cemetery
Chester Inn State Historic Site and Museum Free	State historic site	Jonesborough, Washington	Mar-Apr and Nov-Dec Mon, Fri, Sat 11-6, Sun 1-5; May-Oct Mon, Wed-Sat 11-6, Sun 1-5; Jan-Feb by appointment	No admission fee; donations welcome (operator page)	1797 inn, oldest wood-frame building in Jonesborough’s commercial district; Chester Inn Museum in the cellar
Jonesborough Historic District Free	Historic district	Jonesborough, Washington	Public streets	Free to walk	Tennessee’s oldest town (chartered 1779), Main Street, Chester Inn
Rocky Mount State Historic Site	State historic site	Piney Flats, Sullivan	Mar 1-Dec 15, Wed-Sat 11-4 (THC) / Wed-Sat 11-5 (operator)	See official site	Cobb family log house, first capitol of the Southwest Territory; first-person interpreters portray 1791
Sabine Hill State Historic Site	State historic site	Elizabethton, Carter	Guided tours on scheduled dates (see park events)	$10 adults, $8 seniors 65+ and veterans/military, $5 ages 17 and under	Federal-style frame house begun after the War of 1812 by Gen. Nathaniel Taylor, completed by his widow Mary
Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park Free	State historic site	Elizabethton, Carter	Grounds daily; visitor center hours see official site	Free park entry; Sabine Hill guided tours are paid (see Sabine Hill)	Reconstructed Fort Watauga, museum, Carter Mansion, Sabine Hill; muster ground of the Overmountain Men (1780)
Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site	State historic site	Johnson City, Washington	Tue-Sat; Mar 1-Oct 31 9-4; Nov 1-Feb 28 9-3 (operator)	See official site	Col. John Tipton’s 1784 log house enlarged by Landon Carter Haynes; site of 1788 State of Franklin skirmish

Free Historic Sites in Tennessee

These list no admission charge on their own pages (parking, tours or special programs may still cost money):

Andrew Johnson National Historic Site, Greeneville
Beale Street Historic District, Memphis
Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, Nashville
Cherokee Trail of Tears State Park, Birchwood
Chester Inn State Historic Site and Museum, Jonesborough
Cordell Hull Birthplace State Park, Byrdstown
David Crockett State Park, Lawrenceburg
Dunbar Cave State Park, Clarksville
Fort Donelson National Battlefield, Dover
Fort Loudoun State Historic Park, Vonore
Fort Nashborough, Nashville
Fort Negley Park, Nashville
Fort Pillow State Historic Park, Henning
Fort Southwest Point State Historic Park, Kingston
Johnsonville State Historic Park, New Johnsonville
Jonesborough Historic District, Jonesborough
Museum of East Tennessee History, Knoxville
Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park, Manchester
Pinson Mounds State Archaeological Park, Pinson
Port Royal State Historic Park, Adams
Red Clay State Historic Park, Cleveland
Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic Park, Pall Mall
Shiloh National Military Park, Shiloh
Stones River National Battlefield, Murfreesboro
Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park, Elizabethton
Tennessee State Museum, Nashville

Types of Sites on This List

Type	Sites
State historic site	22
House museum	9
NPS unit	8
Museum	7
Fort	5
Other	4
Archaeological site	4
Historic district	2
Battlefield	2
Historic village	2
Memorial	1

What We Could Not Verify

David Crockett Birthplace State Park in Limestone has been closed to all visitors since Hurricane Helene flooding in September 2024, and the park has not posted a reopening date, so it is not listed as a place to visit.
Sparta Rock House State Historic Site is temporarily closed for preservation work, with no reopening date on the state page, so it is not listed.
Rocky Mount’s hours differ between the state page (Wed-Sat 11-4) and the museum’s own site (Wed-Sat 11-5), and the state page dates the log house to the late 1820s while also calling it the 1790-1792 territorial capitol. Call before you go.
Carter House opens Sundays at 11 a.m. on the state page but 10 a.m. on the Battle of Franklin Trust site, and the Carter House and Carnton combo ticket shows as $27 on one page and $28 on another.
Some former websites for Tennessee history places and events, including the old Alex Haley Museum, Exchange Place and Secret City Festival sites, now show for-sale or unrelated pages. We link the official state or operator pages instead, or leave the place unlinked.

We re-check these when the source pages change. Spot something we missed? Use the corrections page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there free historic sites in Tennessee?

Yes. Tennessee State Parks charge no access fee, so Red Clay, Pinson Mounds, Fort Loudoun, Fort Pillow and Sycamore Shoals are free. Shiloh, Stones River and Fort Donelson have no NPS entrance fee. In all, 26 of the 66 places on our list are free to enter. (source: Frequently Asked Questions (Tennessee State Parks); Shiloh National Military Park – Fees (NPS)).

Which Civil War battlefields can you visit in Tennessee?

The National Park Service runs Shiloh National Military Park and the Stones River and Fort Donelson national battlefields, all free, plus Point Park on Lookout Mountain, which charges $10 for visitors 16 and older. Fort Pillow and Johnsonville are free state historic parks. (source: Chickamauga and Chattanooga NMP – Fees (NPS); Frequently Asked Questions (Tennessee State Parks)).

Where was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. killed?

Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968 at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, where he had come to support striking sanitation workers. The motel is now the National Civil Rights Museum: $25 for adults, open Wednesday to Monday and closed Tuesdays. (source: Memphis Sanitation Strike (Tennessee Encyclopedia); Visit (National Civil Rights Museum)).

Who runs Tennessee’s state historic sites?

The Tennessee Historical Commission lists 17 state-owned historic properties, such as Carter House, the Polk Home, Rocky Mount and Wynnewood. Partner groups run them day to day, so hours and fees differ by site. Tennessee State Parks separately runs free historic parks such as Red Clay. (source: State Historic Sites (Tennessee Historical Commission)).

Last checked October 20, 2026 by the It’s Tennessee editors against each operator’s, agency’s or organizer’s own page.

Sources

Cite this page: It's Tennessee, “Historic Sites in Tennessee: Hours, Admission and What to See”, itstennessee.com/history/historic-sites/ (updated 2026-11-01). By the It's Tennessee editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.

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