Top Rocky Top Venues

• Spaces for 40-300 Guests
• 1 Barn
• 2 Event Spaces
• 1 Historic Space

The Museum of Appalachia sits on 60 pastoral acres in Clinton, Tennessee, where founder John Rice Irwin spent half a century gathering the everyday tools, tools, and stories of Southern Appalachia into a living pioneer village. Some three dozen historic log structures, including cabins, barns, churches, and schools, stand alongside gardens and free-range farm animals behind split-rail fences, and three exhibit buildings house over 250,000 folk-art, musical, and textile artifacts. The Museum became a Smithsonian Affiliate in 2007. That rolling, historic backdrop makes the grounds a distinctive setting for weddings and private events. Couples can choose from several outdoor ceremony and reception sites, among them the Grist Mill Field, the Cantilever Barn Field, and the Hall of Fame Lawn, or move indoors to a barn-style reception hall with a full-prep kitchen and antique serving bars. For smaller, more intimate ceremonies, the Museum's 19th century log chapel offers an authentic alternative to its larger outdoor fields. The venue also hosts corporate meetings, trade shows, and group outings against the same rustic backdrop.

• Spaces for 15-100 Guests
• 2 Outdoor Spaces
• 1 Historic Space
• 5 Total Spaces

Norris Dam State Park spans over 4,000 acres between the Cumberland and Appalachian ranges, set along the shores of Norris Lake. The park takes its name from Senator George Norris, whose advocacy helped bring about the Tennessee Valley Authority; Norris Dam itself was completed in 1936 as part of the New Deal. Much of the park's historic character comes from the Civilian Conservation Corps, which built several of its structures in the 1930s, including cabins now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For gatherings, the park's Tea Room is a longtime favorite for weddings, receptions, company dinners, and catered events. Built by the CCC, it has a two-tier floor plan, a full kitchen, cathedral ceilings, a stone fireplace, and a wooden deck overlooking the woods toward the lake, with seating for up to 100 guests. The Appalachian Event Center offers a separate space suited to large business meetings, bridal and baby showers, and family reunions, while the Conference Room in the park office accommodates smaller meetings. Two picnic pavilions in the historic district, both wired with electricity, round out the park's options for casual outdoor gatherings. Beyond its event spaces, Norris Dam State Park is a destination in its own right, with more than 30 miles of hiking trails, boating and fishing on Norris Lake, and cultural sites including the Lenoir Museum, an 18th-century Rice Grist Mill, and the Crosby Threshing Barn.