During this time of shelter in place where recreational travel is on standby, there’s still a chance to take a virtual tour of many cities. Tennessee, in particular, has a plethora of digital methods for exploring from your home. Take a cooking lesson with some of Nasheville’s most beloved chefs, tour historical sites, visit an aquarium, and hear bedtime stories read by Dolly Parton.

Below is a breakdown by city of ways to explore Tennessee.

Bristol

1. Take a shopping tour of main street.

Chattanooga

1. Visit the Tennessee Aquarium.
2. View the Bluff View Art District .
3. See the Chattanooga Zoo – meerkats , snow leopard, spotted genet, and cotton top tamarins.
4. Learn about Lookout Mountain, Wauhatchie, “The Battle Above the Clouds,”  Moccasin Bend, Occupied Chattanooga, Missionary Ridge, Orchard Knob, The National Cemetery.

Gatlinburg

1. Visit Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies.

Greenville

1. Take a Downtown Greenville tour.

Franklin

1. Franklin Tour.

Knoxville

1. Visit the Tennessee Theatre.

Lebanon

1. Take a Downtown Lebanon tour.

Memphis

1. Visit the Memphis Public Library.
2. Urban Art Commission .
3. Tour Indie Memphis.
4. Follow the Memphis Zoo –  Memphis Zoo is bringing the Zoo to you. Follow @Memphis Zoo on social for unique at-home experiences. The Memphis Zoo is posting a ton of behind-the-scenes looks and virtual animal encounters from their Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook pages.

Nashville

1. Virtual concerts – Nashville is doing the best to support the tireless medical professionals who are working on the front lines to combat COVID-19. In true Music City fashion, one way the city is showing its’ support is through Gratitunes, a shared playlist individuals add to and is shared with Vanderbilt University Medical Center staff and streamed to clinics. Musicians including Brad Paisley, Amy Grant, Sara Evans, Dustin Lynch, and more have all joined in by dedicating a tune on their social media channels. Learn more and add your favorite uplifting song.
2. One of country music’s most recognized and loved artists, Dolly Parton, has started “Goodnight with Dolly,” a weekly YouTube series in which she will read aloud a children’s book from her Imagination Library project. She hopes to give parents and children “a welcome distraction during a time of unrest and also inspire a love of reading and books.” This will be a 10-week series, with the first episode having aired on Thursday, April 3.
3. Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage – From mansion tours to behind-the-glass discussions, Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage will offer virtual visits every Tuesday and Thursday on social using @7thpresident
4. Country Music Hall of Fame.
5. Cheekwood Estate & Botanical Gardens – “Tots! program has moved to online activities for families to access via website. They plan to share one activity a week. Here is the first.  Enjoy Virtual garden tours on Instagram by following the hashtags #cheekwoodinbloom and #ourgardensyourhome”
6. Frist Art Museum – The Frist’s YouTube Channel has archives of lectures, instructional videos, short features, and the entire performance of Nick Cave: Feat. Nashville, which took place at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. Frist Art Museum hopes to have a video walk through of J.M.W Turner: Quest for the Sublime with curator Mark Scala available on their website and social media soon.
7. The Grand Ole Opry is streaming live shows Saturdays at 7 p.m. on Facebook.
8. Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum.
9. The Grand Ole Opry is available for live streaming on Saturday evenings, two Nashville documentaries are online for viewing (It All Begins With A Song: The Story of the Nashville Songwriter and For The Love of Music: The Story of Nashville), and many major attractions are offering unique virtual experiences. Interact with Music City.
10. Tennessee State Museum – Permanent exhibition pages for Forging a Nation and Civil War and Reconstruction at have been enhanced with more photos for each gallery, with plans for more to be added. Downloadable #ColorOurCollection sheets available for parents to print out for their children that feature artifacts from the Museum.

Pigeon Forge

1. Visit Dollywood –  (please note this page leads to the Dollywood app, which offers an interactive experience).

Rogersville

1. Tour Downtown Rogersville. 

Rutherford County

1. Tour Rutherford County.

Sweetwater

1. Downtown Sweetwater tour.

Union City

1. Discovery Park of America – Tune in for “Moments of Discovery” on Facebook and YouTube (@discoveryparkofamerica).