Things to Do in Pulaski, Tennessee
The best things to do in Pulaski, Tennessee, are touring Milky Way Farm, walking the courthouse square and visiting the Trail of Tears Memorial Interpretive Center. Pulaski is a city of 8,397 people and the seat of Giles County, on the state’s southern edge near Alabama.
The town dates to 1809 and is named for Casimir Pulaski, the Polish-born Revolutionary War general. Its history is not all comfortable. During the Civil War the Union Army ran a camp here for freed people, with classes for them and their families. Union troops also hanged Confederate courier Sam Davis here as a spy in 1863, and six Confederate veterans founded the Ku Klux Klan in Pulaski on December 24, 1865.
Milky Way Farm
Franklin C. Mars, inventor of the Milky Way bar, bought a 2,800-acre property here in 1930. He built a Tudor Revival manor house and barns for Thoroughbred horses and Hereford cattle. With 800 workers during construction, the farm became Giles County’s largest employer during the Depression. Mars died in 1934 and is buried in a mausoleum on the farm. The estate is now on the National Register as a historic district and hosts weddings, tours and trail runs.
★ Good to know Tours of the manor house are by reservation only, and the open-house tour includes a signature dessert and coffee.
Giles County Courthouse square
The Giles County Courthouse anchors downtown. The current building went up in 1909, after earlier courthouses burned four times. Local shops and cafes, including Second Street Coffee House, sit on the streets around it.
★ Good to know Park once and walk; Antoinette Hall and the Yellow Deli are both downtown.
Trail of Tears Memorial Interpretive Center
This museum on Stadium Street tells the history and legacy of the Cherokee people and their forced journey on the Trail of Tears. Staff lead public, private and home-school group tours.
★ Good to know Regular hours are Thursdays only, so call ahead to arrange a visit on another day.
Antoinette Hall and STAAR Theatre
Antoinette Hall, built in 1868 on North First Street, is the oldest surviving opera house in Tennessee. The Southern Tennessee Area Arts Repertory (STAAR) owns it and stages plays, musicals and concerts in the street-level theater below. A preservation society is raising money to restore the hall upstairs.
★ Good to know Check STAAR’s calendar for the current show before you plan an evening around it.
Big Creek Winery
A few miles from Interstate 65, Big Creek’s Pulaski tasting room is where its wines are made. It pours both grape and fruit wines and hosts tastings, tours and music events.
★ Good to know Hours change by day of the week, so check the winery’s visit page before you go.
The Yellow Deli
Set in a historic house once known as the Heritage House, the deli serves hot sandwiches, fresh salads, homemade soups and desserts. Some of its vegetables come from its own farm just up the road.
★ Good to know It’s a relaxed place to linger over tea, not just a quick lunch stop.
Also in town
Second Street Coffee House is at 102 S. 2nd St., and the University of Tennessee Southern, founded in 1870 as Martin Methodist College, has its campus in town.
Can you tour Milky Way Farm in Pulaski?
Yes, by reservation. The house tour starts in the manor with stories of the farm and time to explore, followed by a question-and-answer period. The farm is also used for weddings and special events.
What is Pulaski, Tennessee, known for?
Milky Way Farm, built by candy maker Franklin Mars, and a long, sometimes dark Civil War and Reconstruction history. It’s also home to the University of Tennessee Southern.
Is Antoinette Hall open to the public?
The STAAR Theatre on the ground floor stages shows through the year. The 1868 opera house upstairs is awaiting restoration by a preservation society.
What small towns are near Pulaski?
Lynnville, a tiny railroad town, is also in Giles County. See Lynnville and our small towns in Tennessee.
Where to find them
- Milky Way Farm 520 Milky Way Rd., Pulaski, TN 38478 Website Directions
- Giles County Courthouse Pulaski, TN 38478 Directions
- Trail of Tears Memorial Interpretive Center 220 Stadium St., Pulaski, TN 38478 Website Directions
- Antoinette Hall and STAAR Theatre 105 N. 1st St., Pulaski, TN 38478 Website Directions
- Big Creek Winery 1900 Crescentview Rd., Pulaski, TN 38478 Website Directions
- The Yellow Deli 219 S. 3rd St., Pulaski, TN 38478 Website Directions
Plan your trip: for events and current visitor info in Pulaski, see Giles County Chamber of Commerce →
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Where to stay in Pulaski
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