33 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.
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Alexander McMillan House
· 3.6 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine staking your claim on the Tennessee frontier. That's exactly what Alexander McMillan did when he built this house back in 1785. Alexander McMillan arrived here in 1783, snapping up land thanks to North…
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Ramsey House (Knox County, Tennessee)
· 7.8 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Look out your window! You're approaching a stunning glimpse into Tennessee's frontier past. This isn't just an old house; it's a testament to ambition and early American craftsmanship. Built in 1797, the Ramsey House,…
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Savage House and Garden
· 10.2 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine escaping the hustle of early 1900s Knoxville in your own private garden oasis. That was the dream Arthur Savage realized here. Arthur Savage, an English immigrant, made his fortune manufacturing marble-cutting…
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General John T. Wilder House
· 10.4 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine a Union General relaxing in this very spot after years of fighting in the Civil War. This is the General John T. Wilder House. General Wilder, a leader in the Union Army's 17th Indiana Volunteers, also known as…
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Brabson's Ferry Plantation
· 10.6 mi · Scraped Hmdb
This unassuming spot was once the heart of a plantation that rivaled those of the Deep South. John Brabson II bought the ferry here in 1798, and for decades, he steadily grew his land holdings around it. By 1860,…
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Wheatlands (Sevierville, Tennessee)
· 10.8 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine a time when wheat fields stretched as far as the eye could see right here, giving this place its name: Wheatlands. This was once a bustling plantation, a testament to early Tennessee agriculture. Wheatlands…
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Jackson Avenue Warehouse District
· 11.5 mi · Scraped Hmdb
These aren't just old buildings; this is where Knoxville did business back in the day. This is the Jackson Avenue Warehouse District, and back in the late 1800s and early 1900s, this area was the heart of Knoxville's…
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Old City, Knoxville
· 11.5 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Pull over here for a minute; this area, now known as the Old City, has some stories to tell. Back in the mid-1800s, before the Civil War, this wasn't the trendy spot it is today. The arrival of the railroad in the 1850s…
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Southern Terminal (Knoxville, Tennessee)
· 11.6 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine this spot in Knoxville buzzing with activity, a gateway to adventure and opportunity during the golden age of train travel. This is the Southern Terminal, built in 1903 by the Southern Railway. It was designed…
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William Blount Mansion
· 11.7 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Pull over! You're about to see the birthplace of Tennessee's government. This is Blount Mansion, home to William Blount, the only governor the Southwest Territory ever had. Blount, a signer of the U.S. Constitution,…
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Gay Street (Knoxville)
· 11.7 mi · Scraped Hmdb
For over 200 years, this street has been the heart of Knoxville's downtown. Originally part of Charles McClung's 1791 plan for Knoxville, Gay Street quickly became the city's main hub. It was *the* place for business…
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The Holston
· 11.7 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Hold on, look to your left. See that stately old high-rise? Once the tallest building in Knoxville, it was originally the Holston National Bank headquarters. Founded in 1890, the Holston National Bank had become one of…
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Knoxville National Cemetery
· 11.8 mi · Scraped Hmdb
This quiet field of honor whispers tales of a nation divided. Knoxville National Cemetery, established in 1863 during the Civil War, became the final resting place for Union soldiers who fought and died in East…
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Bijou Theatre (Knoxville, Tennessee)
· 11.8 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Pull over here – you're looking at a place that's seen it all: the Bijou Theatre. Originally built in 1909 as part of the Lamar House Hotel, this theater has had a wild ride. The Lamar House Hotel itself has even older…
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Old Customs House (Knoxville, Tennessee)
· 11.8 mi · Scraped Hmdb
This isn't just another pretty building; it's Knoxville's first ever federal building, completed in 1874! It served as both a Customs House and a Post Office. For nearly 60 years, this building was the hub of federal…
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Knox County Courthouse (Tennessee)
· 11.8 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine the weight of history held within these walls – the Knox County Courthouse has been a silent witness to over a century of Knoxville's story. Built in 1886, this grand building served as the main courthouse for…
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Market Square, Knoxville
· 11.8 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Step back in time to the heart of Knoxville, where Market Square has been the city's vibrant pulse for over a century. This isn't just a pretty pedestrian mall; it's a living testament to Knoxville's enduring spirit.…
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Tennessee Theatre
· 11.9 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Step back in time at this opulent 1928 movie palace, once Knoxville's first skyscraper, and imagine the roaring twenties. The Tennessee Theatre opened its doors in 1928 in the Burwell Building. The Burwell Building…
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James Park House
· 11.9 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine walking in the footsteps of Tennessee's first governor—the James Park House connects you to that early history! The foundation was laid in the 1790s by none other than John Sevier himself. Fast forward to 1812,…
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The Golden Sunsphere
· 12.0 mi
Knoxville's skyline is crowned by a giant gold ball on a stick, and locals wouldn't have it any other way. The Sunsphere is a 266-foot steel tower topped with a five-story golden globe, built as the symbol of the 1982…
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Knoxville, TN
· 12.0 mi · Local history
Knoxville, Tennessee, a city nestled in the Valley and Ridge Province, hums with a quiet energy. The oak-hickory forests surrounding the city seem to stand sentinel as reminders of the past. Long before it was named for…
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Knoxville station (Louisville and Nashville Railroad)
· 12.0 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine bustling crowds, steam hissing, and the echoing whistle of a locomotive. This grand train station, built in 1905, once connected Knoxville to the rest of the country. The Louisville and Nashville Railroad built…
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Mountain Dew Birthplace
· 12.0 mi · Things to Do
The neon-green soda was invented in Knoxville TN in 1940 as a whiskey mixer.
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Fire Station No. 5 (Knoxville, Tennessee)
· 12.2 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Pull over for a minute! This isn't just *any* fire station – it's Knoxville's oldest, still serving the community since 1909. Back then, Mechanicsville was a growing area, and the city needed a dedicated firehouse. This…
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Fort Sanders, Knoxville
· 12.5 mi · Scraped Hmdb
This quiet Knoxville neighborhood was once the scene of a desperate, bloody battle that determined the fate of the city. In November 1863, Confederate General James Longstreet launched a surprise attack on Fort Sanders,…
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Ivan Racheff House
· 12.9 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Ever wonder what happens when a successful businessman decides to make a house his personal statement? You're about to find out! The Ivan Racheff House started as a simple residence in 1902. But when Ivan Racheff,…
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University of Tennessee Agriculture Farm Mound
· 13.4 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Did you know you're driving near a silent witness to Knoxville's ancient past? This unassuming mound on the UT Ag campus isn't just a hill; it's a burial mound built by people of the Woodland period. Archaeologists…
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Douglas Dam
· 13.5 mi · Scraped Hmdb
This isn't just a pretty lake; it's a monument to American ingenuity under pressure. During World War II, the Tennessee Valley Authority needed more power, and fast. So, in 1942, they started building Douglas Dam on the…
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Westwood (Knoxville, Tennessee)
· 13.8 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Ever wonder what Victorian life was like in Knoxville? You're just a stone's throw from Westwood, a beautiful house built in 1890 that gives you a glimpse. John Lutz, and his wife, the artist Adelia Armstrong Lutz,…
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Airplane Service Station
· 16.4 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Get ready to taxi down memory lane! This isn't just any old gas station; it's a 1930s airplane, grounded right here in Powell, Tennessee. Brothers Elmer and Henry Nickle built this quirky landmark back in 1930. Their…
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Dandridge Historic District
· 18.7 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Pull over for a minute and take a look around, because you're standing in a place that almost vanished forever. This is the Dandridge Historic District, the heart of a town with a story of near-disaster and remarkable…
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Rose Glen (Sevierville, Tennessee)
· 19.6 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine life on one of East Tennessee's largest antebellum plantations. Rose Glen was the vision of Dr. Robert Hatton Hodsden, a physician and politician who saw the potential in this Sevier County land. In the late…
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Sam Houston Schoolhouse
· 20.0 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Pull over here for a second – you're looking at a place where legends begin. This unassuming little schoolhouse is where Sam Houston, yes, *that* Sam Houston, got his start as a teacher. Before he was a general, a…