Things to Do in Bell Buckle, Tennessee
The best things to do in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, are browsing the antique shops on Railroad Square, eating at the Bell Buckle Cafe and timing a trip to the RC Cola-MoonPie Festival in June. Bell Buckle is a town of 410 people in Bedford County, and its downtown is a National Register historic district.
The railroad arrived in 1852, and by the late 1800s Bell Buckle was the major stockyard between Nashville and Chattanooga, with more than 1,000 residents. In June 1940, during Army maneuvers, one of General George S. Patton’s tanks ran into the two-story town hall and brought it down.
Railroad Square and the downtown shops
Bell Buckle’s Victorian storefronts face the railroad tracks, and most of them hold antiques, quilts, crafts and gifts. Phillips General Store Antiques, Livery Stable Antiques and Bluebird Antiques and Ice Cream Parlor are the anchors. Doodle Bug, Farm Girlz Goodz and Bell Buckle Embroidery & Gifts fill in around them.
★ Good to know Bluebird doubles as an ice cream parlor, which makes it an easy stop with kids.
Bell Buckle Cafe
The cafe on Railroad Square serves home-cooked, down-home Southern food. It’s the town’s main sit-down restaurant and an easy anchor for a day trip.
★ Good to know It isn’t open every day, and hours change by season, so check its Facebook page before you drive.
RC Cola-MoonPie Festival
Held on the third Saturday in June, this festival celebrates what it calls the South’s original fast food: an ice-cold RC Cola and a MoonPie. The day opens with a certified 10-mile run and a 5K, then brings cloggers, a parade, a King and Queen coronation and MoonPie games. It ends with the cutting of the World’s Largest MoonPie, served free.
★ Good to know Crowds are big for a town this size, so arrive early and check the chamber’s event parking page.
Webb School Art and Craft Show
Each October, on the third weekend of the month, the chamber fills the town with a juried art and craft show. It bills itself as the premier show in Tennessee, with more than 800 booths and artist demonstrations. Exhibitors spread from downtown to the Webb School lot.
★ Good to know Wear comfortable shoes; the booths run through most of the town.
Daffodil Day
On the third Saturday in March, Bell Buckle celebrates the thousands of daffodils lining a six-mile stretch of highway into town. The festival began in 1978. Local lore says Webb School founder Sawney Webb started the mass plantings as a character-building job for some of his students.
★ Good to know There’s a daffodil flower show, free tree seedlings, music and vendors.
The Webb School
The Webb School was founded in 1870 and moved to Bell Buckle from Culleoka in 1886. The college preparatory boarding and day school still shapes the town, and its name is on the big October art show.
★ Good to know It’s a working school, so enjoy the campus from the street unless you have an appointment.
Tennessee Walking Horse National Museum
About five miles south in Wartrace, this museum is dedicated entirely to the history of the Tennessee Walking Horse. Admission is free, and donations are appreciated.
★ Good to know It’s open only on Fridays and Saturdays, so plan around that; group tours can be arranged by phone.
Nearest Green Distillery
Just north of Shelbyville, Uncle Nearest’s distillery honors Nathan “Nearest” Green, whose name is on the whiskey. The 458-acre property offers guided tours and tastings. Its Barrel House II restaurant is known for grilled cheese.
★ Good to know Reservations are highly recommended, and weekday hours are shorter than weekend hours.
Also in town
Southern Charm on Railroad Square is a gift shop with a tea room; Simplicity / Simply Sweet Bakery and Bell Buckle Coffee Shop & Book Swap are good for a snack; Selah Studios and the Tennessee Valley Model Railroad Train Club (112 Main St.) are also in town; and a farmers market runs Friday evenings from June through August.
When is the RC Cola-MoonPie Festival in Bell Buckle?
It’s held every year on the third Saturday in June. The day starts with a 10-mile run and 5K and ends with the World’s Largest MoonPie, served free.
How did Bell Buckle get its name?
Nobody knows for sure. One story says early travelers found a bell and a buckle carved into a tree; another says they were tied around it. The town took its name from Bell Buckle Creek.
When is the Webb School Art and Craft Show?
It’s held on the third weekend of October, with more than 800 booths across town. The Bell Buckle Chamber of Commerce hosts it.
What’s near Bell Buckle?
Wartrace, with the Tennessee Walking Horse National Museum, is about five miles south, and Shelbyville is the county seat. For more ideas, see our small towns in Tennessee, including Lynchburg.
Where to find them
- Railroad Square Railroad Square, Bell Buckle, TN 37020 Website Directions
- Bell Buckle Cafe Railroad Square & TN-269, Bell Buckle, TN 37020 Website Directions
- RC Cola-MoonPie Festival 4 Railroad Square, Bell Buckle, TN 37020 Website Directions
- Webb School Art and Craft Show 4 Railroad Square, Bell Buckle, TN 37020 Website Directions
- Tennessee Walking Horse National Museum 27 Main Street, Wartrace, TN 37183 Website Directions
- Nearest Green Distillery 3129 Highway 231 N, Shelbyville, TN Website Directions
Plan your trip: for events and current visitor info in Bell Buckle, see Bell Buckle Chamber of Commerce →
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Where to stay in Bell Buckle
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