Tennessee is known for many things, from its famous Blue Ridge Mountains to the fertile plains along the great Mississippi River. It also has more caves and caverns than any other state — over 9,200.
Before Europeans arrived in the area, the most prominent Native American Tribes were the Cherokee and Chickasaw. The first European exploration of Tennessee came from the Spanish, led by Hernando de Soto in 1540.
In 1776, the first permanent White settlement was established by William Bean, a long hunter who built a log cabin near present-day Johnson City. Congress admitted Tennessee as the 16th state of the Union on June 1, 1796.
Tennessee also has an entrenched music culture and legacy. Nashville — the “Country Music Capital of the World” — is home to the Bluebird Cafe, the renowned listening room for up-and-coming songwriters.
The Beale Street Historic District in Memphis — known as the “Home of the Blues” — was a vibrant area for Black commerce and a site for the Civil Rights Movement.
The Volunteer State holds a treasure trove of education, history, and culture. Luckily, much of it is preserved in Tennessee’s National Monuments and landmarks. Read on to learn more!
Vanderbilt Peabody College of Education and Human Development: Also known as Vanderbilt Peabody College, Peabody College, or simply Peabody, the college is the education school of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. Originally the University of Nashville, it began to run as a state-normal school in 1875. It was the first college to receive money from the Peabody Fund, established in 1867 by philanthropist George Peabody to help rebuild the Southern educational system after the Civil War. After 1889, the school was known as Peabody Normal College, and in 1909, it was incorporated as the George Peabody College for Teachers. It became a part of Vanderbilt University in 1979. Peabody College is organized around five academic departments and conducts research in education, psychology, and human development. In 1965, the 50-acre campus with its 22 main buildings was declared a National Historic Landmark. Visitors can schedule a guided student-led campus tour of Vanderbilt to explore the Peabody buildings and learn more about the available educational programs.
Photo Courtesy JBaker08
Graceland: Tennessee’s musical legacy is spotlighted in Graceland, music icon Elvis Presley’s 13.8-acre estate in Memphis, Tennessee. Presley purchased the property in 1957 and is buried there, as are his parents, paternal grandmother, grandson, and daughter, Lisa Marie. Built in 1939, Graceland was designed by the Memphis architectural firm Furbringer and Erhmanis. Presley’s father, Vernon, first inherited the property after the star’s death on Aug. 16, 1977. Lisa Marie inherited it after she turned 25 years old. Graceland was publicly opened as a house museum on June 7, 1982. The 17,552-square-foot, 23-room mansion, including eight bedrooms and bathrooms, attracts more than 650,000 visitors annually. In 1991, Graceland was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In 2006, it was declared a National Historic Landmark, becoming the first Rock music site to be recognized on both lists. Advanced ticket purchases are encouraged when visiting Graceland. While there, explore the Rock artist’s gold records, his famous bejeweled jumpsuits, and numerous classic cars.
Photo Courtesy PaddyBriggs
The Hermitage Hotel: The historic hotel is located in the Country music mecca of Nashville, Tennessee. In 1908, the hotel was commissioned by 250 Nashville residents and named for President Andrew Jackson’s estate, The Hermitage, near the city — it opened its doors on Sept. 17, 1910. The hotel was built in the Beaux-arts style — symmetry and proportions of Roman and Greek classicism combined with French and Italian Renaissance and Baroque influences — and is the only remaining example of the style in a commercial Tennessee building. The Hermitage Hotel has had many presidential visits, beginning with a banquet for President William Taft in 1911, President Woodrow Wilson in 1912, and more recently, Presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Bill Clinton. The hotel was also involved in the statewide ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920 and was a headquarters for the suffrage movement. The Hermitage Hotel, a Historic Hotels of America member, was designated a National Historic Landmark on Aug. 28, 2020. When built, the hotel offered 250 rooms, but it now provides 122 for travelers to rest their heads.
Photo Courtesy Nashville Downtown Partnership
