Anderson County is rich in culture and unique history. A great way to learn more about Anderson County’s history is to visit one of our many museums.

Visit Green McAdoo Cultural Center and learn how twelve African American high school students walked into history and changed the south. They were the first to attend a desegregated state-supported high school in the south. Learn how they not only changed a community, but a nation!

Visit the American Museum of Science and Energy and learn how 75,000 people kept a secret during WWII. From the frontier of Appalachia to the frontier of the nuclear age, you will learn about Oak Ridge’s leading-edge technolgy and more!

The Museum of Appalachia, a Smithsonian affiliate museum, tells the story of a region which was settled by proud, hardworking people through the relics they made and used to survive. Considered “the most authentic and complete replica of pioneer Appalachian life in the world”, the museum contains over 250,000 pioneer relics including 30 log structures featuring cantilever barns, a chapel, and the Mark Twain family cabin. While you’re there, be sure to enjoy a delicious home cooked meal at the museum’s restaurant open from 11 am – 2 pm daily.

To learn more about the coal mining history in the area, visit the Coal Creek Miners Museum. Learn the rich history of the miners that lived, worked and died in Coal Creek, Fraterville, and Briceville, Tennessee. You will learn how the “free” miners fought against the convict lease system which ultimately ended the system in the southern states. You will also learn about a community that not only survived one mining disaster, but two that killed almost every man and young boy in the community.

The Lenoir Museum and Historical Complex, located at Norris Dam State Park, includes the museum, an 18th century grist mill and a threshing barn. Visitors will see what life was like before the Tennessee Valley Authority built Norris Dam and more.

If you have children, be sure to check out the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge. Visitors can explore a child-size dollhouse, experience the wonders of a rainforest, and learn the unique heritage of the region through the eyes of a child. Don’t miss the world of trains and waterworks exhibits!