Here Are 21 Awesome Things To Do In Tennessee... Without Opening Your Wallet
By Meghan Kraft|Published April 10, 2015
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Meghan Kraft
Author
Meghan Kraft loves to travel the world, but she makes her home right here in Nashville, Tennessee. She holds a degree in English, and has worked in the digital marketing realm with companies such as Apartments.com, USA Today and HarperCollins Publishing.
Sometimes the pocketbook just doesn’t agree with your sense of adventure. As frustrating as that may be, Tennessee makes it easy for you to enjoy and excitement infused day with no admission fee. Take a look!
21) The Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University offers a plethora of free music events throughout the year. Check their calendar and forget your wallet.
19) The 6pm show at the Bluebird Café is well known for being free of a cover charge. The legendary music venue is a tight fit, though, so you'll want to get in line early.
18) The National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis is a humbling ode to the growing pains of the past, offering free admission for Tennessee residents on Monday .
17) Wanna go on a ghost hunt? Wanna go on a FREE ghost hunt? Then hit up Memphis Paranormal Investigations, where if you're 21 and older you'll be able to have the experience of your life.
16) Tennessee is known for its religious roots in the Bible Belt, and the religious architecture spread liberally over the entirety of the state only serves as proof. Take a church tour or sit in on a service - we promise the people are kind.
15) The CMA Music Festival takes place every June in Nashville. Although you have to pay for specialty events, you can pitch up and take in free music downtown for the communal aspect.
14) With 33,000 lake acres and a whopping 513 miles of shoreline, Douglas Lake in the Great Smoky Mountains is sure to keep you busy. Whether you're boating or fishing, this mountain oasis has you covered.
13) If you have a young fisherman (or fisherwoman!) at home, then they may just want to regale the beginning of Free Fishing Week with the Children's Trout Rodeo in Gatlinburg. Free to all under the age of 16, this fun day in the great outdoors is a sure way to begin summer.
12) Tennessee is a waterlogged, landlocked state if you can believe it. With more than eighty individually named rivers, you can hope right on in with a canoe or kayak for a lazy day on the water.
11) Did you know the Memphis zoo has been named one of the top in the nation? Not only that, but Tennessee residents can come for free on Tuesdays from 2pm to closing time.
10) Scenic overlooks are a dime a dozen in the Volunteer State, so you should most definitely jump on the all natural bandwagon. From Clingman's Dome in east Tennessee to Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, you simply don't want to miss out on the views this stunning state has to offer.
9) Gatlinburg is a neat town in itself, but with free seasonal performances by the Smoky Mountain Tunes and Tales crew? It just went up a notch in our book.
8) Tennessee is full of free music, spread from Live on the Green in Nashville to Beale Street. The state represents country and the blues, so just follow the sound of a guitar twang and leave your wallet at home. Unless you want a beer, of course.
7) Chattanooga is known for friendly people and mountainous adventures. Take a walk in the hills or stroll down by the water because this river city is a small town with a low price tag.
6) With the crazy number of parks and campgrounds in Tennessee, it won't be hard to pack a picnic and take the fun outside. Check out the Smoky Mountains or Centennial Park for breathtaking views PLUS your favorite sandwich.
5) Historic Leiper's Fork is tucked back in Williamson county, a sweet rural town that has less that 700 inhabitants. Take a gander at the cute boutiques that line the main street or stop at Puckett's for lunch. Keep an eye on the event calendar, too. The town offers free outdoor movies during the summer!
4) The Center for Southern Folklore in Memphis is a neat, free place for you to study the music culture of the south. You'll leave here with a full wallet and a buzzing mind.
3) The Shakespeare Festival in Nashville takes place in late summer, and for the price of absolutely nothing you and your loved ones can sit in on a show to remember. Food trucks are present for dinner purchases if that twenty is burning a hole in your pocket.
2) Take a walk, everyone. With Beale Street in Memphis, the Cumberland in Nashville and scads of mountainous views in East Tennessee, just look up a local nature trail and strap on those adventure shoes.
