On Christmas Day in 1868, the Antoinette Hall Opera House opened in Pulaski, following its construction that same year. For more than five decades, it provided a venue for traveling entertainment, local performances, lectures and graduation ceremonies. Today, it is the oldest surviving opera house in Tennessee and one of the oldest in the United States. A 3D virtual tour shows the Hall in its current, pre-restoration condition; private or group tours of the STAAR Theatre offer another way to explore the theater.
Architecture and History in Pulaski
The neoclassical Giles County Courthouse in the center of Pulaski dates to 1909. The Pulaski Courthouse Square Historic District stretches around the courthouse, encompassing 92 buildings across nine city blocks. This allows you to view the square not just as a single structure, but as a historic complex of buildings.
Another site with a strong historical connection is the Sam Davis Memorial Museum and Shrine. It was built in 1950 at the site where Sam Davis was executed on November 27, 1863. The Giles County Trail of Tears Interpretive Center focuses on the history and legacy of the Cherokee during the Trail of Tears. The Bell Route and the Benge Route passed through Giles County; the center in Pulaski presents the Cherokee history of this chapter.
Lynnville: Railroad History and Local Heritage
The Lynnville Historic District encompasses 59 properties significant to Giles County for their architecture, early settlement and commerce. The area also has a history of early religious settlement: the county’s first Methodist church was founded in 1809 where Lynnville stands today.
At the Lynnville Railroad Museum, explore the railroad cars on a self-guided tour and step inside each one. The depot displays railroad memorabilia as well as a working model railroad depicting Lynnville in the 1930s. Here, history comes to life both through collected objects and a model of the town as it once looked.
Natural Areas and Outdoor Trails
Wolf Gap combines a history and nature education center with a 50-acre green space known as Giles County’s Green Space. The grounds are open seven days a week from sunrise to sunset. Outdoors, you’ll find walking trails, picnic areas, porches and lawn games; exhibits in the Education Center can be viewed on weekends. The hours for visiting the outdoor areas and viewing the exhibits are therefore different.
The walking trail at Giles County Agri-Park is also open to the public, daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Agri-Park also serves as an event venue celebrating the area’s agricultural history. Another kind of trail follows Pleasant Run: the Pleasant Run Eco-Trail runs alongside the creek of the same name. For a bike ride, the Bike TN Minor Hill Loop offers a road-cycling circuit with rolling roads and challenging climbs.
Tastings, Farms and Local Food
Big Creek Winery offers more than 30 wines made from grapes and other fruits. At its Pulaski location, winery tours and tastings are available; the tasting room also serves locally made cheese and other snacks. At Big Machine Distillery, visitors can fill their own vodka or single-barrel Tennessee whiskey straight from the cask. The two experiences offer different highlights: wine and accompanying snacks at one, and filling your own spirit at the other.
A historical tour at Milky Way Farm takes you through the 1930s home of Franklin C. Mars, inventor of the Milky Way candy bar. Tours of the Manor House are available by reservation. Hayride, barn and farm tours are also available by reservation only, for groups of 20 or more or as part of scheduled events.
In Lynnville, Soda Pop Junction is a burger restaurant known for generously topped burgers and thick milkshakes. In Elkton, the historic Elkton Bridge, built in 1924, combines a glimpse into local history with an outing by the water: at the Matt Gardner Elk River Access Area, you can fish or kayak. U.S. Highways 31 and 64 run through Giles County and offer an additional point of reference for planning your stay.
Explore more destinations: Pulaski, Frankewing, Hardeman County, Lawrence County, Johnson County, Sevier, Grainger County and Weakley County.
For the main travel overview: Tennessee.
