Discover Country Stars along the Country Tennessee Music Pathway

Bristol, Tennessee is known as the birthplace of country music because of the 1927 Bristol Session, which recorded some of the earliest country music in America including the voices of the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers. The history is preserved at the award-winning Birthplace of Country Music Museum. Stroll through the immersive and interactive museum including music mixing tables, priceless memorabilia and original audio recordings.

Perfect for families and country music lovers of all ages, Baker's Place in Englewood is where you can kick up your heels to country music 8-11:15 p.m. Friday-Saturday nights. Live bands perform 2-step, country waltz, line dancing and square dancing (in the round). The dance hall is alcohol-free, adding to the family friendly atmosphere.

Continue on to see Tennessee Ernie Ford's Home. You can snap a picture of the outside of the home, but if you make an appointment in advance, you can score a guided tour with the Bristol Historical Association. Learn about his incredible career from WOPI Radio in Bristol to his primetime TV show, the Tennessee Ernie Ford Show and induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

The Down Home in Johnson City is an iconic listening room that has hosted a wide range of artists including Old Crow Medicine Show, Jerry Douglas and Billy Strings. One of the South's premiere venues, you'll love the local, regional and national music acts that grace the small stage. Enjoy burritos, nachos and quesadillas as you toe tap to music in the eclectic music room.

Check out the WDVX Blue Plate Special, a live performance radio show Monday-Thursday and Saturdays at the Visit Knoxville Visitors Center. On Fridays, the show is hosted at Barley's Taproom & Pizzeria for "The Big Plate." The show is always free and a great way to enjoy local and regional country music acts. Shows also feature blues, bluegrass, folk and rockabilly music. 

The Union County Opry celebrates country music acts at the Patriot Auditorium in Maynardville, Tennessee, about 26 miles near Knoxville. It's a great venue to enjoy performances by legendary artists like The Lonesome River Band, Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers and Rhonda Vincent & The Rage. Gospel and bluegrass artists are also featured.

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is a treasure trove of memorabilia and exhibits showcasing country music's rich heritage from Hank Williams to Lainey Wilson. Whether you're a die-hard fan or just dipping your toes into country music, you'll leave with a newfound appreciation for its impact on American culture. Marvel at famous stage wear, one-of-a-kind recordings, films and instruments.

Catch a show at the famous Grand Ole Opry. Take a backstage tour and enjoy the "show that made country music famous" at this iconic Nashville music venue. Catching a live show here is an experience you won't forget with country legends and rising stars sharing the same stage on multiple nights a week. Explore the backstage magic and learn all about the Opry's storied history on a daytime tour or post-show backstage tour.

Loretta Lynn was one of country music’s most iconic performers. The “Coal Miner’s Daughter” called her iconic historic mansion in Hurricane Mills home as a quiet respite with family. Today, Loretta Lynn’s Ranch offers guided tours of her home, the famous Coal Miners Daughter Museum - an 18,000-square-foot museum commemorating her influential career – and the Butcher Holler Home, a replica of her childhood home so that you can see firsthand the music icon's humble beginnings.

March 5, 1963 is considered “One of Country Music’s Darkest Days" as a small airplace carrying country music royalty Patsy Cline, Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins, as well as pilot Randy Hughes, crashed in the woods near Camden, Tennessee. There were no survivors. Make a pilgrimage to pay respects at the Patsy Cline Memorial in the quiet wooded park where the crash occurred.