June 30, 2025
Featured in this Article:
Tennessee has developed a reputation for its charming and fun small towns. Bristol, straddling both sides of the Tennessee-Virginia state line, is a great example. The city embraces its rich musical heritage, local art and scenic beauty. Here's how you’ll want to spend a weekend in Bristol, Tennessee, including where to stay & eat, and things to do in Bristol.
The Fairfield Inn & Suites offers easy access to Bristol's many attractions at an affordable rate. The lobby greets you with bright, modern designs that are reflected in each room. Enjoy complimentary Wi-Fi, satellite TV and a walk-in shower in some rooms, a heated indoor pool, hot complimentary breakfast and warm beds to flop into after a full day of exploring Bristol.
-
Accessibility: This hotel offers ADA accessible rooms, be sure to select one during the booking process.
-
Parking: dedicated, free parking is available.
-
Hours: check-in time is 3pm and check-out time is 12pm.
If you’re rolling into downtown on State Street, especially at night, you can’t miss Bristol’s most iconic landmark and photo-op. It spans the width of State Street and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, having been placed here in 1921.
-
Accessibility: This sign is located across State Street in Bristol and is accessible via sidewalks.
-
Parking: street parking is available, as well as various public lots nearby.
-
Hours: you can see the sign 24 hours a day
Bristol Motor Speedway, known as the world's fastest half-mile, is a famous NASCAR short-track nicknamed The Last Great Colosseum for its adrenaline-pumping races and Roman-like architecture. Its steep banking, all-concrete surface and stadium-like seating makes it a popular track for fans and participants. The speedway is among the largest sporting venues in the world. It's home to the most popular Sprint Cup events in the U.S., the Food City 500 every April and Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race every August.
-
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible viewing is available in the Pearson and Waltrip grandstands and in the Earnhardt and Gordon terraces.
-
Parking: onsite and offsite parking is available at Bristol Motor Speedway.
-
Hours: Visit the events page on the Bristol Motor Speedway website to plan your visit.
Just down the block from the bakery is Bristol’s newest iconic spot: the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. As a Smithsonian-affiliate, its specs are impressive. It’s a 24,000 square-foot, two-story shrine to some of the pioneers of American country music. In 1927, an enterprising recording engineer and talent scout, Ralph Peer, traveled south with some revolutionary field recording technology and set up shop in a Bristol, Tennessee warehouse. What he recorded became recognized as the “Big Bang” of country music. And the rest, as they say, is history.
-
Accessibility: All exhibit spaces and theaters are wheelchair accessible, and all of the films are closed captioned. An elevator is also available and there are a limited number of wheelchairs available on a first-come, first-served basis.
-
Parking: There is ample parking in Historic Downtown Bristol and near the museum.
-
Hours: The museum is open Tuesday-Saturday, 10am - 6pm. and Sunday, 1-5pm
Music is a time-honored tradition in Bristol, woven into the very fabric of the town’s identity; and so, too is fabric itself. L. C. King Manufacturing Company has been under the same roof since 1913. Fabrics are hand cut by a single craftsman with just a few others doing the garment assembly. And they’re using old fashioned equipment and know-how from another era where craftsmanship was king. L. C. King brings a bygone era to the modern scene in a way that seems timeless and yet trendy. They ought to know. They’ve been doing it this way for over 100 years.
-
Accessibility: the factory store is wheelchair accessible.
-
Parking: plenty of public lots are available around L.C. King.
-
Hours: the L.C. King factory store is closed for the summer but will reopen in the fall.
This massive mural depicting many of the folks made famous by the Bristol Sessions is located on the Tennessee side of State Street. Walk west a few blocks. Like the iconic Bristol sign, you can’t miss it.
Owing to the natural splendor surrounding Bristol, drive out of the downtown district for a little R&R. Steele Creek Park, the third largest municipal park in the Volunteer State, has more than 25 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails cutting through approximately 2,300 acres, surrounding the picturesque Steele Creek Lake. On site is a nature center - go in and say hello to Big Snappy, the snapping turtle - a golf course, splash pad, paddleboats and more trails than you can hike in a single visit.
-
Accessibility: most areas of the park, including entrances and parking lots, are wheelchair accessible.
-
Parking: a $2 parking fee is charged at the main entrance but free parking is available at nearby Rooster Front Park and the Mill Creek parking area.
-
Hours: open 9am to 9pm.
Catch a few of the well-known natural wonders like Bristol Caverns. An underground river formed this cave hundreds of millions of years ago. Luckily, some enterprising locals decided to make the splendor of the caverns accessible by installing paved and lit walkways and stairs, so a visit to Bristol Caverns is no hardcore spelunking experience. You’ll enjoy these vast caverns and the endless shapes found in the stalactites, stalagmites and other formations.
-
Accessibility: the cave and tours are not wheelchair accessible and not recommended for people with mobility or respiratory issues.
-
Parking: dedicated parking is available onsite.
-
Hours: open daily from Monday to Saturday from 9:00am to 5:00pm. On Sunday, they open at 12:30pm and close at 5:00pm. The last tour each day leaves at 3:30.
Have a peaceful moment to take in Bristol’s natural beauty. South Holston Dam, the largest of the two dams, was constructed by the Tennessee Valley Authority in the 1940s as a means to prevent flooding and electrify the area through the hydroelectric dam itself. The resulting lake, South Holston Lake, is surrounded almost entirely by the immense and scenic Cherokee National Forest. World-class fishing is found in these waters - including bluegill, walleye, catfish and more - but you don’t need a rod and reel to appreciate a lake this beautiful. Just pick a spot, take a breath, and live in the moment. That’s really what Bristol’s all about.
-
Accessibility: there is a new, handicap-accessible fishing ramp near South Holston Dam; additionally, several areas around the dam offer ADA accessibility, including a fishing pier, overlook, paved trail, picnic tables, restrooms, visitor center, and more.
-
Parking: dedicated parking is available around the dam and fishing ramps.
-
Hours: South Holston Lake is open for recreation year-round, with gates generally closing at 10pm
Have a satisfying dinner at 620 State.
Photo Credit:
Andrew Saucier
Worked up an appetite yet? Check out 620 State, a restaurant that serves classic, elevated American and Southern fare. Choose between Carolina reaper hot chicken sandwiches or avocado topped salmon on a bed of rice, sushi and stir-fry. Housed in a massive, yet somehow cozy and very warm space, 620 State presents unique interpretations of Southern cuisine.
-
Accessibility: 620 State is wheelchair accessible.
-
Parking: Parking on State Street becomes scarce after 5:00, but a large parking lot behind the building is available.
-
Hours: Open Friday and Saturday from 11:00am - 10:00pm and Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday from 11:00am - 9:00pm.
Machiavelli’s, located downtown, is way too good to pass over. Like just about every other restaurant in downtown Bristol, most of the menu’s offerings are handmade. They’ve got a stage tucked into one corner where crooners and songwriters are known to play just about every American classic except Wagon Wheel (see if you can spot the sign). While you listen, order the Italian Nachos. One glance at the description and you’ll understand why.
-
Accessibility: Machiavelli's is wheelchair accessible.
-
Parking: plenty of parking is available.
-
Hours: Open 4-9pm on Tuesday and Wednesday and 4-9:30pm on Thursday to Saturday.
Have a pint at Elderbrew.
Photo Credit:
Andrew Saucier
Inside Elderbrew, the bartender is spinning real-deal vinyl records, which on its own gives the whole place a chic vibe. And the rotating tap list, which includes selections beyond what they brew themselves, makes Elderbrew a staple in the already voluminous lineup of breweries that have come up in the Tri-Cities area over the past several years.
-
Accessibility: Elderbrew is wheelchair accessible.
-
Parking: various public lots are available near Elderbrew.
-
Hours: Open Monday to Friday from 5-10pm and on Saturdays from 3-10pm.
Enjoy the fireplace while noshing on pastries.
Photo Credit:
Andrew Saucier
Locals swear by Blackbird Bakery and you will, too. They’re open 6 a.m. on Mondays and don’t close until midnight on Saturdays, closed Sundays. Housed in an old Masonic Temple just two blocks from the Tennessee line, this cozy spot has Bavarian crème donuts and jalapeño bacon Kolaches, pecan pie tarts and chocolate dream cake. They also brew local coffee and sell local churned ice creams - so hot or cold, this is your spot. Blackbird Bakery is a real-deal, two-state favorite.
-
Accessibility: Blackbird Bakery is wheelchair accessible.
-
Parking: street parking is available or nearby public lots are an option.
-
Hours: Open 7am - 10pm Monday to Saturday.
These are just some of the adventures you can have in Bristol, TN/VA. Explore even more things to see and do in the city.
