An amazing and unforgettable experience - perhaps the crowning jewel of our entire trip. Olivia was…read morea knowledgeable and personable guide. I loved hearing about how the cave was discovered by little kids - brothers - who spent their childhoods playing in it, and how they later grew up to save enough money to buy it outright and keep it in the family thereafter (and it's still privately owned by the family to this day!) At the start, we were a bit concerned about the amount of walking - and in particular, the steps. Our youngest is at the age where he wants to be independent, but he needs extra time to manage stairs (and some of those passages were narrow and steep enough to where we didn't feel comfortable carrying him) but we needn't have worried. Our large group had some adults who needed extra time with stairs, as well as people who took full advantage of our pace to snap more photos (and I've been on another cave tour where we were rushed through and unable to take many photos at all); nobody seemed to mind. I was also worried about not bringing a sweater, as the cave is 58 degrees year round, but it's a little bit of a workout which keeps you warm. If you have any health issues like a heart condition or anything affecting the function of your lungs it might be too intense (I'm just fat, and it was mildly strenuous: just when your heart starts to pound and you're breath is coming in faster you've reached your next destination and you return to resting state - this happens a couple times.) The cave is like being on another planet. We snapped some amazing photos. When it was time to return to the world above, my kids were sad that it was over.

If you're heading to Townsend. Tuckaleechee Caverns is a must-do…read more This place is absolutely worth the visit. Pricing is reasonable, and the experience is unforgettable. We had Kash as our tour guide and he was fantastic, energetic, kind, and amazing with kids. He kept everyone engaged, answered every question, and clearly knows the caverns inside and out. Even in a large group, you could still hear him clearly throughout the walk. The tour runs about 1.5 hours and covers over a mile underground. Be ready for stairs, lots of them (around 87 steep steps on the way out), and this is not wheelchair or stroller accessible. The cave floor is wet, so good shoes are a must. You'll also duck in a few spots, but not constantly. The views are unreal: a waterfall, a stream, stalactites, stalagmites, and massive natural columns you get to see up close while learning the history behind them. It stays cool inside, but you'll warm up from all the walking. It's well organized even when multiple groups are passing each other, and everything flows smoothly. The gift shop is also a win: well stocked, fair prices, and they accept cards. Bottom line: if you love nature, caves, geology, or just want a unique family experience, this is 100% worth your time.

Ramsey House was built in 1797 by Knoxville's first builder, Thomas Hope, for Francis Alexander…read moreRamsey. The home is constructed of Tennessee pink marble and blue limestone. It was known at that time as the finest home in Tennessee. The structure is significant for its original interior and exterior architectural features and its period decorative art collection. The home is said to be haunted, and I feel quite drawn to it, and did feel a presence, will have to keep coming back. It sat empty for many years, and was refurbished in 1952. The Association for the Preservation of Tennessee Antiquities took it over. It is a historic treasure, you step back in time. They have tours go on their website, blacksmith class, music events, haunted tours, etc...

This is a great spot to learn a little more about the founding families of East Tennessee!…read moreFun fact, the Ramsey House has the first attached kitchen to a home in East TN because the stone house was less likely to burn down. They have great events all year long. Love the free vintage baseball games in the summer where they dress up all old timey and play without gloves. The candlelight tours around Halloween and Christmas are beautiful and actually different from the tours they give normally during the year so you can learn even more. Also love the Christmas marketplace and spring marketplace to shop local with a great variety of vendors. Staff is so nice and it's a great stop on a series of tours if you're interested in historic homes in the area.

I find it a privilege to be the first to review this place. Recently found myself in Knoxville for…read morea few hours this Thanksgiving break. When my family is in a new city I try to find us Free interesting things to sightsee in the new area. The center is based it of house. Entrance is in the back where there is free parking. The staff were friendly and informative. Glad to know they also bought the house next door and plan to expand. It was great to hear and learn about the African American history in Knoxville. There are many artifacts and photos to look at. They also keep obituaries of every African American from Knoxville. Cool thing to know if you are trying to look up your family history. I also want to make special note that they have a nice event space. I'm not sure if they rent it out but if I was looking for a place I would check it out.

The Beck Cultural Exchange Center is one of the largest African American Historical Museum…read more This beautiful black history non-profit museum has so many preserved African-American artifacts and exhibits. It's a great place for visitors from all across America, to explore our African- American Cultural.

We rounded up 8 rowdy souls for our friend's bachelor party. The plan was to start at shulz brau…read moreget acquainted and then visit Hexagon brewing, Ebony & Ivory, Xul and finish back where we started at Shulz Brau. The tour itself was fun to see the belly of operations for each brewery and have a few samples of their swill. We enjoyed a white stout, alt beer, NEIPAs and a lager or two. I was able to snag a burger from the Abridged Truck at Xul. What I consider to be the best smashy-burger in all of Knoxville. We all had time to snag a pint at the brewery but it was a grab and go type of thing. The tour guide Ace kept us on schedule and we all enjoyed our samples and quick history and brewing lessons wrapped into the tour. Our group had a blast and the groom had to helped to the car, so mission completed!

Super fun walking tour around Knoxville. Ace is very knowledgeable and I loved learning about the…read morehistory of the city as well as getting to try some local breweries. She is also a very knowledgeable beer gal! Would def recommend if you are visiting for a weekend.

I've known Stella since I was a small child, she's always been motivated and actively seeking small…read morebusinesses, never a dull moment. She's adventurous, a people person and has a lot of knowledge of the tour areas and outdoor education. Stella is an excellent Tour Guide, she performs research organizing hiking trips, offers information and advice about touristic destinations, translates and interprets. She's an excellent storyteller. You'll be recommending Tours By Stella to your friend's after you've hiked with Stella!

From the owner: Hello~ I specialize in Hiking tours and Nature Walks in the…read moreGreat Smoky Mts National Park, featuring many spectacular waterfalls! I'm passionate about keeping people connected to the outdoors. As a tour guide I've just naturally become a professional photographer, so all my guest leave with phenomenal group photos and memories of a fun experience together in nature. My motto is: "Let's disconnect from Wi-Fi and plug into Mother Nature".

Great property and house tour. But even better historical discussion and the very nuanced and…read moresomewhat difficult life of Eugenia Williams. Expertly told by the guide.

We really enjoyed the tour. Not just seeing the house and property but also hearing about the…read morehistory of the home and its owner. Our guide was very knowledgeable able the life of Eugenia Williams! That was my favorite part!

This was a great little side trip that we had drove by and decided to stop and look around. They…read moreare only open certain days so check before you go. They have guided tours which cost ($5 for adults and $4 for kids), but worth it since you actually get some history and get to go in the different buildings. You can also just walk around and look for free, you just can't go in the buildings. Our tour guide was really informative and patient with my son who had a million questions. We plan on going back and walking around more since we only got to do the front part because of the time (we had somewhere else to be at a certain time). There is about 35 acres total. They also have a small gift shop and restrooms.