From the museum's website:

"Find art, history and culture at one of the largest museums in the nation. Interpretive exhibits begin 15,000 years ago with prehistoric people and continue through the early 1900s, with special displays of furniture, silver, weapons, quilts, and paintings. The museum's Civil War holdings of uniforms, battle flags and weapons are among the finest in the nation. Visit the museum's changing gallery for special exhibitions."

Across the street from the State Museum, and affiliated with it, is the Military Branch Museum. According to the museum website, "Exhibits deal with America's overseas conflicts, beginning with the Spanish-American War in 1898 and ending with World War II in 1945."

The museum also manages guided tours of the Tennessee State Capitol, first opened in 1859.

The museum offers 35-to-40-min. state-curriculum-aligned tour programs for all grade levels. Programs focus on specific periods in history and exhibits; some include hands-on activities and first-person interpretations of historical figures. Self-guided tours of the museum are also available. All programs, included self-guided, require reservations. The museum may also offer programs associated with changing exhibitions. Check out the Teachers section of the website for further information on programs for students and educators.

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum presents the history of country music through its permanent exhibit, "Sing Me Back Home," showcasing both the music and the artifacts behind and surrounding it—costumes, lyrics sheets, musical instruments. It also hosts traveling and changing exhibits and programs and performances.

The museum offers exhibits, tours and in-museum workshops for school groups, curriculum guides, and educational and recreational events.

The B. Carroll Reece Memorial Museum, part of the East Tennessee State University, houses the University's Art Department's permanent collection of works of art and a historical collection which serves to preserve the story of the settlement of Johnson City, Washington County, and the surrounding region.

The museum offers exhibits and occasional recreational and educational events, including art classes for students.

Johnsonville State Historic Park is named for Military Governor Andrew Johnson. This 600-acre park on the eastern side of Kentucky Lake overlooks the site of the Battle of Johnsonville. On November 4, 1864, at Johnsonville, Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest's cavalry took up artillery positions on the west bank of the Tennessee River. Calvary forces under Forrest sank four Federal gunboats downstream and destroyed a Union Army supply depot on the east bank at Johnsonville. Four of the original breastworks (rifle pits) are beautifully preserved. Two large forts in the park are open to visitors.

The park offers tours and educational programs.

The site consists of a representation of Hull's log cabin birthplace, an activities center, and a museum housing documents and artifacts. Also on the park is beautiful Bunkum Cave Trail leading to an overlook and the actual entrance of historic Bunkum Cave where Cordell Hull's father made moonshine years ago. The collection includes his Nobel Peace Prize that is on display.

The museum offers a short film, exhibits, and occasional recreational and educational events.

The 1,642 acre Fort Pillow is rich in both historic and archaeological significance. In 1861, the Confederate Army built extensive fortifications here and named the site for General Gideon J. Pillow of Maury County. Because of its strategic location, the fort was taken by the Union Army who controlled it during most of the war. The remains of the earthworks are well-preserved.

The site offers a short film, exhibits, tours, educational programs, and recreational and educational events (including living history events).

Originally known as the Palmer House, this 10-room, turn-of-the-century bungalow home was built in 1919 by Will E. Palmer, the maternal grandfather of Alex Haley (1921–1992). From 1921 to 1929, and during some subsequent summers, Haley lived here with his grandparents. The front porch was often the place where young Haley heard the oral accounts of family history, including stories of Kunta Kinte, the young Mandingo man captured near his West African home. These stories inspired Haley to write about his ancestry in a book called Roots. This 1976 Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel has been translated into over 30 languages and has had great influence in stimulating the study of genealogy. Roots was adapted for an eight-part television series, which became one of the most popular programs in television history. On December 14, 1978, the Alex Haley House was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. It has attracted scholars and other visitors from around the world. Haley is buried on the grounds.

The house offers exhibits and tours.

Historic Collinsville is a living history museum featuring several authentically restored log houses and outbuildings from the mid 1800s. The settlement is also home to a one-room schoolhouse, church, and a exhibit center which focuses on Collinsville-area wildlife and Native Americans.

The museum offers exhibits, guided tours, and field trip programs. The website offers visitor information regarding the museum.

Built in 1816 for James K. Polk's father, Samuel, this Federal-style house is the only surviving home of America's 11th President. James K. Polk lived here with his parents from 1818 to 1824, when he began his legal and political career. His rise to national prominence included serving as governor of Tennessee from 1839 to 1841, and culminated in 1844, when he was elected as a "darkhorse" Democratic candidate for the Presidency. He died of cholera in Nashville at age 53 on June 15, 1849, three months after stepping down from the White House. Today, the James K. Polk ancestral home is a Presidential historic site that displays original Polk belongings, such as furnishings, documents, White House artifacts, and political memorabilia. The site also features the adjacent Sisters' House museum, a reconstructed 19th-century kitchen building, and formal gardens.

A second website for the home can be found here.

The home offers a short film, exhibits, tours, lectures, educational programs, and demonstrations.