Famous escapes, forced labor, coal mining, riots, and a pet deer make a tour of Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary a fascinating look at some of Tennessee’s more obscure history

Tucked away into a small corner of the Cumberland Mountains, Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary is a former maximum security prison turned tourist attraction, whiskey distillery, and concert venue. It is well worth a visit to learn about the notorious prison’s compelling history, told first hand from former guards and inmates.

The official name is Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary but that’s quite the long name so you will often see it called Brushy Mountain Prison. Or, if you are local, just Brushy.

I first visited Brushy Mountain as a veterinary student working on the dairy cows at the prison farm, back when it was still a working prison. Minimum security prisoners could work on the farm, which they enjoyed, as it gave them something to do outside of their cells.

The place fascinated me then as a student and, after it closed in 2009 and was leased by some entrepreneurs to begin its second life as a tourist attraction/ historical site, I was eager to see behind the walls of Brushy. It did not disappoint.

Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about visiting Brushy Mountain Prison – where it is, when to go, what to see, ticket prices, whether the tour is appropriate for kids, and the loads of other things you should see in the area, like Frozen Head State Park and the Obed River.

The imposing, fortress-like exterior of Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary

Where Is Brushy Mountain Prison?

Located in tiny Petros, TN (population 502), Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary is 30 minutes northwest of Oak Ridge, an hour northwest of Knoxville, and 2.5 hours east of Nashville. It is surrounded by the Cumberland Mountains, one of the many ranges that make up the Appalachian Mountains.

The prison backs up to Frozen Head State Park, an excellent tourist destination in its own right, with a great campground and hiking trails.

Find out why I think Frozen Head State Park is so great (hint- it’s the waterfalls and uncrowded nature) and why I love camping in its terrific campground.

Map showing the approximate location of Brushy Mountain Prison in East Tennessee
Brushy Mountain Prison is adjacent to Frozen Head State Park and about 30 minutes northwest of Oak Ridge, TN.

Brief History Of Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary

I’ll go into a much more detailed description of the history of the prison at the end of the blog for those who are interested (it includes the side story about the pet deer). You will also learn quite a bit of history if you take the tour too. But for now, this is a brief history to get you started.

A prison was first built here in 1896, adjacent to a coal mine owned by the state of Tennessee, and the inmates were used as unpaid miners. Quite a profitable setup for the state.

It was dangerous in the mine, cave-ins were frequent, disease was rampant, and the prison was soon severely overcrowded. Sounds fantastic right? There is a reason the paranormal tour is so popular – there is a lot of violence, tragedy, and death in Brushy’s history.

The building you see now was built in the 1930s to replace the previous wooden building that was severely overcrowded. It is built in the shape of a cross to inspire “redemption” of its residents.

Mining with prison labor continued until the 1960s and the prison itself remained in operation until 2009. It was a maximum security prison, known as the “End Of The Line” because there was nowhere else to go from here.

James Earl Ray (the man who killed Dr. King) was Brushy’s most famous inmate. He and 6 other inmates escaped over the wall in 1977, but Ray was recaptured in just 2.5 days, beaten by the formidable terrain of the surrounding Cumberland Mountains.

His brief escape has inspired one of the most difficult ultra-marathons in the world, the famous Barkley Marathons, which are held every spring in adjacent Frozen Head State Park. Part of the course for the race goes through the prison grounds.

After Brushy was closed in 2009, it was leased to a group of entrepreneurs and turned into the distillery, restaurant, and concert venue it is today. They also organized tours of the prison, employing former guards and inmates to give the most authentic picture of what life was like “behind the walls.”

Again, if you want a more detailed history, involving a miner war with the state, inmates taking guards hostage, and a pet deer named Geronimo, then keep reading to the end of the blog or click here to skip ahead.

What You Can Do On A Visit To Brushy Mountain Prison

There are 3 main things to see on a visit to Brushy Mountain Prison:

  1. the Distillery
  2. the Warden’s Table – the restaurant by the distillery
  3. the Prison

When you first pull into the gates for Brushy, you will come up the drive and see a couple of one story buildings clustered together – this is the distillery, the gift shop, ticket office, and the restaurant.

The prison is set farther back into the holler, looking ominous in the distance. (At least I always thought so. These one story buildings were as far as I got when I was a vet student visiting Brushy when it was a working prison. This is where the prison dairy barn was located.)

A collection of buildings on the grounds of Brushy Mountain Prison
These buildings in the foreground of the photo are where the distillery, gift shop, and restaurant are located. You can see the prison in the background, tucked farther back.
A map showing all of the buildings within the grounds of Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary
A map of Historic Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary

1. Visiting The Distillery At Brushy Mountain

The distillery is the large building on the left across from the restaurant and gift shop in the photo above. The doors are usually open and you can peek in to see the large tanks fermenting the good stuff.

In the gift shop, you can do a tasting of the products from Brushy Mountain Distillery – I think it was $5 for 5 small samples last time I was there. Their signature product is their “End Of The Line” Moonshine and it comes in a bunch of flavors, like blackberry and honey. Also, they have whiskey, vodka, a bloody Mary mix, and a schnapps.

The gift shop and tasting room for Brushy Mountain Distillery
The gift shop has tons of bottles to choose from as you can see from the photo. There is a bar on the right side too where you can sample the wares. (If you are 21 of course 😉)

2. The Warden’s Table

The Warden’s Table is the restaurant onsite at Brushy Mountain. It serves southern food counter-style. Lots of BBQ choices, but also hamburgers, sandwiches, and loaded baked potatoes. There is also a kids menu, which I always appreciate.

The restuarant definitely buys into the prison schtick, with makeshift prison cells around some tables and memorabilia on the walls. And while not prison related, but I also like that there is a screened-in porch for eating outside.

The menu and order counter at the Warden's Table at Brushy Mountain
The menu and order counter for the Warden’s Table.

3. Touring The Prison

You can walk around the outside of the prison free of charge but to enter the gates, you will need a ticket for one of the tours. Buy these online or at the ticket office located back down by the gift shop.

If you don’t want to pay for a tour, then you can see a little through the gates but you can’t see over the walls into the yard. You can however see the drainage tunnel running under the prison that you will recognize immediately if you have ever followed the Barkley Marathons. (Runners have to navigate this tunnel as part of the race.)

3 Different Tours Are Available Of The Prison

  1. Self-Guided Tour
  2. Guided Tours (public and private)
  3. Paranormal Overnight Tours

*To arrange a private guided tour, you will need to contact Brushy to arrange those. Click on “Private Guided Group Tours” on the website to book those.

What To Expect On A Tour Of Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary

The Self-Guided Tour

Time Needed: 1-2 or more hours, depending on how into it you get

Ticket Prices: $22 adults/ $17 kids 7-12/ $19.80 seniors and military

There are 30+ stops on the self- guided tour and you can take as long or as little as you want. There are signs at each stop and you follow the map around the buildings to each stop. There are also arrows pointing the way as well.

The signs are pretty good, with lots of pictures and information. There is also a small museum at the end, that shows an 18 minute movie as well as has display cases with memorabilia and more artifacts from the prison’s history.

Pros And Cons Of The Self- Guided Tour Of Brushy

You will easily get a good sense of the place and its history on the self-guided tour and I think it is well worth it. If you are coming here with kids or people who don’t want to hear some of the more gruesome stories, I would do the self- guided versus the guided tour.

Tour Times For The Self- Guided Tour:

  • Online tickets must be purchased by 3 pm before but tickets can be purchased at any time before 5 pm at the ticket office onsite.
  • Last entrance for the self- guided tour is at 5 pm (4pm in Nov).
  • Tickets are never sold out for the self- guided tour.
  • Spring (April & May): Thur- Sun, 1030am- 5pm (prison closes at 7pm)
  • Summer (June, July, Aug): everyday, 1030am – 5pm (prison closes at 7pm)
  • Fall (Sept & Oct): Thur- Sun, 1030 am – 5pm (prison closes at 7pm)
  • November: Sat & Sun, 1030am- 4pm, (prison closes at 530pm)

The Guided Tour

Time Needed: 2.5- 3 hours

Ticket Prices: $32 adults/ $22 kids 7-12/ $28.80 seniors and military

This is the tour led by former guards and inmates and it is well worth the time and money to hear about life in Brushy from someone who actually lived it. They will walk you through all the buildings and cover the information you can find on the signs but will also stop at certain points and add in personal stories.

The website says the tour lasts 60-90 minutes and then you are free to walk around to explore the museum on site or go back through the buildings after it is over. But in my experience, the tours last more like 90-120 minutes as the tour leaders like to talk.

The guided tour can be very dependent on which tour leader you have. I have had a former guard who was laconic but well- spoken and very thorough. And I have also had a former inmate whose stories were a bit more offsides and had a super thick East TN accent. (I felt sorry for people visiting from other states who were clearly left clueless with some of the expressions he used. They were charmed by him nonetheless.)

You don’t get to choose your tour guide, you are assigned one when you show up for the tour.

Pros And Cons Of The Guided Tour Of Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary

This is not a tour I would take kids on nor anyone who is a bit squeamish with violence. Some of the stories involve murder; like shivs in the cafeteria or the time there was a riot and several white inmates shot black inmates in their cells. These stories are also covered by the information signs but there is something about hearing it reenacted for you step by step that makes it more real.

The guides do a wonderful job conveying what life in a prison is like and the overall sense of constantly simmering violence in a way that I don’t think you get with the self- guided tour. But it is a long tour, with a lot of standing and walking, it can be a little too real at times, and occasionally feel a bit voyeuristic for me. So I don’t think the guided tour is for everyone.

But if you are fascinated by the history of Brushy Mountain Prison, James Earl Ray, or this part of East Tennessee, the guided tour is a must-do. Also, getting a first-hand account of life “behind the walls” is not something you will have a chance to do forever as it has already been 15 years since Brushy closed.

The other big plus of doing the guided tour, is that you get a chance to go in the prison before it opens to the public. The guided tours start at 930am while admission for the self- guided tour doesn’t start until 1030am.

*They also offer private guided tours for groups of at least 15 people. Contact Brushy Mountain if you are interested in that.

Tour Times For The Guided Tour

  • All guided tours start at 930am year- round
  • Space is limited and tickets must be purchased online at least 12 hours before
  • Spring (April & May): Fri, Sat, Sun
  • Summer (June, July, Aug): Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun
  • Fall (Sept & Oct): Fri, Sat, Sun
  • November: Sat & Sun

The Overnight Paranormal Tour Of Brushy

Time Needed: 9pm- 4am

Ticket Price: $150 per person, must be 18 (16+ with parent)

This is the only tour I haven’t taken of the prison so I don’t have first- hand knowledge of what to expect. I am not a superstitious person normally but the extreme amount of violence and tragedy that have happened within these walls is enough for me to say nope. If there was ever a place that would be haunted, it would be Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary.

If you do decide to do the tour (and I have heard good things about it if that is your cup of tea), then you start with a short guided tour at 9pm. Then you are left to wander about most of the buildings until 4am or you can stay with the guide. The guide is a local woman who grew up in Petros and has lots of experience investigating the paranormal.

Tour Information And Booking

  • Tours must be booked at least 24 hours ahead of time.
  • If at least 8 people haven’t signed up then the tour is canceled and they will reschedule. They will give you advance notice of the rescheduled date.
  • Paranormal tours can be scheduled 7 days a week throughout the year.
  • You must sign a waiver to book this tour.

Tips For Touring Brushy Mountain Prison

Restrooms

There is a modern restroom building in the middle of the yard inside the prison walls as well as in the gift shop/ restaurant. I would recommend using the restroom before taking the guided tour as there wasn’t really a moment to stop and use it before the tour was over and it was a long tour.

Food/ Drink

I don’t know if food or drink is officially allowed inside the prison but I have had my coffee cup and a water bottle on my tours (as did many people) and no one said anything.

You can get lunch or dinner at the Warden’s Table restaurant down by the distillery. It is open 1030am- 7pm (630 pm in Nov) on the days that Brushy is open.

What To Wear

The prison has no heat and air conditioning so keep that in mind.

In winter, Brushy can be much cooler than say, Knoxville. Wear warm clothes.

In the summer, the thick stone buildings keep the buildings cooler than you might think but it still gets warm by late afternoon. I would definitely go early and wear light clothing.

The Cumberland Mountains have notoriously fickle weather too so bring a rain jacket if it looks at all like rain. There isn’t a ton to see outside but there is some and you need to walk between buildings.

There is a lot of walking on the tour, and lots of stairs, so I would wear comfortable shoes too. They prefer if you don’t wear flip-flops.

Pets

Only service animals are allowed inside Brushy and there is no onsite doggie daycare.

You could try a local dog groomers or vet clinic in nearby Wartburg that offers dog grooming to see if you could drop them off for a bath while you tour Brushy. You will need to organize this ahead of time though.

Cell Service

Like so many places tucked up into hollers in the mountains, cell service is iffy at Brushy. You can get decent service at the distillery and the parking lots, but once you enter the prison walls, I had spotty connection. Enough to send a text from the yard but nothing inside the buildings.

Directions To Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary

Brushy is located in Petros,TN which is a tiny town just outside of Wartburg. It is a couple of miles off of Hwy 62, which is a main highway in the area. You can put “Historic Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary” or “Brushy Mountain Distillery” into Google Maps and it will take you there.

Hwy 62 extends from Oak Ridge west to Monterey, which is an exit on Interstate 40 between Cookeville and Crossville. So it isn’t terribly hard to get to Brushy Mountain from either the east or the west. While Hwy 62 is a curvy mountain road in places, because it is a highway, it isn’t the worst.

If you are coming from Chattanooga, then I would take Hwy 27 the whole way. It goes right through Wartburg where you would take a right onto Hwy 62 and go for a few miles until you see the turnoff for Petros.

From Hwy 62, you will see the turnoff for Petros and Hwy 116 North. There is a sign for Historic Brushy Mountain State Pen and a big gas station across from the intersection. Stay on the road through downtown Petros (very small, just some churches and a post office) and then you will come to the entrance to Brushy on your left, 3 miles after you turned off of Hwy 62.

Download Google Maps for offline use in case you lose cell service in the mountains.

Where To Stay Near Brushy Mountain

Camping

Frozen Head State Park

Frozen Head State Park has a great front-country campground and several nice primitive campsites as well. The campground is pretty small and the sites are not set up for large RVs though, so you might want to look elsewhere if you are pulling a huge 5th wheel.

Read more about camping in Frozen Head State Park.

Big South Fork

Big South Fork National River And Recreation Area is one of my favorite parks in the Cumberland Mountains. It is about 2 hours away from Brushy but it could make a fantastic day trip if you were staying in Big South Fork for a couple of days. There are 5 campgrounds in Big South Fork to choose from.

Read more about camping in Big South Fork and all the things you can do in this fantastic national recreation area.

Cabin Rentals

Heads up- There are potential affiliate links below. See our full disclosure policy to find out why we don’t accept freebies or sponsored visits and what our affiliate links mean for you cost-wise (hint- nothing).

With Brushy Mountain, Windrock Park, Frozen Head and the Obed River all right in the area, there are tons of cabins rentals in this area.

You can click the link above to see a complete listing of available cabin rentals in Petros or check out some of these below that I think are the best.

Main Street Farmhouse close to Windrock. A 4 BR/ 2 BA cute farmhouse in the middle of Petros (address 307 Main St if you want to find it on Google Maps). A fully remodeled house that can sleep up to 15 people, this is a great location for exploring the area. Averages $400 a night.

Modern Farmhouse Near Windrock. A beautiful 4 BR/ 2 BA farmhouse on 62 acres with a nice outdoor firepit. Can sleep 10 and averages $134 a night. Located close to the entrance of Frozen Head State Park as it is not far off the main highway near the Marathon Station in Petros.

Private – Secluded Cabin, close to Windrock. This small 1 BR/ 1 BA cabin has an outside firepit to die for and is in quiet surroundings. Can sleep 4 and averages $200 a night. Close to Frozen Head State Park but nearer Petros and Windrock Park.

Hotels Near Brushy Mountain Prison

You will not find many options for hotels in this neck of the woods. Your best bet would be to look in Oak Ridge, about 30 min from Brushy.

The Holiday Inn Express Oak Ridge is one of my top choices for a hotel in Oak Ridge. I always like a Holiday Inn Express when I travel just because it has such a reliable level of service and amenities. Especially when traveling with kids, I appreciate the included breakfast.

Check prices for this hotel:

A More Detailed History Of Brushy Mountain Prison

This is going to get a little long but bear with me because even from its beginning, Brushy is so interwined with the history of Tennessee and this area specifically. And knowing a bit about its history will make your visit way more interesting, promise.

*Some of this history is tidbits picked up from our tour guide – a former guard at the prison.

Using Convicts To Dig For Coal

With the explosion of the railroad and the Industrial Revolution, America’s appetite for coal was massive by the late 1800s. But the work was hard and dangerous and when miners began striking for better pay and conditions, the mine owners would often lease convicts from the state instead.

The Coal Creek War Of 1892

The miners were obviously unhappy with competition from the prisoners and the widespread conflict came to a head in 1891 in the town of Coal Creek (now called Rocky Top), just north of Brushy. Local miners raided the prisoner work camp and sent them packing.

The governor sent in state troops to protect the prisoners and the work camps, thus beginning the Coal Creek War of 1892 between the state and the miners, leaving multiple people dead on both sides. The state won the war but lost the public opinion battle in the state, as well as nationally.

Also, all the money the state made from leasing convicts to the mine had to go towards maintaining the troops protecting them so it wasn’t economically feasible to keep the convict lease program going.

Brushy Mountain Prison Was Built In 1896

So, instead of leasing their prisoners to others, the state of Tennessee decided to go into business for themselves and open their own coal mine, using prisoners as free labor. A wooden prison building called Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary was built in 1896 in Petros, railroad tracks were laid to the adjacent Frozen Head Mine, and the state was in business.

The Early Years At Brushy: 1896- 1930s

Brushy Mountain was a horrible place to be incarcerated and men frequently died either in mining accidents, from disease, or were murdered by other inmates. Prisoners ranged from murderers to petty theft convicts but everyone worked in the mine, regardless of their crime.

The Brushy cemetery has hundreds of graves, many unmarked, as record keeping was poor and many of the inmate’s families were either not notified or were too poor to come and pick up the body. (This fact, and the terrible conditions that existed inside the prison, make the paranormal tour extremely popular at Brushy. And why that tour is a hard no for me. If anywhere was going to be haunted, it would have to be here.)

Black men made up most of the prison population, reflecting the racial biases of the era. By the 1930s, the prison housed 3 times the population it was built for and day and night shift workers had to split the same bed. It attracted state and national attention for the dire conditions of its inmates.

The Modern Era At Brushy: 1930s- 2000s

A new and larger structure (the one you see today) was built in the 1930s to begin to rectify the horrific reputation of Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary. It was built in the shape of a cross when seen from above, in order to inspire the convicts to redemption. (I feel like closing the hellish mine might have had a better effect but that’s me.)

Work at the mine, however, continued until 1966, when coal was no longer as profitable for the state and a new warden wanted the forced labor to stop.

The prison was classified as a maximum security prison in 1969 but the new, minimum security section allowed prisoners to work on the dairy farm (where I once worked) and man the volunteer fire department in Petros. Some of Tennessee’s most dangerous criminals continued to be housed “behind the walls” though. (More on who these guys were below.)

A union strike by the guards for better pay and conditions was mounted in 1972 and the prison was closed down for 4 years. Even after it opened back up, the guards complained that they still did not have enough staff to maintain watch over everything. Which is perhaps why James Earl Ray’s escape in 1977 was successful.

In 1982, seven white inmates used a pistol smuggled inside the prison to hold a guard hostage and attack a group of 4 black inmates. They killed two but the other two survived by hiding behind their mattresses. Many people thought the incident was in retaliation for the stabbing of James Earl Ray by some black prisoners the year before, but others thought it was just more of the gang violence typical of Brushy.

What About The Deer You Mentioned?

In the 1970s, a fawn appeared on the grounds of Brushy Mountain. Some say he fell from the bluff into the prison yard, others say a guard brought him to the prison as a pet. And a pet he was, adopted by the inmates and named Geronimo. Apparently he liked to eat cigarette butts (uhh okay – surprising that the prisoners would give up such a valuable thing to feed a deer).

When the prison was briefly closed 1972- 1976 because of the guard strike, Geronimo was left behind as the prisoners were moved to a jail in Nashville. The deer and the inmates were so all so sad about this separation that the state paid to move Geronimo to the jail in Nashville to rejoin his friends.

This is my favorite part of this story, picturing hardened criminals missing their pet deer and the state of Tennessee caring enough about their mental well- being to move said deer.

Unfortunately, this story does not have a happy ending though. Geronimo did not enjoy life in Nashville, kicking up a fuss and eventually breaking his leg, which veterinarians then had to amputate. No one knows what happened to him after that.

Brushy’s Second Life As A Tourist Attraction: 2009 – now

In 2001, Tennessee expanded the nearby Morgan County Correctional Institute (just 15 minutes away, located by the entrance to Frozen Head State Park) into a massive and modern facility, housing around 2100 inmates. The decision to close Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary was made in 2009 as it was too small and too expensive to run, especially with the more modern prison right there.

Generations of Morgan County residents have made their living associated with Brushy and the TN Department of Corrections so they were pleased to be able to keep jobs in the area with the new prison.

A group of entrepreneurs from Chattanooga then leased Brushy Mountain from the county in 2013 and turned into the distillery, restaurant, and concert venue it is today. They also organized the tours of the prison buildings, employing former guards and inmates.

James Earl Ray – Brushy Mountain Prison’s Most Famous Inmate

If you aren’t familiar with the name, James Earl Ray was the man convicted of assassinating Martin Luther King in Memphis, TN on April 4, 1968. He was on the run afterwards but eventually arrested in the UK in June 1968 and extradited back to TN.

After his conviction and sentencing, Ray ended up in Brushy to serve out his 99 years in 1970. He had several escape attempts before his successful one, including removing bars from his cell and trying to climb a tunnel out through the steam plant. Eventually, he and 6 other inmates managed to construct a ladder and climb up a wall in the back of the yard while other inmates provided a distraction.

The FBI, TBI, and all of the alphabet of law enforcement agencies descended upon the area to hunt James Earl Ray. He was eventually found by some bloodhounds in the woods just a few miles from the prison 2.5 days later. He was wet and cold and unable to make his way to freedom through the harsh Cumberland Mountains. All of the other escapees were also found by the next day.

In 1981, Ray was stabbed 22 times by 3 black inmates in the prison library, some say in retaliation for the murder of Dr. King. Remarkably, he survived but he contracted hepatitis from one of the blood transfusions during the surgery and died of liver failure in 1998. As our tour guide put it, Brushy killed him after all.

More information about Brushy’s history:

I found these websites to be a great source of information when reading up on the history of Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary.

Other Places To Check Out Near Brushy Mountain Prison

In the Cumberland Mountains and on the Cumberland Plateau

This area has almost an embarrassment of riches when it comes to things to do, especially outdoor activities.

Frozen Head State Park I have already mentioned but you should absolutely check it out while you are in the area, even if just for the afternoon. Lots of cool hikes, pretty waterfalls, and nice playgrounds in this small state park make it one of my favorites in East Tennessee.

Windrock Park is the place to go if you are into off- roading, whether on ATV or mountain bike. It is routinely named one of the best off-road parks in the US.

Obed Wild And Scenic River is a mecca for kayakers and rock climbers but is also fun for hikers, campers, and those who are just here for the scenic overlooks. Check out the visitor center in Wartburg to get more info from the park rangers there on where to go.

Big South Fork National River And Recreation Area is another national park entity in the area, albeit an hour and 45 minutes away. But it is well worth the journey, with some of the most spectacular hiking trails in the state.

Elsewhere in East Tennessee

The American Museum Of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge is an excellent place to learn about the cutting edge science Oak Ridge was built to do in WW2 and is still doing today. Interactive science exhibits for kids to play with.

The Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge was hands down my kids favorite place to spend the day when they were in elementary and pre- school. Built in a former elementary school , the museum has a different exhibit in each of the former classrooms. So the kids can go from space to a wildlife habitat to playing with toy boats in a system of locks to the rainforest all in one building. So fun!

The Museum of Appalachia is just an hour away from Brushy Mountain and is a wonderful place to spend the day with the family. An interactive, living- history kind of museum where you can walk around and explore all kinds of historic structures from around Appalachia, this place is fun for all ages.

Final Thoughts

I hope you have the chance to explore Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary. Whether you take the self- guided or guided tour, it is a unique chance to learn about some of Tennessee’s more obscure and compelling history from people that lived it.

Happy Trails ! – Amanda

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