Family Day Trips
from Nashville
by Jennifer L. Lambe
Middle Tennessee STC Chapter
So you're coming to
a conference in Nashville and you're bringing
your family.
Hopefully, you've taken
a few extra vacation days so that you and your
family can explore the region to get a true
feel for the area. There are many fun places
to visit in and near Nashville, but the following
is a list of some of my favorite day trips,
all within 200 miles of Nashville.
These activities, recreational
sites, and museums will allow you and your family
to explore our region's unique historical, technological,
geological, environmental, and cultural identity.
The destinations are
grouped by subject so that you can choose specific
areas of interests.
Geology and Environment
Reelfoot
Lake
Mud Island
Mammoth Cave Nat'l
Park
Reelfoot Lake
Reelfoot Lake was
formed by a series of extreme earthquakes in
the winter of 1811-1812. The quakes were felt
as far Northeast as Boston. The Mississippi
River flowed backwards for a period of time
forming the lake. Reelfoot Lake State Park Interpretive
Center houses exhibits on the New Madrid Earthquakes,
the Reelfoot Ecosystem, Native Americans, and
early explorations. A boardwalk through cypress
wetlands, aquariums with native fish, an amphibian
and reptile discovery room, and pontoon boat
cruises let visitors experience the wonder of
the lake first-hand.
Reelfoot Lake is in northwestern
Tennessee, approximately 200 miles from Nashville.
The Interpretive Center is located in Tiptonville,
Tennessee. Admission to the Center is free.
For more information, call (731) 253-9652 or
visit their website at www.state.tn.us/environment/parks/reelfoot.
Mud Island
A monorail transports
visitors to Mud Island where the Mississippi
River Museum and the River Walk await. The museum
showcases 10,000 years of history in the Lower
Mississippi River Valley. Exhibits cover the
valley creation and settlement, regional Native
Americans, European explorers, the river's role
in the Civil War, and the creation of the Delta
Blues. The River Walk is a permanent 5-block
long, outdoor scale model of the lower 1,000
miles of the Mississippi River, complete with
water flowing over contour ridges of the channel.
Mud Island is located at 125
N. Front St in downtown Memphis, which is located
in southwestern Tennessee, approximately 200
miles from Nashville. Admission: Adults - $8;
Children - $6; Children under 4 - free. For
more information, call (901) 576-7241 or 1-800-507-6507.
Mammoth Cave
National Park
Mammoth Cave, with
350 miles of mapped underground passageways,
is the longest cave system in the world. Geologists
estimate the cave began forming around 10 million
years ago. The park offers a variety of tours
from easy, guided walks to strenuous hikes.
Highlights of various tours include the cave's
history, complete with Native American artifacts
and evidence of early explorers, ruins from
an old mining operation, and remnants of a tuberculosis
hospital.
Mammoth Cave National Park
is located in Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, 95 miles
north of Nashville. Admittance to the park is
free. Ticket prices for tours are $7 - $35 for
adults and $4 - $13 for children. For information,
call (270) 758-2328 or visit their website at
www.nps.gov/maca.
Cultural History
The
National Civil Rights Museum
The Museum of
Appalachia
Manskers
Station
Chucalissa Archeological
Museum
The Homeplace
Belle Meade Plantation
Travellers
Rest
The National Civil
Rights Museum
Civil rights leader Dr.
Martin Luther King was assassinated on the balcony
of room 306 of the Lorraine Motel on April 4,
1968. The National Civil Rights Museum now occupies
the site that was the Lorraine Motel. The museum
offers an overview of the civil rights movement
in exhibit form. Exhibits include the Montgomery
Bus Boycott, Brown vs. Board of Topeka; the
March from Selma to Montgomery; and Rooms 306
and 307 of the Lorraine Motel.
The museum is at 450 Mulberry
Street, Memphis, Tennessee. Memphis is approximately
200 miles southwest of Nashville. Admission:
$6 Adults; $4 Children 4 - 17; $5 College Students
and Senior Citizens; Children under 4 free.
For information, call (901) 521-9699 or visit
the website at www.civilrightsmuseum.org.
Museum of Appalachia
Approximately 16 miles
north of Knoxville stands a 65-acre museum dedicated
to the mountain folk of Southern Appalachia.
Highlights that would appeal to children include
the "Children of Appalachia" display,
which includes toys, photos, personal possessions,
and stories of Appalachian children; the Tatter
Valley log schoolhouse with its two adjoining
outhouses; Mark Twain's family's cabin, moved
from Possum Trot, Tennessee; and displays on
musical instruments, mountain medical treatments,
and weapons.
The museum is located off
of I-75, North of Knoxville at Exit 122, approximately
180 miles from Nashville. Admission Fees: $7
Adults; $4 Children 6-15; Children under 6 free.
For information, call (423) 494-7680 or (423)
494-0514.
Historic Manskers
Station Frontier Life Center
Manskers Station is the
reconstruction of a 1779 pioneer fort. The fort
and the adjacent Bowen House reveal what daily
pioneer life was like in the late 18th century.
Living history camps are held in March, May,
July, October, and December. Reenactors in period
dress demonstrate early life-skills such as
candle-dipping, blacksmithing, spinning, tanning
hides, and weaving.
Daily tours available March
through December. Located in Moss-Wright Park,
Caldwell Road, Goodlettsville, Tennessee, just
16 miles north of Nashville. Admission: $5 Adults;
$3 Students. For information, call (615) 859-3678.
Chucalissa Archaeological
Museum
A reconstructed 15th
century Choctaw Indian village, Chucalissa is
situated on a site that was occupied by Native
Americans from 1000 to 1400 A.D. The village
includes Indian mounds, a Chief's temple, a
Shaman's house, and a family dwelling. A museum
and archaeological park contain exhibits on
southeastern Indian culture and a preserved
excavation trench. The Choctaw Heritage Festival,
exhibiting Native American dancing, songs, food,
music, and crafts will be held on August 4 &
5.
Chucalissa is located at 1987
Indian Village Drive, Memphis, Tennessee. Memphis
is 200 miles from Nashville in southwest Tennessee.
Admission Fees: $5 Adults; $3 Children 4-11;
Children under 4 free. For information, call
(901) 785-3160 or visit the website at www.people.memphis.edu/~chucalissa.
The Homeplace (1850)
The Homeplace is a working
history farm. Visitors can mingle with interpreters
in period clothing performing various chores
authentic to farm life in the 1850s, such as
feeding the farm animals, cooking, gardening,
spinning wool, dipping candles, quilting or
repairing a halter.
The Homeplace is 119
miles from Nashville and is located in the Land
Between the Lakes National Recreation Area,
off Hwy. 79, west of Dover. Admission: $3.50
Adults; $2 Children 5 - 12; Children 4 &
under free. For information, call (270) 924-2020
or visit the website at www.lbl.org.
Travellers
Rest
A 1799 historic house museum, Travellers Rest
is the oldest plantation home open to the public.
Costumed docents give guided tours. For information,
call (615) 832-8197.
Belle
Meade Plantation
Costumed guides escort visitors through the
1853 antebellum mansion, the 1890s carriage
house and stables, the antique carriage collection,
and 8 other historic buildings. For information,
call (615) 356-0501 or see the website at
www.bellemeadeplantation.com.
Science and Technology
U.S.
Space & Rocket Center
American
Museum of Science and Energy
The Cumberland
Science Museum
U.S. Space and Rocket
Center
Thrilling rides, simulated
space experiences, and a stroll through Rocket
Park are just a few of the exciting encounters
awaiting visitors to the U.S. Space and Rocket
Center. Visitors can take a Mission to Mars
or see what a rocket launch feels like on the
Space Shot. The Outpost in Space teaches basic
cosmic skills such as eating, sleeping, bathing,
and working in space. The complex also has a
museum housing NASA artifacts and a Spacedome
IMAXÒ Theater.
The U.S. Space and Rocket
Center is located off Interstate 565 in Huntsville,
Alabama, about 100 miles south of Nashville.
Admission fees: Combination Ticket (Museum,
Rocket Park, Bus Tour, & IMAXÒ Theater)
- $14.95 Adults; $10.95 Children 3-12; Children
under 3 free (all admissions). Museum Only Admission:
- $10 Adults; $6 Children 3-12. IMAXÒ
Theater Only: $6.50 Adults; $5.50 Children 3-12.
For information, call 1-888-831-6293 or visit
the website at www.spacecamp.com.
American Museum of
Science and Energy
Located in Oak Ridge,
the city constructed to build the atomic bomb,
the American Museum of Science and Energy (AMSE)
uses interactive exhibits and live demonstrations
to encourage visitors to explore, experiment,
and discover energy forms and their uses. AMSE
houses exhibits on the history of the World
War II Manhattan Project and the development
of the atomic bomb, the Age of the Automobile,
Y-12 and the National Defense, Earth's Energy
Resources, and the World of the Atom.
Oak Ridge, Tennessee is 170
miles from Nashville. The museum is located
at 300 S. Tulane Ave. Admission is free. For
more information, call (865) 576-3200 or visit
the website at www.amse.org.
Cumberland Science
Museum
Current exhibits include
Dino Rumble, Wings Over Nashville, Mission:
Possible, and the Discovery House. For information,
call (615) 862-5160.
Battlefields and Forts
Stones
River National Battlefield
Fort
Loudin
Fort
Nashboro
Stones River National
Battlefield
From December 31, 1862
through January 2, 1863, a bloody battle raged
at Stones River between nearly 81,000 Confederate
and Union troops. Almost a third of the soldiers
became casualties. The Visitor Center includes
a museum and orientation program. Visitors can
tour the battlefield and Fortress Rosecrans
from paved walking trails or by car. The 570-acre
battlefield also includes the Stones River National
Cemetery, established in 1865.
Stones River National Battlefield
is 27 miles southeast of Nashville, at 3501 Old
Nashville Highway, Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Admission
is free. For information, call (615) 893-9501
or visit the website at www.nps.gov/stri/index.htm.
Fort Loudin
Fort Loudin helped Great
Britain secure the south-Appalachian region
from France during the French and Indian War.
The fort was constructed in the East Tennessee
wilderness during 1756-57 and initially allied
the Cherokee Nation with the British. However,
relations broke down and in 1760 the Cherokee
captured Fort Loudin.
Today, a replica of Fort Loudin
stands on the original site. The Visitor Center
displays historic artifacts of the soldiers
and Native Americans who lived this turbulent
time in Tennessee history. Visitors can view
a short film and take a self-guided tour of
the fort. Fort Loudin is located off Highway
411, in Vonore, Tennessee, approximately 200
miles from Nashville. Admission is free. For
information, call (423) 884-6217.
Fort Nashboro
Fort Nashboro is located at 170 1st Ave.
N, in downtown Nashville. It is a small replica
of the original fort built by our city founders.
Visitors can take a self-guided tour through
the fort. Admission is free. For information,
call (615) 862-8400.
About the Author
Jennifer Lambe is a
technical writer and information designer with
Tanner Corporate Services, Inc., in Nashville.
She is also a freelance creative writer and
has had articles published in Intercom and Nashville
Parent magazines. She is currently working on
a middle-grade juvenile novel.
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