Explore These 12 Unique Museums Along the Tennessee RiverLine
The Tennessee RiverLine is a 652-mile journey through culture, innovation, and enduring stories. As a continuous system of outdoor recreation experiences, the RiverLine also flows through towns where history is preserved in unique and unexpected ways. From towering rockets to handcrafted quilts, these 12 museums showcase the multifaceted heritage of the river valley.
Whether you’re planning a paddle, road trip, weekend getaway, or looking for things to do along the Tennessee River, don’t miss these destinations that offer a deeper understanding of the people, places, and stories that shaped this region.
Here are 12 museums in our RiverTowns that bring the history, culture, and creativity of the Tennessee River Valley to life.
Huntsville, AL: U.S. Space & Rocket Center
There aren’t too many places you can check out a real Saturn V rocket in person. This awe-inspiring spot has tons of vehicles, equipment, and artifacts that have been to space and back, and seeing the first U.S. satellite in person is worth the trip to Huntsville on its own.
Huntsville, AL: U.S. Veterans Memorial Museum
While you’re in Huntsville, though, you don’t want to miss this incredible exhibitor. Home to the oldest jeep in the world, genuine uniforms dating back as far as the Revolutionary War, and countless tanks, cannons, ducks, helicopters, and more.
Paducah, KY: National Quilt Museum
If peace and quiet is more your speed, check out the National Quilt Museum at the very end of the RiverLine in Paducah. A UNESCO Creative City surrounded by Kentucky’s several quilt trails, Paducah is the perfect place to celebrate the world’s coziest art form. Even if you’re not a quilter yourself, it’s worthwhile to appreciate the mesmerizing patterns and colors, as well as the thought and patience behind the artistry.
South Pittsburg, TN: Lodge Cast Iron Museum
This iconic cast iron juggernaut has more history than meets the eye, as it was formed during a local industrial boom right after the Civil War. Come for the world’s largest cast iron skillet, and stay for indulgent southern comfort food at Big Bad Breakfast.
Bridgeport, AL: Russell Cave National Monument
Not far up the road, you can go much deeper into history, more than 10,000 years in fact. At this National Park, you can walk up to the mouth of the cave that has preserved artifacts from every period of indigenous history in the Southeast. The museum on site showcases a clear and fascinating timeline of human history in the area, with plenty of genuine artifacts from the cave to check out.
Scottsboro, AL: Scottsboro Boys Museum
Sticking with history in Alabama but more on the somber side, the Scottsboro Boys Museum is an essential stop for understanding the shaping of the America we know today. This museum memorializes and analyzes the case of the “Scottsboro Boys,” nine wrongly-accused young African American men whose fate became an international symbol of injustice and led to tremendous efforts to take a stand against racial oppression.
Tuscumbia, AL: Helen Keller Birthplace
Helen Keller, an international symbol of overcoming adversity in her own right, was born in one of the Tennessee River’s most legendary areas, The Shoals. Her childhood home (filled with artifacts from her life) has been beautifully preserved, making it a great place to check out what life was like in the South between 1820 and 1954. The magnificent garden that surrounds it is just as much of a destination with its 150+ year-old boxwood trees and gorgeous landscaping.
Clifton, TN: T.S. Stribling Museum
Another childhood home of an American icon, this structure housed author T.S. Stribling through the formative years that led him to write the Vaiden trilogy, which includes his 1933 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Store. He was one of the most popular writers of his time thanks to the way he represented groups seldom heard from in the literary world, and he wrote countless stories and articles for pulp magazines such as Amazing Stories and The American Boy.
Chattanooga, TN: International Towing & Recovery Museum
We may take the existence of the tow truck for granted today, but it took generations of failed towing contraptions to get to Ernest Holmes Sr.’s 1913 invention that changed vehicle recovery forever. This museum offers a great opportunity to see the evolution of towing across the world, including vehicles from all over the timeline of the last 100+ years.
Savannah, TN: Tennessee River Museum
From paleontology, to prehistoric, to postwar, there is no better place to find unique artifacts from life on the Tennessee River than this museum in Hardin County. With more than 200 fossil specimens, and artifacts of the musseling industry, pioneer and Civil War eras, this is an essential stop for history buffs.
Sheffield, AL: Muscle Shoals Sound, Cypress Moon, and FAME Studios
Once “home away from home” for music icons including The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Bob Seger, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Aretha Franklin, and much more, these sound studios were a mecha for churning out iconic albums in the 1970s and ‘80s and beyond. Here, you can walk in the footsteps of these legends and take in the space that encouraged generational creativity. The Alabama Music Hall of Fame is also nearby for even more local music history.
Knoxville, TN: McClung Museum of Natural History & Culture
This museum, part of the University of Tennessee and located on its campus, offers a great way to check out the natural history of the Tennessee River Valley from all different angles. From its impressive and lauded archaeological and cultural collections, to paloethnobotany and malacology collections which include one of the largest mollusk catalogues in the U.S.
These museums offer unforgettable ways to experience the stories, people, and creativity that shape the Tennessee River Valley. Whether you're traveling the full 652 miles or exploring one community at a time, the Tennessee RiverLine connects you with places that celebrate the region’s past and inspire its future.
Before you visit, be sure to explore our RiverTowns Spotlights to learn more about each community’s history, recreation opportunities, and local flavors. These museums reflect the spirit of the Tennessee RiverLine: one that celebrates connection, resilience, and stories worth remembering.