If you are ready to travel, we invite you to experience the scenic beauty, music, history and culture, cuisine and family fun across Tennessee while following key safety guidelines like mask-wearing, social distancing and sanitization. If you need a little more time, we invite you to virtually visit Tennessee's world-class museums, attractions and exhibits, concerts, digital offerings and live web cams. See what’s available for you and your family to experience from the comfort of your home.
Photo Credit:
The General Morgan Inn
Virtual Experiences You Can Have in Tennessee
See what’s available for you and your family to experience from the comfort of your home.
October 6, 2020
The museum is sharing a series of behind-the-scenes videos with stories told throughout the museum as well as a closer look at the unique instruments on display. Students can participate in several activities from songwriting to learning about important figures from the 1927 Bristol Sessions. Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival hosts a Bristol Quarantine Sessions. Radio Bristol's Farm and Fun Time is now airing on Blue Ridge PBS.
Bristol Motor Speedway
Take several virtual tours of Bristol Motor Speedway, entering through the Garage entrance, tours of the Medallion, Dragstrip and Landing campgrounds and even skydive into the Speedway. Take a lap around the track. Learn the history of the track and tune into the Bristol Podcast for stories around this great attraction.
Paramount Center for the Arts
Need a creative outlet? Download, print and color this Paramount Bristol coloring sheet.
Virtual Tour of Shop Main Street
Walk through this historic street and spot the shops in downtown Bristol virtually.
CHATTANOOGA
Bluff View Art District
Explore a Google Maps Virtual Tour of the historic district.
Charles H. Coolidge National Medal of Honor Heritage Center
Explore the exhibits virtually and complete an Online Scavenger Hunt. Aimed to inspire the next generation of heroes, the Heritage Center’s “Adventures in Valor” virtual learning environment includes an online scavenger hunt to better understand the history of the Medal of Honor, an essay contest and a list of 10 discussion questions.
Chattanooga Zoo
Live streams include meerkats, snow leopards, sloth and cotton top tamarins.
Creative Discovery Museum
Access online activities like Distance Learning and Biofuels Lessons Online. Join Facebook Live broadcasts including story time, Culinary Corner kitchen lessons and other hands-on, play-based activities to do at home.
Lookout Wild Film Festival - Social Distancing Series
Enjoy all the outdoor adventure and conservation films from the comfort of your couch.
Music & Other Performances
Follow @VisitChatt on Facebook for regular live music broadcasts from Chattanooga artists.
Ruby Falls
Go behind the scenes with Facebook Live tours to see the largest underground waterfall in America.
Tennessee Aquarium
Aquarium at Home: Download activity sheets and links to aquarium video series.
Facebook Live Moment of Zen broadcasts
*Follow @VisitChatt and the hashtag #ConnectChatt on social media for daily live and virtual experiences.
COLUMBIA
President James K. Polk Home & Museum
Step into the halls of the James K. Polk home in historic Columbia, the only remaining home of the nation’s 11th president on part one and part two of a virtual tour.
CROSSVILLE
Grinder House Coffee Shop
The live music venue will produce a live “Stuck in the House” singer-songwriter concert series. Each show will be 30 minutes and will have a virtual “tip jar” with donations paid directly to the artist.
Elizabethton
Sycamore Shoals State Park
Virtually tour the historically-rich Sycamore Shoals State Park to see pioneer artifacts, historic homes and more. The tours are led by history experts at 12:30 p.m. ET every day on Facebook.
FRANKLIN
Gallery 202
Take a virtual tour of the diverse art gallery in downtown Franklin with an array of artistic styles and mediums including paintings, antiques, glass, jewelry, pottery and sculpture.
Studio Tenn
Studio Tenn launched its first ever Virtual Musical Theatre Contest. Participants are asked to video themselves singing any musical theater song.There are three categories - Youth (under 13), Teen (13-18), and Family (siblings, parents, groups within your household) - with prizes awarded to the top two entries in each category.
GATLINBURG
Gatlinburg Sky Lift Park
The SkyLift Park and SkyBridge would like to bring you joy and a smile during these times of solitude. Check the Facebook page of views from the SkyBridge, North America’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
When you need a little moment in nature, check out these great webcams operated by the national park. Watch the park’s many species of wildlife living in their natural habitat in real-time, check in on the weather or catch a beautiful Smoky Mountain sunset at the end of the day. Follow the latest updates from the park service.
Webcam at Kuwohi (Operational April – October because of winter weather conditions)
Ole Smoky distillery
Ole Smoky Distillery's Jams & Jars concert series has been a staple in live music entertainment for years. To keep the tradition alive, Ole Smoky will host a live stream concert every Friday on Facebook with a different band weekly. Each concert will support a different nonprofit each week as well.
Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies
Explore Ripley’s Aquarium at Home and learn about the creatures that call the world’s waters home. Meet aquarium staff educators, who will be your guide to live feedings, educational encounters, story time and much more.
#VirtualGatlinburg
Live your Gatlinburg vacation from the comfort of your couch. Tune in to dozens of live streams, webcams and virtual experiences as they are announced at Bringing Gatlinburg to You.
Webcams in the Mountains
Local businesses provide views of Gatlinburg of the Smoky Mountains, including Anakeesta and the Gatlinburg Space Needle.
Goodlettsville
Learn about the Gateway to Music City in a Colonial Beginnings exhibit, go on a nature scavenger hunt and other fun virtual activities at Visit Goodlettesville’s YouTube channel.
GREENEVILLE
Take virtual trips every day on Facebook Live @GreenevilleTN. Episodes include a tour of the Andrew Johnson Homestead, local restaurants and boutique shops. Follow along with the hashtags #StayCateGreenevilleTN and #VirtualVaca2020 for inspiration to plan now, visit later.
HENDERSONVILLE
Hendersonville Hometown Jam
Tune into the Hendersonville Hometown Jam Facebook page featuring a different artist every day at 11 a.m. CT.
JACKSON
Find inspiration to plan a future weekend visit to Jackson, including the West Tennessee Farmers Market and live music at the AMP, Southern Legends of Music at the Carnegie, Rusty’s TV and Movie Car Museum, Century Farm Winery, Samuel T. Bryant Distillery, Pinson Mounds State Archaeological Park and more.
JEFFERSON CITY
Cherokee Lake
Fishing guide Jay Girardot takes you on a morning fishing trip on Cherokee Lake in East Tennessee.
Johnson City
Downtown Johnson City
Bring the sounds of regional artists into your home. Downtown Johnson City hosts concerts on Facebook. Keep an eye out for new videos.
Hands On! Discovery Center
The all-ages science center offers fun, at-home activities each day on Facebook to help keep science and art alive for everyone. A resource page coming to their website soon and will provide additional interactive and educational activities, including Fossil Friday.
Tannery Knobs Mountain Bike Park
You can now virtually ride the trails at Tannery Knobs Mountain Bike Park, the area's newest mountain bike park that has an asphalt pump track and stunning views.
JONESBOROUGH
The Heritage Alliance has created fun videos, including a series on Youtube and Facebook of what social distancing looked like in the Victorian era. The McKinney Center hosts a craft and story time on Facebook. And, StoryTown Radio Show, formally known as Jonesborough Yarn Exchange, have released podcasts for your listening pleasure.
International Storytelling Center
The International Storytelling Center serves as the vanguard of the storytelling movement, helping preserve and enhance the world’s oldest art form. Hear stories, listen to the StoryVault podcast, watch Youtube videos from past festivals.
Kingsport
Visit Kingsport wants you to step out on your front porch or yard each night at 6 p.m. ET to wave to your neighbors. We are all in this together, so get outside and say hello (a safe six feet away!). Check out the first Neighborhood Wave! Follow Kingsport Strong on Facebook for updates about Kingsport’s Wave Movement and share your waves.
KNOXVILLE
Dogwood Arts Festival
The beloved arts festival is going virtual after having to postpone the public event. Dogwood Arts Festival showcases 109 artists online from around the U.S. who were juried in to participate this year. Browse and support the arts from the comfort of your home.
East Tennessee History Center
The East Tennessee Historical Society wants to document the experience of East Tennesseans during the coronavirus pandemic and they want to hear from you. Your story will be preserved at the East Tennessee History Center, an award-wining research facility and museum operated in partnership between Knox County Public Library and the East Tennessee Historical Society. Be apart of history by recording your experience on their website. Also, follow their museum education page on Facebook for weekly themes and activities for your whole family.
Historic Ramsey House
"Live from Swan Pond" is a series of livestream tours that explore a different area of the Historic Ramsey House with stories of the Ramsey family and a close and personal of items in the collection. Grab some lunch, invite a friend (virtually, of course!), and tune in 1 p.m. ET every Wednesday. All tours are broadcasted via Facebook Live. The link will go live at 12:55 p.m. ET.
Ijams Nature Center
Ijams Nature Center has launched a new Ijams E-Learning Station on its website with a variety of scavenger hunts for kids, tips on composting or creating pollinator gardens and more. You can also find interactive posts about fungi, frogs, flowers and more on Ijams' Facebook and Instagram.
James White Fort
The executive director of the museum takes you on a tour and tells stories of the historic site in the original 1786 residence of James White, the founder of Knoxville.
Muse Knoxville
Searching for ways to connect? Muse Knoxville, a non-profit children’s STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) museum, hosts activities and ideas to keep your family learning at home, like Story Time from Space. Check out the Muse Knoxville Facebook page.
Phoenix Pharmacy and Fountain
Step back in time at this old-fashioned pharmacy and soda fountain. Recall a time when ice cream sundaes had unique names and a fizzy soda was to be savored.
Pretentious Glass Co.
Artisan and owner Matthew Cummings uses his artistry to create singular hand-blown glasses to serve up his handcrafted beers and sodas. Cummings shows you how a beer glass is crafted using traditional glass blowing techniques.
Zoo Knoxville
Follow Zoo Knoxville on Facebook and Instagram for virtual experiences, zoo encounters and more.
LAWRENCEBURG
David Crockett State Park
Experience the beauty of David Crockett State Park with bird feeder observations, virtual warm-ups, trails and other offerings on their Facebook page.
Loudon County
The Loudon County History Project will share a series of videos over the next month called "Do You Know LoCo" featuring tours of Lenoir City Museum, Greenback Heritage Museum, Loudon County's Civil War History with Gerald and Sandra Augustus, interviews with WWII veterans, and the Dunbar-Rosenwald School restoration project in Loudon. The first #doyouknowLoCo Tour - Part 1 features the Lenoir City Museum: https://youtu.be/7yytI7Vt85Y
McMinnville
In a new series by Visit McMinnville, Seed Stories: Every Bloom Starts with a Seed uncovers the inspiration behind local businesses and how they tie into the culture and scenery that define McMinnville. Follow Visit McMinnville on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for new stories.
Cumberland Caverns
Cumberland Caverns brings the cave adventure to you. Head 333 ft. underground with personal video tours of almost 30 miles of caves and underground passageways, rock formations, waterfalls and pools.
MEMPHIS
Belltower Artisans
The Belltower Artisans offers take-home pottery lessons.
Cocktail-Making Classes
Mixologist Morgan McKinney is setting up online cocktail-making classes.
Elvis Presley's Graceland
You may not be able to physically be at Elvis Presley's Graceland, but special content is coming to you. Make sure to follow Graceland on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube and Twitter for a look through Elvis' record collection, a tutorial on how to make the best peanut butter and banana sandwich, videos from inside the secret Graceland Archives and so much more.
The Halloran Centre
The popular Memphis Songwriter Series is now being shared in a series, "Virtual Voices," on social media 7:30 p.m. CT every Saturday. The series' host Mark Edgar Stuart continues to curate a lineup of some of the best songwriters in Memphis for a digital, immersive weekly event. Hear stories and songs on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Youtube.
Indie Memphis
Indie Memphis launched the Indie Memphis Movie Club with suggested films and online Q&A sessions.
Metal Museum
Stay connected with the Metal Museum by taking virtual tours of current exhibits and browsing their extensive collection of art. Get in on artistic fun by watching step-by-step instructional videos for small metalwork art led by the Metal Museum Education staff. Dive into art-focused activities and worksheets where you can explore metalwork from home. Make forged foil crowns, metal mail, design your own gate and play Bingo.
Opera Memphis
Opera Memphis is now hosting 30 Days of Opera, a virtual opera festival.
Pink Palace Museum
Learn about physics, science and nature with Museum to Go. There are “Activities at Home,” “Curator's Choice” highlighting the museum curator's favorite artifacts, a free streaming movie link to the documentary America's Musical Journey that has scenes shot in Memphis on Beale Street and the Arcade Restaurant downtown and a free streaming of The Sun, Our Living Star planetarium show. The Museum will add more shows, coloring books, fun educational activities, podcasts and more.
Playhouse on the Square
Playhouse on the Square has launched Playhouse on the Square at Home, a digital series full of content presented through their website and social media platforms. Enjoy the three-part mini-series" Story Time in Neverland" on Facebook and Youtube. Take the Playhouse on the Square trivia quiz on Facebook. See snippets of past shows on Youtube and Facebook through the In the Vault series. The Department of Theatre Education’s Digital Play Series is a weekly scene writing competition with a new writing prompt each Monday. The winning performance is filmed by local actors and released on Sundays.
Stax Museum of American Soul Music
Experience the legacy of Stax Records with Deep Cuts: Rare Items from the Stax Archives.
Memphis Zoo
Follow @MemphisZoo on social for unique, at-home experiences, behind-the-scenes looks and virtual animal encounters from their Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook pages.
Monterey
Monterey Depot Museum
Hear the tales, legends and rich history of the mountains on the Monterey Depot Museum’s Facebook. The museum covers heritage from prehistoric Native Americans who hunted deer, buffalo, mastadons and saber-toothed tiger to coal miners who spent most of their lives underground to timber cutters who spent their days in the woods.
MURFREESBORO
Discovery Center at Murfree Spring
Have fun and keep learning from home with activities, videos and more provided by Discovery Center at Murfree Spring. Tune into SPARK Live on Facebook 9 a.m. each Tuesday to engage your family's and your curious minds. More resources can be found on Discovery Center's website.
Earth Experience, the Middle Tennessee Museum of Natural History
Take a virtual tour of the museum with displays from all over the world. See dinosaurs, fossils, gems, minerals, rocks and archaeological relics and a rare, 38-foot T-Rex.
Gateway Island at the Fountains
Take in the nature and sounds of Gateway Island at the Fountains, part of the Murfreesboro Greenway System with a trail, a lake overlook and a variety of wildlife.
Murfreesboro Center for the Arts
Take an exclusive backstage virtual tour of the center which presents theatrical productions, visual art exhibitions, music concerts, dance performances and educational classes.
Middle Tennessee State University
Curious what one of the largest and fastest-growing undergraduate campuses in Tennessee looks like? Tour the campus, home of the Blue Raiders. Check out the Artistic Quilting exhibit at Todd Art Gallery through MTSU’s Department of Art and Design.
Oaklands Mansion
During the Civil War, Oaklands Mansion was occupied by both armies and it survived. Check out live footage of the museum. It’s also a popular venue for special events, engaging community programs and weddings.
Stones River National Battlefield
Explore the battlefield and home of the oldest Civil War monument in the United States on a virtual tour.
Tennessee Philharmonic Orchestra
Attend a virtual performance of this orchestra, a staple to the culture of Rutherford County.
The Walnut House
Take a tour backstage and through the ages at the state-of-the-art live music and concert venue, which has been on the Murfreesboro Square for more than 100 years.
NASHVILLE
Adventure Science Center
Browse their online collection of do-it-yourself science projects.
Andrew Jackson's Hermitage: Home of the People's President
The home of the 7th president of the U.S. shares its deep history through virtual tours, a new video or livestream, mansion tours and behind-the-glass discussions on Facebook. The staff has also released a virtual garden tour, narrated by Historic Garden Manager Sarah Edmonds, on Youtube and Facebook. Now, you can see the beauty of the garden from the comfort of your couch. It was designed in the 19th century and was a favorite spot of the Jackson's. Some of the flora, including several trees and bulbs in the garden today were planted in Jackson’s time or are direct descendants of the originals. Rachel Jackson loved the garden so much, Andrew had her buried there. You can still see her tomb today.
Cheekwood Estate & Gardens
Cheekwood’s Tots! program has moved to online activities for families to access online. They plan to share one activity a week. Enjoy virtual garden tours on Instragram by following the hashtags #cheekwoodinbloom and #ourgardensyourhome
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has created Words & Music at Home, an online extension of their music education program - Words & Music. The virtual program has hands-on songwriting resources and guidance along with live, interactive songwriting workshops hosted 2 p.m. CT every Thursday on Instagram. A museum educator and guest songwriter will explore the creative process and encourage viewers to write their own lyrics using the step-by-step guide. Additionally, enjoy the video collection, including pre-recorded live performances, interviews, songwriter sessions and podcasts. Also, explore the Digital Archives which includes photos, sound recordings, printed materials, and objects of their collection. There’s also an Oral History and a Photography Collection.
Frist Art Museum
The Frist's Youtube channel has archives of lectures, instructional videos, short features, and the entire performance of Nick Cave: Feat. Nashville, which took place at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center.
Grand Ole Opry
The Opry’s television and video network, Circle, brings the Opry show to the world starting at 8/7c Saturdays online and in select local markets on Facebook and Youtube.
Madame Tussauds Nashville
Dive into music with Madame Tussauds Nashville through a virtual tour, featuring pop, country, jazz and blues legends. You can also learn about the more than 200 year-old art of wax making and the history behind Marie Tussaud. Worksheets are available for download that are perfect for elementary and junior high school students. Take a quiz to see how much you know about Madame Tussauds Nashville and complete a word search featuring celebrities from the attraction.
Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum
Enjoy a collection of interviews, interesting stories, and more.
Nashville Public Library
Enjoy their Puppet Shows.
Nashville Symphony
Three social media posts a week focus on Music Education tools for parents to use at home with their children on the symphony’s Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
Nashville Zoo
Get a daily dose of cute animals, learn fun new facts and watch regular live streams with keepers on the Nashville Zoo’s Facebook and Instagram. For the next few weeks, they will send out an email each Monday letting you know when to catch live streams that week.
Tennessee State Museum
The newly-added TSM Kids portal leads to fun Tennessee State Museum resources that encourage kids and families to learn and interact with Tennessee history. Watch a storytime video, download coloring book pages, solve the museum jigsaw puzzle and travel back in time through stories and activities shared on the Junior Curators Blog. “Search the Collection” online portal lets visitors search and read about artifacts. Check out the video archives from the museum’s lectures, panel discussion and Lunch and Learn events. The "Stories" blog contains articles featuring topics on Tennessee history. Download and print #ColorOurCollection sheets that feature artifacts.
Winners Bar & Grill
Enjoy live music from talented writers and artists with the Winners Bar & Grill’s Whiskey Jam Livestream Series. When the event first launched in 2011, the first few months saw guests artists like Kip Moore, Brett Eldridge, Chris Young and Dustin Lynch.
Virtual Concerts
From their homes to yours, Nashville artists and local music venues are livestreaming concerts so you can still feel the music – safely at home. Hear what’s playing.
Virtual Cooking
Get some inspiration from some of the top chefs in Nashville. Recipe Notes: A Taste of Music City is a free, downloadable cookbook filled with over 35 entree, side dish, dessert, and drink recipes from Nashville restaurants and cafes that are sure to get your mouth watering and your stomach growling. Featured beloved restaurants and chefs include Julia Sullivan of Henrietta Red, Chef Derek Brooks of The Hermitage Hotel's Capitol Grille, Jennifer Justus of Nashville Eats Cookbook, Goo Goo Shop and Tailor Nashville. Additional recipes came from attractions like Cheekwood Estate & Gardens, Country Music Hall of Fame, Tennessee Titans and the Nashville Sounds.
Well-known Nashville Chef Sean Brock, is offering virtual cooking classes from his home. He works with clients on the dish they want to cook and they cook together via FaceTime. All proceeds go to his teams at his restaurants Audrey and newest venture, Joyland, which is offering carry-out and curbside service. Joyland, located at 901 Woodland St., features cheeseburgers, shakes, fried chicken on a stick, and biscuits.
Check out the complete list of virtual offerings from other Nashville attractions.
Pigeon Forge
Titanic Museum Attraction
Step on board the Titanic for a four-part virtual tour series via Youtube that takes you through the exhibits with stories and interesting facts. Order a Titanic Activity Kit for your child. Each box has surprise Titanic activity items and each kit is different.
RUGBY
Historic Rugby launched a series of videos on Facebook . Topics include how Rugby fought the local 1881 typhoid epidemic, tours of trails and of Newbury House and what strange books the Hughes Library holds.
R.M. Brooks General Store
Learn the history and take a virtual tour of the community landmark and meeting place, R.M. Brooks General Store, operated by five generations of the family.
SEVIERVILLE
Virtual Backgrounds, Wine Trail and More
Stay inspired to travel to Sevierville with loads of activities, fun coloring sheets, quick facts and more. Kids and adults wanting to destress will love the coloring pages of the Dolly Parton Statue in downtown Sevierville and the Jackson Magnolia Blossom that has a deep history. Download virtual backgrounds for your next video conference with friends, family and coworkers. Learn the history of the Central Hotel in downtown Sevierville and things you should know about the town's famous native, Dolly Parton. For those 21-years-old and older, you can take a Virtual Wine Trail tour along the Rocky Top Wine Trail. Buy wine from three participating wineries and you'll receive two commemorative glasses for free. Buy from five or more participating wineries, and you'll receive complimentary earbuds. The Trail experts are also offering virtual classes on wine and food pairings, cooking classes and more on Facebook.
Tennessee Museum of Aviation
This museum brings aviation history to life through artifacts tracing aviation and military history, uniforms, aircraft models and memorabilia. Get “Schooled by Jules,” as Aviation Docent and WWII Veteran Jules Bernard explains the Stinson L-5 or check out other videos on their Youtube channel.
SEWANEE
Mountain Goat Trail Stories
Enjoy four stories about people who use and enjoy the Mountain Goat Trail, a multi-modal rail-trail that connects communities along the historic path of the Mountain Goat Railroad, which carried coal and passengers between communities on the South Cumberland Plateau from 1856-1985. A 5-mile section of the Mountain Goat Trail connects Sewanee to Monteagle, Tennessee.
UNION CITY
Discovery Park of America
Follow Discovery Park of America on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Youtube for great content like “Moments of Discovery,” an “Artifact of the Day,” artifacts and stories with the hashtag #ThisDayinHistory, the weekly release of the popular “Reelfoot Forward: A West Tennessee” podcast, “Wildlife Wednesday,” Discovery Park’s blog, and “Fossil Friday.”
WATERTOWN
Sassy Pecan
What do you get when you mix together two sassy women, pecans and a whole lot of southern flavor? You get one of Watertown’s staple restaurants and confectionaries, famous for their Sticky Doohickeys. Read all about them.
Travel Safely to Tennessee's National Parks
Stay updated as national parks, historic sites, recreation areas and more cautiously reopen.
