Jonesborough: History and Storytelling for Your Stay

Jonesborough combines a well-preserved Main Street with historic walking tours, museums, and storytelling. Trails and seasonal recreational activities add to its cultural focus. If you’re planning a stay, it’s worth checking dates and seasonal schedules: walking tours, performances, and the water park operate at different times.

Historic Streets and Museums

From March through December, the Heritage Alliance regularly offers historic walking tours of downtown. They begin at the Chester Inn State Historic Site and Museum. Since seasonal tour dates and arrangements for the starting point may change, check the tour schedule before your visit.

The Jonesborough/Washington County History Museum and Archives collects artifacts, documents, and photographs about the people and history of the region. The Jonesborough/Washington County History Museum also displays the clock that kept time at the Washington County Courthouse, built in 1847. Exhibit details may change; if this particular piece is important to you, check the latest visitor information in advance.

At the Chester Inn Museum, you can see a diorama of Jonesborough in the 1850s. The Chester Inn’s upper parlors, dining room, and guest rooms have been restored in the late 19th-century Victorian style. Jonesborough’s well-preserved Main Street also offers a glimpse into the town’s past. Jonesborough was the first town in Tennessee to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Chuckey Depot also tells the story of local history and transportation: the historic depot was dismantled, rebuilt in Jonesborough, and opened as a museum in October 2017. The Chuckey Depot Museum shares the history of the depot in the community of Chuckey and the region’s railroad heritage. Themed exhibits cover Southern, Clinchfield, and East Tennessee and Western North Carolina, among other topics; exhibit themes may change.

Storytelling and Events

The Mary B. Martin Storytelling Hall at the International Storytelling Center includes performance and event spaces, exhibits, and a gift shop. Storytelling Live offers afternoon performances Tuesday through Saturday at 2 p.m. If a performance is important to your trip, check the schedule for your travel dates.

The StoryTown Radio Show is performed in the style of an old-fashioned radio show. The 2026 season schedule lists it for the fourth Monday of each month at 7 p.m. Check again for dates in future seasons. The two formats offer different times to visit: a regular afternoon schedule for Storytelling Live and a monthly evening performance for StoryTown.

Receptions for the McKinney Center’s Artist Exhibition Series are open to the public and free of charge. Dates and themes for individual exhibits may change. This adds exhibit visits to the cultural program alongside stage performances, with specific dates you can check to suit your trip.

Trails and Seasonal Recreation

Jonesborough’s Persimmon Ridge Park covers 130 acres and offers biking and hiking trails. The Lost State Scenic Walkway offers a different option: it’s about three miles long, starts downtown at Mill Spring Park, and ends at Golden Oak Park. This lets you choose between trails in a larger park and a route with named start and end points. Details of the walkway may change as planned improvements are implemented; check the current route before your walk.

Persimmon Ridge Park is also home to Wetlands Water Park. Attractions include water slides, a lazy river, and a shallow swimming area with a zero-depth entry. The park operates seasonally, approximately from Memorial Day through the end of September. If the water park is part of your plans, make sure your travel dates fall within its operating season.

The Salt House and Tennessee Hills Distillery

The Salt House in Jonesborough is a Civil War-era landmark that now operates as an active distillery, tasting room, and bar. Tennessee Hills Distillery produces small-batch spirits and hand-bottles them at the 1840s Salt House. A distillery tour takes visitors through the production area; they hear the story from the people who built the distillery and can sample the results. Check tour availability and current visitor options before your trip, as operations may change.

For planning purposes, seasonal walking tours and the water park offer clear points of reference; museums, exhibits, and performances have different focuses and their own schedules. If you’re planning your trip around a particular tour or event, check its schedule for your visit dates.

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