Giles County: History, Nature and Culinary Delights

An 1868 opera house, walking trails through green spaces and a railroad museum with cars visitors can enter offer very different reasons to visit Giles County. There are also historic townscapes, farm tours and tastings. To plan your trip, you might first consider whether you want to focus on history, outdoor activities or regional food and drink.

Architecture and history in Pulaski

The Antoinette Hall Opera House was built in the summer and fall of 1868 and opened on Christmas Day that year. It is the oldest surviving opera house in Tennessee and one of the oldest in the United States. A 3D virtual tour shows the building in its current condition while restoration work is ongoing. The STAAR Theatre in Pulaski offers private or group tours of the theater.

At the center of Pulaski stands the neoclassical Giles County Courthouse, built in 1909. The Pulaski Courthouse Square Historic District includes 92 buildings across nine blocks surrounding the courthouse. The Sam Davis Memorial Museum and Shrine offers another perspective on local history: it was built in 1950 at the site where Sam Davis was executed on November 27, 1863.

The Giles County Trail of Tears Interpretive Center is dedicated to the history and legacy of the Cherokee during the Trail of Tears. The Center also hosts the Vicky Garland Memorial Pow Wow every April. In Pulaski and throughout the county, both architecture and different aspects of regional history take center stage.

Railroad history and townscapes in Lynnville

The Lynnville Historic District includes 59 properties that are significant to Giles County for their architecture, early settlement and commerce. The history of the county’s first Methodist church also leads to Lynnville: it was founded in 1809 at the site of the town today.

At the Lynnville Railroad Museum, visitors can take a self-guided tour and enter every railroad car. In the depot, you can see railroad memorabilia as well as an operational model railroad depicting Lynnville in the 1930s. Exploring the town offers a chance to connect the history of rail travel with a model of the town as it was then.

Walking trails, green spaces and activities

Wolf Gap is a center for history and nature education as well as a green space in Giles County. The campus includes 50 acres of green space. The grounds are open seven days a week from sunrise to sunset, with walking trails and picnic areas among the amenities. Exhibits in the Education Center are available on weekends. This makes it possible to combine a visit outdoors with a look at the educational offerings, although the exhibits are limited to weekends.

The walking trail at Giles County Agri-Park is open to the public daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The park also offers an event venue celebrating agricultural history. Products at the Giles County Agri Park Farmer's Market come from local farmers who grow or make them. Another trail follows Pleasant Run: the Pleasant Run Eco-Trail runs along the creek.

For a sporty road ride, the Bike TN Minor Hill Loop is a rolling road cycling route with challenging climbs. In Elkton, the Matt Gardner Elk River Access Area offers opportunities for fishing and kayaking. These options offer different kinds of activities: a hilly bike ride, a walk or time on the water.

Tastings and regional cuisine

The Pulaski location of Big Creek Winery offers winery tours and wine tastings. Its selection includes more than 30 wines made from grapes and other fruits. The tasting room also serves locally made cheese and snacks. Those interested in a tasting can find both wine and light bites there.

At Big Machine Distillery, visitors can fill their own vodka or single-barrel Tennessee whiskey straight from the barrel. At Milky Way Farm, a historic tour takes you through the 1930s home of Franklin C. Mars, inventor of the Milky Way candy bar. Tours of the Manor House are available by reservation. Hayride, barn and farm tours are offered by reservation for groups of 20 or more, or as part of scheduled events.

In Lynnville, Soda Pop Junction is a burger restaurant known for its generously topped burgers and thick milkshakes. The SunDrop Festival is also among Pulaski’s food and event offerings: the 2026 festival took place on the second Saturday in June in the historic downtown and featured more than 50 arts and crafts and food vendors, along with live performances.

What to focus on during your stay

When planning your hotel stay, you can organize the places mentioned here around your travel interests. Pulaski offers the opera house, the courthouse and several historic attractions; Lynnville combines local and railroad history with a burger restaurant. For outdoor activities, consider Wolf Gap, the Agri-Park, the Pleasant Run Eco-Trail, the cycling route near Minor Hill, and the fishing and kayaking area in Elkton. This lets you choose excursions based on the themes that matter most to you.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Pulaski, Frankewing, Wilson, Lauderdale County, Scott County, Union County, Cocke, Mcnairy County.

For the main travel overview: Tennessee.