Things to Do in Lynchburg, Tennessee

This is why most people come, and it draws more than a quarter of a million visitors a year. Jack Daniel learned the trade from Nathan “Nearest” Green, and tours walk you past the cave spring, the stills and the barrelhouses. The standard Jack Daniel Distillery Tour runs a little under two hours and is open to all ages, with tastings for guests 21 and up.

★ Good to know Book ahead. Tours run nearly every day except a handful of major holidays, and longer tours like the Bonded Tour are 21 and up.

The welcome center sits on the distillery campus in a building more than 120 years old, and it greets over 300,000 guests a year. It’s the official start of the Tennessee Whiskey Trail, which links more than 25 distilleries across the state.

★ Good to know Pick up a Tennessee Whiskey Trail passport here and collect stamps as you go; a completed passport earns a commemorative gift.

The white Greek Revival house facing the square was already a boarding house when Mary Bobo and her husband bought it in 1908. Jack Daniel’s runs it today as a Southern lunch spot, with family-style seating in several dining rooms.

★ Good to know Reservations are highly recommended; walk-ins are seated only if there’s room.

A fire on December 4, 1883, destroyed nearly half the town, and the brick courthouse that anchors the square was finished in 1885. Across the street, the 1893 jail held prisoners until 1990. The sheriff’s family lived in the same building, and the sheriff’s wife cooked for her family and the inmates alike.

★ Good to know The Old Jail Museum is free, with donations welcome, and keeps limited days, so check before you go.

Jack Daniel’s own store has sat on the town square for more than 110 years. It’s the place for all things Jack, from souvenirs to gifts you won’t find at the distillery shop back home.

This downtown distillery took over the building on Hiles Street that once held Lynchburg Winery. It’s an official Tennessee Whiskey Trail stop, pouring its bourbons, whiskeys and ryes in tastings, cocktails and a rotating list of craft beer. Live music and events fill the calendar.

★ Good to know It’s family-friendly, and pets are welcome outdoors.

Barrel House smokes pork, chicken and sausage in a pit downtown. It’s also home of the “Grilled Cheese on Crack,” which Yelp and BuzzFeed named Tennessee’s best grilled cheese in 2017. It’s stuffed with smoked meat and habanero sauce, then grilled in butter.

East of Lynchburg near Winchester, this 3,546-acre park sits on Tims Ford Reservoir. It’s one of the Bill Dance Signature Lakes and a top bass-fishing spot. It has trails, cabins, campgrounds, boat rentals and the Bear Trace, a Jack Nicklaus signature golf course.

★ Good to know Bill Dance himself learned to fish in Lynchburg’s Mulberry Creek during childhood summers.