10 Things to Do in Jonesborough That You Shouldn't Miss

Tennessee Hills Distillery is the dream and vision of our founder, Stephen Callahan. The distillery is located in Jonesborough, Tennessee's oldest town, and housed in the very historic Salt House building which was constructed in the1840s and used to store salt during the Civil War era. The building has gone through a very rigorous renovation process and provides the perfect venue for any tourist visiting Jonesborough. While at the distillery, visitors have the opportunity to witness every aspect of our liquor making process such as mashing/fermenting to the final distillation in our hand-made copper stills that were built by the fellas at Tennessee Hills Distillery, as well as our bottling and packaging processes. The facility also provides a tasting bar that will allow our customers and tourist to experience and purchase all of our Tennessee Hills products.

In our age of fast-moving technology, it seems unlikely that thousands of audience members could spend a weekend mesmerized by the voices of storytellers. But that's exactly what happens in Jonesborough every year, starting the first Friday in October and running through the weekend. The National Storytelling Festival began in 1973 when 60 people came to hear a few Appalachian tales from the back of a hay wagon parked beside the town courthouse. In the decades since, those 60 people have grown to 10,000, and the hay wagon has been replaced by large, circus-like tents raised throughout the town. Those first mountain tales are supplemented now with stories from around the globe, spiked with the flair of poetry, blues, ballads and banjo. The Festival encompasses a wealth of cultures, traditions and styles- a world of stories within one small, historic town.

Located in the heart of downtown Jonesborough, the Chester Inn Museum chronicles the history of Jonesborough from its inception in 1779 to the present. The museum is located on the street level of the oldest commercial building in town. Exhibits include information on the State of Franklin, a diorama of Jonesborough in the 1850s, the history of the Chester Inn, the 1873 cholera epidemic, and much more! Activities for kids include a coloring book and museum scavenger hunt. We have rotating exhibits, so make sure you check back with us often. January - February - Closed, open by appointment only March - April - Mon, Fri, Sat 11-6, Sun 1-5 May - Oct - Mon, Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat 11-6, Sun 1-5 Nov - Dec - Mon, Fri, Sat 11-6, Sun 1-5 Join us on the third Thursday of the month at 6:30 P.M. for History Happy Hour!

Available at 1:00 P.M., these tours depart from the Chester Inn State Historic Site and Museum. Costumed guides will discuss the history of the town, its people, and the lives they built. March - April on Saturdays, May - October on Fri-Sat & 7:00 P.M. on Thurs evenings through the end of August, Nov-Dec on Saturdays. Put your history detective skills to the test with the Jonesborough Mythbusting Tour available March-Dec at 1:00 P.M. the 1st Saturday of the month and at 2:30 P.M. the 2nd Saturday of the month. New this year, the Railroad Tour is a great chance to experience the backside of Main Street. Guides will discuss the rich history of the railroad in East Tennessee. Tour ends a the Chuckey Depot Railroad Museum in the 1906 Chuckey Depot. This tour is available March-Dec at 2:30 P.M. on the 4th Saturday of the month. The Old Jonesborough Cemetery Tour is available at 2:30 P.M. on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of the month from May 19 - October 6.