Take a Street Art Murals Road Trip in Tennessee

Between Knoxville and Chattanooga, Sweetwater offers history, outdoor recreation and a downtown filled with locally owned restaurants and shops. Find Kim Radford’s “This Girl Can” mural at 120 W. Morris St. The artwork was part of a women’s suffrage mural project that celebrated Tennessee’s role in ratification of the 19th Amendment.

• Featured mural: This Girl Can
• Artist: Kim Radford
• Address: 120 W. Morris St., Sweetwater, TN
• Theme: Women’s suffrage history

Let the mural in downtown Ducktown inspire your next outdoor adventure. Located next to Rod’s Rockin’ Rolls, the artwork depicts five popular ways to explore the area: rafting on the Ocoee River, fishing, camping, hiking and biking.

After your photo, head into Rod’s Rockin’ Rolls for a meal. Across the street is The Company House, a historic bed-and-breakfast.

• Location: Downtown Ducktown next to Rod’s Rockin’ Rolls
• Mural theme: Rafting, fishing, camping, hiking and biking
• Plan ahead: Make the mural a starting point for exploring outdoor recreation in the surrounding area.

In Tennessee’s oldest town, even the mural has history. Painted around 1895, the Mail Pouch mural advertises Mail Pouch Tobacco, once processed by Bloch Bros. of Wheeling, West Virginia. Its upper portion includes an advertisement for local businessman Augustus B. Cummings.

Originally built as a saloon around 1888, the Mail Pouch Building’s sign wall was restored in 1994. Today, the building houses The Crafty Peddler, whose official Jonesborough listing also shares details about the historic Mail Pouch Building and sign.

• Featured mural: Mail Pouch mural
• Approximate date: 1895
• Setting: Historic downtown Jonesborough
• Plan ahead: Pair the mural with a walk through Tennessee’s oldest town.

See Tracy City’s first full-scale mural, “Lantern Light,” at 310 Colyar St. Created by Tennessee artist Megan Lingerfelt, the artwork was inspired by the community’s coal mining history.

Continue exploring that history at the nearby Lone Rock Coke Ovens, where coal was once heated to create a denser, hotter-burning fuel used in iron and steel production.

• Featured mural: Lantern Light
• Artist: Megan Lingerfelt
• Address: 310 Colyar St., Tracy City, TN 37387
• Theme: Tracy City’s coal mining history

Created by Tennessee artist Megan Lingerfelt, the “Mockingbird Rendezvous” mural is located on the town square on the side of Maddi Mae’s Cafe. The vibrant artwork features Tennessee’s official state bird, the mockingbird, along with the Tennessee TriStar.

• Featured mural: Mockingbird Rendezvous
• Artist: Megan Lingerfelt
• Location: Town square on the side of Maddi Mae’s Cafe
• Design: Mockingbird and Tennessee TriStar

Spend a day exploring Cookeville’s shops, restaurants, brewery and public artwork. In the Historic WestSide Cultural District, find a floral mural painted by Brett Whitacre on South Cedar Avenue on the back of Mint Salon.

Continue exploring the neighborhood for murals around the Cookeville History Museum and Broad Street. Visit Cookeville periodically offers downtown mural walks and mural-history experiences highlighting the art of the Historic WestSide.

• Where to start: Historic WestSide Cultural District
• What to expect: Murals throughout the downtown district
• Plan ahead: Pair the public art with nearby restaurants, shops and local attractions.

Explore the Columbia Arts District and follow the Columbia Cultural Trail to discover colorful murals, live music venues, historical markers, cultural stops and more.

The self-guided route is approximately 3.5 miles and takes about one hour and 15 minutes to complete.

• Route: Columbia Cultural Trail
• Distance: Approximately 3.5 miles
• Estimated time: About one hour and 15 minutes
• Plan ahead: Download the trail app to follow the route.

Explore murals across Wilson County through the Paint WilCo initiative. The official mural map includes public artwork throughout Lebanon, Mt. Juliet and Watertown, including the Lebanon Postcard Mural, Wilson County Veteran’s Mural, Messages of Hope, WilCo Butterfly Wings and Watertown Train Mural.

• Where to start: Paint WilCo Map and Locations
• Locations: Lebanon, Mt. Juliet and Watertown
• What to expect: Murals in downtown areas and at community landmarks
• Plan ahead: Use the official mural map to build a route around the county.

Travel along Tennessee Music Pathways and stop for a photo at the Rockabilly Highway mural, painted by Nashville artist Brian Tull as a tribute to McNairy County’s rockabilly roots.

Afterward, explore downtown Selmer, try a slugburger at the Rockabilly Cafe, learn about legendary lawman Sheriff Buford Pusser at the Sheriff Buford Pusser Home & Museum and discover nearby hiking and mountain biking trails.

• Featured mural: Rockabilly Highway mural
• Artist: Brian Tull
• Theme: McNairy County’s rockabilly music history
• Plan ahead: Pair the mural with music history, local dining and outdoor recreation.

Take a stroll through The Walls Art Park in Waverly, a dedicated outdoor art space where street artists create on dozens of paintable walls. Because artists regularly paint over previous works, the collection continues to evolve throughout the year.

• Location: The Walls Art Park
• Address: 220 S. Clydeton Road, Waverly, TN 37185
• What to expect: A changing collection of murals by local, regional and visiting artists
• Hours: Dawn to dusk, 365 days a year
• Plan ahead: The artwork changes regularly, so murals may differ from those pictured on previous visits.

Niota played a memorable role in the story of the 19th Amendment. A letter written by Febb Burn from her front porch in Niota reached her son, Tennessee legislator Harry T. Burn, before his decisive vote for ratification.

Jade Lewis’ “The Long Road to Victory” mural tells part of that story on the side of the Niota Public Library. The artwork portrays five national suffrage leaders: Susan B. Anthony, Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Alice Paul and Carrie Chapman Catt.

• Featured mural: The Long Road to Victory
• Artist: Jade Lewis
• Location: Side of the Niota Public Library
• Theme: Women’s suffrage and Niota’s connection to Tennessee’s ratification of the 19th Amendment

Travel to downtown Lawrenceburg for shopping, local restaurants and a mural celebrating the community’s place in women’s suffrage history. Tennessee artist Megan Lingerfelt created the 50-foot-long “Wave of Lace” mural in downtown Lawrenceburg.

The artwork honors Lawrence County’s suffrage history. Before the 19th Amendment was ratified nationally in August 1920, women participated in Lawrenceburg’s first mixed-sex municipal election on May 13, 1919.

• Featured mural: Wave of Lace
• Artist: Megan Lingerfelt
• Address: 119 E. Gaines St., Lawrenceburg, TN 38464
• Length: 50 feet
• Theme: Lawrence County’s women’s suffrage history