What a beautiful and quaint little town. Be sure to take the tour which is only $6 for seniors. A…read morebig thank you to Brian for a job well done! He knows his stuff! And if you go to the print shop, be prepared to spend at least 45 minutes there because Beth will teach you everything you'd ever want to know about the craft back then, and then some! All told, if you take the tour and then take time to read things on your own about the history of the town and visit the gift shops, you'll be in Rugby about 2.5 hrs. not counting your visit to RM Brooks Store which is about 2 miles out. Don't miss that! It's a great place to eat lunch!

Loved this little Historic Rugby small town in Robbins Tennessee. Located between Knoxville and…read moreCrossville, this historic little Victorian village is just adorable. Originally founded in 1880 by British author Thomas Hughes. Enjoyed waking a couple blocks to see the original buildings and visitors center. We also enjoyed a nice lunch outdoors at Harrow Road Cafe.

It is an amazing place to stay. Beautiful and love the feeling of stepping back in time. Will…read moredefinitely stay again

Well worth a detour!…read more My mom and I really could not have loved our stay at the Newbury House more. Every year, we road trip across the country and delight in discovering historic, off-the-beaten-path places. Rugby, TN is a new favorite. We eagerly anticipate returning to this gem and introducing other friends and family members. On Thursday night, two road-weary gals pulled into Rugby after a long day of driving. It was 7pm and the only souls about were a gentleman mowing the lawn and a friendly black cat (who we later learned is famous enough to be emblazoned on souvenir Rugby t-shirts). The self check-in process was a piece of cake and we were into the beautiful building in a breeze (what a charming original Victorian doorbell!). Noticing the cafe was closed up for the night, we were a little worried about being apparently stranded so far from food, but imagine our delight when we discovered a kitchen in the Newbury fabulously stocked with all manner of treats for us: cookies, donuts, oatmeal, tea, coffee, bagels, fresh fruit, juice, milk, granola bars, cereal....This happy surprise felt like something right out of a fairy tale. Every room in the Newbury was spotless. The building is right out of history, but all of the utilities were flawlessly updated and functioning. The bathroom was just as nice as any you would find in a modern hotel. The shower was heavenly. When we woke up, we enjoyed lunch at the cafe and a tour of the town beginning at the Visitor's Center. A highlight was a long conversation with the gentleman running the printing shop. Our only regret was that we could not have stayed for longer. Other highlights: -Our Newbury guest rooms were beautifully appointed with antique furniture, much of it original to the town. -A guest book in the Newbury contained signatures of recent visiting descendants of the town's original founders! -Everyone we met was incredibly hospitable and warm. The volunteers obviously love what they do. -No TVs in our rooms, hooray! How often does that happen? A++ for that (though tv watchers may be comforted to discover the communal tv in the Newbury kitchen). -It's obvious that no attention to detail has been spared. What a pleasure to peer back in time at the town via the original photos hanging on all of the walls. Thank you for all that you do to share and preserve this interesting history. You've done a magnificent job of bringing it to life and we enjoyed the opportunity to step back in time. We can't wait to return to check out your program of events, hiking trails, and other residences!

This tour is amazing and a must do visiting Tennessee. Our guide, George Wyatt, was absolutely…read moredelightful and entertaining. He was an actual inmate at the prison and tells so many interesting stories. You just need to get use to his accent, which is the best thing about him! After the tour make sure to eat at The Warden's table in the gift shop. The brisket French Dip was delicious. Maricela, who works in the gift shop, was so helpful and sweet. I would go back again and again!!!

Been driving through this part of Tennessee for the last 10 years or so and have been wanting to…read morevisit here that whole time. Finally made it. I've have visited 3 other shuttered prisons over the years and they all are pretty neat. This one was physically the smallest but was very impressive. We did like most folks and did the self guided tour. Took us about 2 hours and I think we visited everything that was open. They claimed that former staff or guides would be around to answer questions- sadly I never seen anyone. Now reasoning for my rating was based on not seeing staff for questions as well as the price. I know it's a neat historic place but $25 a person was a bit high. They did offer a small discount for military but again a self guided tour for $25 was a bit much. So I do recommend this historic place. But be aware of the cost and that your questions might not be answered.

Worth the drive to see and walk through the tunnel…read more Read the history, it's really a sad story. They call it the stolen highway

If you didn't know the history of this spot, you might not think it's a big deal but if you do know…read morethe history, it becomes more relevant. Yes, it literally is a road that ends in a very long, dark and wet tunnel. There are also several walking trails nearby. We drove back on the road a little bit and did one of the shorter hikes that leads to a section of the lake. There are other trails that are more strenuous. This is more of an oddity than anything else, but still an interesting place to visit.

I saw this place on tiktok by Daisytown and also Elkmont. The drive out here is a lil wonky and…read morewill take a long time to get out here. If you are handicap, you dont have to pay for parking. But otherwise you need to get a day pass at the visitor center.

Thanks to Google Maps (and my thorough trip itinerary planning), I had discovered the historic…read more(once a) "ghost town" of Elkmont. For America's most visited national park, it can be difficult to escape the crowds within the Great Smoky Mountains--yet Elkmont is one place to do just that! This Little River Valley was once home to a pioneer Appalachian community, a logging town, and later a resort community. To this day, old relics and abandoned buildings from the past remain--awaiting to be explored. The area was settled in the 1840s as the town of Little River when a logging company was formed. A railroad was later constructed to transport timber for the Little River Lumber Company. This eventually allowed the wealthy from Knoxville to visit what eventually became a resort town. When the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was was established in 1934, residents were given the option to sell their homes at full price and relocate, or sell to the National Park Service (NPS) for a discounted price allowing them to live there until they become deceased. By 1992, most of the homes remained vacant or with expired leases leading 70+ historic buildings into a state of deterioration. Thankfully the NPS decided to renovate and preserve 19 buildings in Elkmont for public visitation. You can now find the Elkmont Historic District with cabins along Jakes Creek Road that were completed around 1997. They attempted to keep the buildings in the closest original condition--even their exterior paint colors! Each cabin has information about the tenants and any unique features. Unfortunately, the cabins cannot be brought up to code for renting or staying inside. However, the largest lodge known as the Appalachian Club is available as an event venue. Continue to explore the Old Elkmont Cemetery up a rocky road near the beginning of Elkmont Road, or choose to hike the Jakes Creek or Little River Trails where you will venture past less discovered old chimneys, walls and tractors that still remain. Directions: Coming from Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge or Cherokee, turn to go west on Fighting Creek Gap Road toward Cade's Cove (turn off near the Sugarlands Visitor Center). After the Laurel Falls trailhead, watch for signs to Elkmont Campground. Follow Elkmont Road all the way til it becomes a loop drive at Jakes Creek Trail Trailhead.

It doesn't get any cooler than bells Tavern it was directed by William Bell in 1830 it was a…read morestagecoach stop with the lines about people from the mammoth caves when they were first promoted

Today was amazing! We went to see a castle right here in Tennessee! Floyd "Junior" Banks built the…read morecastle out in Loudon County TN called the Greenback Castle or Fortress of Faith. He dedicated this castle to the Lord and encourages everyone to come out and see it for themselves. He never charges a fee to visit, but donations are very much appreciated. He was excited to meet us and take us for a tour. He is a fascinating gentleman with some really interesting stories. He built the castle himself with donated items over the past 30 years and still works on it. Junior told us he never used a level or measuring device, God guides him. He lives in a house nearby on the many acres of property. I highly recommend touring this incredible castle (AT YOUR OWN RISK) and spending some time listening to Junior. I immediately went on Amazon and bought 2 of his books because he was so intriguing. Fortress of Faith: Art, Science, and Divine Intervention at the Greenback Castle What In Another World Is Going On At The Greenback Castle?

(Not a restaurant) If you love the bizarre and unique visit…read morethe Greenback Castle. A retired old gentleman built this "art project " over 30+ years. And loves to greet people and explain the (mostly religious) meaning of all displays. Fun, weird, unique!

This road side attraction was worth the stop. It's a little off the road in a neighborhood. There…read moreis welcome sign so you know in right place.

So beautiful. Amazing rocks. Lots of hard work. Nothing else was there, but nothing else needed to…read morebe there.

A lot of historical value.... but very small token of such a huge memorial to our historical…read morepast.... A must if you are in the area Tony and I visited this site in April 2014, and I had to bring my daughter Noel back here today, June 8th, Sunday to see a part of our PAST as Americans...I love history and I love sharing history and I am so very pleased that my daughter enjoys the history like I do...This is something we share deeply, a true bond..Our love for travel and history...I know that ONCE I am no longer on this earth, she will continue to travel and enjoy...and hopefully every time she sees something AMAZING with her eyes, she thinks of ME... Some history of the site: Monterey is a town in Putnam County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 2,850 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Cookeville, Tennessee Micropolitan Statistical Area. Around the beginning of the twentieth century, Monterey was a resort town that boasted seven hotels and drew summer people who came to enjoy the cool temperatures and mountain scenery. With the invention of the automobile, Monterey became less of a resort town. The hotels closed and the town's economy became dependent on railroad maintenance, coal mining, and logging. Standing Stone Monument The Standing Stone was a 13-foot (4.0 m)-tall rock that once stood upright on a sandstone ledge in the area. It was the legendary boundary between Cherokee and Shawnee territory and marked the Cherokee Tallonteeskee Trail. The 8-foot (2.4 m) remnant of this stone is preserved in Monterey, where a Standing Stone Celebration of Native American Heritage is held each October. If you are in the area, check it out !!!

Well worth the trip! The majestic stone stands in beautiful Monterey TN. This is a definite bucket…read morelist item. It was well worth the drive. Do not miss it!

An amazing and unforgettable experience - perhaps the crowning jewel of our entire trip. Olivia was…read morea knowledgeable and personable guide. I loved hearing about how the cave was discovered by little kids - brothers - who spent their childhoods playing in it, and how they later grew up to save enough money to buy it outright and keep it in the family thereafter (and it's still privately owned by the family to this day!) At the start, we were a bit concerned about the amount of walking - and in particular, the steps. Our youngest is at the age where he wants to be independent, but he needs extra time to manage stairs (and some of those passages were narrow and steep enough to where we didn't feel comfortable carrying him) but we needn't have worried. Our large group had some adults who needed extra time with stairs, as well as people who took full advantage of our pace to snap more photos (and I've been on another cave tour where we were rushed through and unable to take many photos at all); nobody seemed to mind. I was also worried about not bringing a sweater, as the cave is 58 degrees year round, but it's a little bit of a workout which keeps you warm. If you have any health issues like a heart condition or anything affecting the function of your lungs it might be too intense (I'm just fat, and it was mildly strenuous: just when your heart starts to pound and you're breath is coming in faster you've reached your next destination and you return to resting state - this happens a couple times.) The cave is like being on another planet. We snapped some amazing photos. When it was time to return to the world above, my kids were sad that it was over.

If you're heading to Townsend. Tuckaleechee Caverns is a must-do…read more This place is absolutely worth the visit. Pricing is reasonable, and the experience is unforgettable. We had Kash as our tour guide and he was fantastic, energetic, kind, and amazing with kids. He kept everyone engaged, answered every question, and clearly knows the caverns inside and out. Even in a large group, you could still hear him clearly throughout the walk. The tour runs about 1.5 hours and covers over a mile underground. Be ready for stairs, lots of them (around 87 steep steps on the way out), and this is not wheelchair or stroller accessible. The cave floor is wet, so good shoes are a must. You'll also duck in a few spots, but not constantly. The views are unreal: a waterfall, a stream, stalactites, stalagmites, and massive natural columns you get to see up close while learning the history behind them. It stays cool inside, but you'll warm up from all the walking. It's well organized even when multiple groups are passing each other, and everything flows smoothly. The gift shop is also a win: well stocked, fair prices, and they accept cards. Bottom line: if you love nature, caves, geology, or just want a unique family experience, this is 100% worth your time.