1. Tennessee is known as the “Volunteer State” due to its large number of volunteers who served during the War of 1812.
  2. The state is home to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which is the most visited national park in the United States.
  3. Tennessee is the birthplace of many famous musicians, including Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, and B.B. King.
  4. The world’s largest underground lake, the Lost Sea, is located in Sweetwater, Tennessee.
  5. The state is famous for its barbecue, with Memphis-style barbecue being one of the most popular varieties.
  6. The first bottled Coca-Cola was produced in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
  7. The world’s longest pedestrian bridge, the Walnut Street Bridge, is located in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
  8. Tennessee is the birthplace of the modern-day miniature golf course, which was invented in Chattanooga in 1927.
  9. The state’s capital, Nashville, is known as the “Music City” and is home to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
  10. The city of Bristol, Tennessee, is known as the “Birthplace of Country Music” due to the historic recordings made there by early country music artists.
  11. Tennessee is known as the “Birthplace of the Blues,” with Memphis being a hub for blues music and the annual Memphis Blues Festival attracting visitors from around the world.
  12. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, located in Tennessee and North Carolina, is the most visited national park in the United States, with over 11 million visitors per year.
  13. Tennessee is home to the world’s largest freshwater aquarium, the Tennessee Aquarium, located in Chattanooga.
  14. The world’s first ever miniature golf course was built in Tennessee in 1927.
  15. The state of Tennessee is named after the Cherokee village of Tanasi, which was located near what is now Knoxville.
  16. Tennessee was the last state to secede from the Union during the Civil War and the first to be readmitted after the war ended.
  17. Elvis Presley’s Graceland mansion, located in Memphis, is the second most visited house in the United States after the White House.
  18. The Jack Daniel’s distillery, located in Lynchburg, Tennessee, is the oldest registered distillery in the United States.
  19. The world’s largest cedar bucket, standing at 4 feet tall and 6 feet in diameter, is located in the town of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
  20. The official state song of Tennessee is “Rocky Top,” a bluegrass song about a fictional place in the Appalachian Mountains.
  21. The world’s oldest and largest wildflower pilgrimage takes place in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park every year.
  22. The Memphis Pyramid, originally built as a sports and entertainment arena, has been repurposed as a massive Bass Pro Shops megastore.
  23. In 1982, Tennessee became the first state to have an operating mini-nuclear reactor for powering a university campus.
  24. The tallest underground waterfall in the United States, Ruby Falls, is located in a cave in Chattanooga.
  25. The famous “Rocky Top” song, considered by many to be the unofficial anthem of Tennessee, was written by a husband and wife duo in just 10 minutes.
  26. The legendary “King of Rock and Roll,” Elvis Presley, lived at his Graceland estate in Memphis for over 20 years until his death in 1977.
  27. The Nashville Parthenon, a full-scale replica of the original in Greece, is located in Centennial Park and serves as an art museum.
  28. The Frist Art Museum in Nashville is housed in a former post office building that was saved from demolition by local preservationists.
  29. The world’s only freshwater pearl museum, the Tennessee River Freshwater Pearl Museum, is located in Camden, Tennessee.
  30. Tennessee is home to the United States’ largest underground lake, The Lost Sea, which is part of a network of caves in Sweetwater.
  31. The famous novel “Gone with the Wind” was written by Tennessee native Margaret Mitchell while she was living in Atlanta.
  32. Tennessee is home to the Jack Daniel’s Distillery, which has been making whiskey for over 150 years.
  33. The iconic rock and roll song “Rocky Top” is one of the state’s official songs and was written by two Tennessee natives.
  34. Dolly Parton, one of the most famous country singers of all time, was born and raised in Sevier County, Tennessee.
  35. Tennessee has an official state reptile: the Eastern Box Turtle.
  36. The famous Bristol Motor Speedway, located on the border between Tennessee and Virginia, is known as the “World’s Fastest Half-Mile.”
  37. The state is known for its hot chicken, a spicy fried chicken dish that originated in Nashville.
  38. The Memphis Pyramid, a huge pyramid-shaped arena, was once home to a professional basketball team and now serves as a Bass Pro Shops megastore.