11 Quirky Facts About Tennessee That Sound Made Up, But Are 100% Accurate
By Chris Dodge|Updated on April 09, 2024(Originally published February 09, 2023)
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Chris Dodge
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My name is Chris Dodge and I live right here in the great state of Tennessee. My family and I are full adventurers filled with passion to see the amazing things our state has to offer. We are avid hikers and have explored many different places in Tennessee and beyond but we are always thankful to be living in such a glorious state.
We think that Tennessee is one of the coolest states in the entire US of A. As we dive into these fun facts about Tennessee, we think you will find a deeper appreciation for our state, too. Some of these trivia tidbits might sound totally crazy — but they’re all true!
1. We have the world’s largest collection of salt and pepper shakers.
Well, we share the most-visited national park in the country with our good friends in North Carolina. In 2021 alone, the Great Smoky Mountains had 14.1 million visitors!
Backbone Rock Tunnel is a fun detour on a weekend trip, but did you know it's also the shortest tunnel in the world? This arch hugs the road on both sides and is an impressive 80 feet tall while the length of it is only 20 feet long. You can also park your car and hike to the top of the tunnel which gives you an amazing view from above.
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4. Tennessee is tied for the state with the most bordering states.
We might not be the only state surrounded by *eight* other states, but we're happy to share this title! In case you were wondering we are tied with Missouri for the most bordered state. Are we having fun yet with these interesting facts about Tennessee?
5. We have the tallest underground waterfall in the United States.
Ruby Falls is a magnificent natural wonder. Deep within Lookout Mountain, you can take a tour to see Ruby Falls which falls a stunning 145 feet. Exploring caves or chasing waterfalls alone can be a thrilling experience; marry them together, and it’s quite mind-blowing.
Lost Sea Adventure is a cave tour that leads to a massive underground lake. Keep an eye out for the fish that call the lake home while you enjoy this epic natural wonder in our state.
7. We have the most sensitive seismic station on the planet.
Tuckaleechee Caverns has given us a unique ability to hear activity from all over the world. The cave's limestone digs deep into the crust of the earth. allowing for sensitive equipment to pick up activity like waves crashing on the shore 500 miles away. The system will even detect earthquakes or nuclear testing done all the way in North Korea!
Not only is it the only place to find these beautiful iridescent pearls, but you can also visit a museum that puts the process and the product on display for all to see: the Tennessee River Freshwater Pearls Museum.
That's right -- the iconic brightly colored green soda came right from our state. It was originally designed to be mixed with whisky, but later ended up being everyone’s favorite soft drink. The story of Mountain Dew is quite an interesting journey and like most things has grown over time. I don't know about you but I think that these Tennessee facts are a blast. I could do this all day.
11. The first combination candy bar was created in Tennessee.
The GooGoo Cluster was the first-ever combination candy bar, which means that they used several ingredients to make the candy. The GooGoo Cluster uses four ingredients and became an instant hit. You can even visit the home of this delicious concoction at the GooGoo Shop in Nashville.
File these under “weird but true.” The next time you need to wow someone with your Tennessee trivia, share some of these fun facts! So how many of these fun facts about Tennessee did you already know? Let us know in the comments below, we would love to hear from you. Do you want to learn more about the Volunteer State? Check out this OnlyInYourState video about what Tennessee is known for:
If you are proud of being a Tennessean like me then check out our friends at Wear Your Roots where they specialize in making clothes to showcase your state pride!
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