Experiential Civil War Destinations in Tennessee

Walk through Dickson-Williams Mansion, a Federal-style mansion and learn the story of the family who lived under a house divided: a daughter married a former U.S. congressman, two sons who were Confederate soldiers and another who was a Union soldier. Hear stories of how both Union and Confederate generals were invited to the home when they were in town; and, Confederate General John Hunt Morgan’s death on the property.

• Parking Info: Limited street parking is available nearby along with a small paved lot reserved for mansion guests.
• Accessibility Options: Ground-floor rooms are accessible to most visitors, but the upper levels require navigating steep, historic stairs.
• Operation Hours: Regularly scheduled tours typically begin at 1:00 PM daily, though it is wise to call ahead for seasonal changes.
• Special Highlights: A fascinating "house divided" story where family members fought for both the Union and the Confederacy.

Visit Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park, where Union and Confederate soldiers fought for ownership of Chattanooga, considered the “Gateway to the Deep South.” Union soldiers took complete control of the city in November 1863. Learn the story of the “Battle Above the Clouds” through its 1,400 monuments and historic markers, the indoor exhibits and exploration of the nearly 10,000 acres.

• Parking Info: Plentiful parking lots are located at the Chickamauga visitor center and the Point Park entrance on Lookout Mountain.
• Accessibility Options: Excellent paved auto-tour routes and accessible scenic overlooks at Point Park for those with mobility aids.
• Operation Hours: The national military park grounds and visitor centers are open to the public daily from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.
• Special Highlights: The site of the legendary "Battle Above the Clouds" featuring over 1,400 historic monuments and markers.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Mabry-Hazen House has a rich Civil War history. The home served as headquarters for both Union and Confederate armies. One of the largest original family collections in America can be seen with more than 2,000 artifacts. Take a tour 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays to Fridays and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays to hear some of the colorful stories attached to the house.

• Parking Info: Free on-site parking is provided for guests directly on the historic hilltop property overlooking Knoxville.
• Accessibility Options: The ground level is accessible, while a comprehensive video tour is often offered for the upstairs rooms.
• Operation Hours: Public tours run Monday through Friday (11 AM – 5 PM) and Saturdays (10 AM – 3 PM).
• Special Highlights: A strategic hilltop location that served as a military headquarters for both Union and Confederate leadership.

Carnton was a private home, thrown into the brutality of the Civil War and converted into a battlefield and hospital in the matter of a few hours. It was the site of the Battle of Franklin which resulted in 9,500 soldiers killed, wounded, captured or missing. The home bears the scars of the battle on its second floor and is the site of the McGavock Confederate Cemetery.

• Parking Info: Large, free onsite parking lot located directly adjacent to the main visitor center.
• Accessibility Options: The visitor center and first floor are fully accessible via ramp, with photo tours available for the second floor.
• Operation Hours: Open daily from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM (Monday–Saturday) and 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Sundays.
• Special Highlights: Known for its history as a massive field hospital with floors that still bear the bloodstains of wounded soldiers.

Before exploring the grounds, head to the Stones River National Battlefield visitor center to see interactive exhibits of first person accounts of the battle, a film about the battle and a bookstore. Once you learn the impact of the Battle of Stones River – that left 3,000 men dead and nearly 16,000 wounded – see the battlefield yourself. Seven miles of trails are located throughout the park along with interpretive signs and cannons to give visitors a glimpse of what happened on the hallowed grounds. Tour the Stones River National Cemetery to see the more than 6,100 Union soldiers buried there.  

• Parking Info: Ample free parking available at the main visitor center and several designated trailheads throughout the park.
• Accessibility Options: Fully accessible visitor center featuring paved auto-tour stops and seven miles of level, easy-to-navigate walking trails.
• Operation Hours: The battlefield grounds are open daily from sunrise to sunset, while the visitor center typically closes at 5:00 PM.
• Special Highlights: Home to the Hazen Brigade Monument, which is the oldest intact Civil War monument in its original location.

Travellers Rest is considered the oldest house museum open to the public in Nashville. Built in 1799, the plantation saw Union troops camp on the property and had served as Confederate headquarters to General John Bell Hood two weeks prior to the Battle of Nashville. John Overton, owner of Travellers Rest, fled the plantation when a $5,000 bounty was placed on him for refusing to swear oath to the Union. He returned in 1862 when the Confederates arrived at Travellers Rest.

• Parking Info: Dedicated free parking lot located on-site with designated spaces for buses and larger touring vehicles.
• Accessibility Options: The modern visitor center and the primary level of the historic mansion are both wheelchair accessible.
• Operation Hours: Guided tours of the home and grounds are available Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
• Special Highlights: Nashville’s oldest public house museum that once served as a primary headquarters for the Confederate Army of Tennessee.

Trace the steps of Confederate troops who built Fort Pillow in 1861 along the steep bluffs of the Mississippi River at Fort Pillow State Historic Park. The 1,642-acre fort has a reconstructed inner fort and well-preserved breastworks. Browse the Civil War artifacts and interpretive displays to learn the full history behind Fort Pillow. There’s even a 12-minute video about the 1864 battle that can be viewed on request.

• Parking Info: Paved parking lots are conveniently located at the park’s main interpretive center and museum.
• Accessibility Options: The museum and interpretive center are accessible, though some outer fort trails are steep and unpaved.
• Operation Hours: Park trails are open dawn to dusk, while the museum and office operate from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
• Special Highlights: Well-preserved earthwork fortifications overlooking the Mississippi River and a museum documenting the tragic 1864 battle.

Tour the Shiloh National Military Park visitor center where the historic guides have done a wonderful job with the documentary on view and the exhibits of the battle formations and weapons used to help guests grasp the magnitude of the largest engagement in the Mississippi Valley campaign during the Civil War. Monuments, statues and the preserved battlefields can be seen throughout the park. Stop at the National Cemetery, where 3,584 Civil War dead (of the 23,000 casualties of that battle) were laid to rest and remembered with tall stones engraved with the known dead, and short stones representing unknown soldiers.

• Parking Info: Extensive free parking available at the visitor center and at all major stops along the 12.7-mile tour route.
• Accessibility Options: Fully ADA-accessible visitor center and museum with a paved driving route suitable for all visitors.
• Operation Hours: The park grounds and visitor center are open to the public daily from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
• Special Highlights: Site of the first major Western Theater battle featuring the famous "Hornet’s Nest" and the Sunken Road.

Parkers Crossroads, located between Memphis and Nashville, offers an immersive experience of the Civil War at the battlefield in Parker's Crossroads, Tennessee. Take a self-guided driving tour or get out on the three miles of paved hiking trails that include 50 interpretive signs that educate on the battle that took place here Dec. 31, 1862. You won't want to miss the visitors center that houses history exhibits and gift shop, full of locally made items. 

• Parking Info: Convenient free parking is available at the city’s visitor center and at various trailheads along the driving tour.
• Accessibility Options: Includes three miles of wide, paved walking trails specifically designed to be accessible for wheelchairs and strollers.
• Operation Hours: Battlefield trails remain open from dawn until dusk with visitor center staff available until 4:00 PM daily.
• Special Highlights: Features an immersive self-guided tour with 50 interpretive signs explaining the complex New Year's Eve battle tactics.