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Tennessee in WWII
Throughout its involvement in WWII, every state in America contributed to the war effort. Training camps, production plants, scrap drives, ammunition factories and countless other home front efforts sprung up across the nation. Every state sent men to the frontlines. Every state used its natural resources, industrial complexes and every other advantage at its disposal to help America emerge victorious. The state of Tennessee was no different. From training grounds to top secret laboratories, Tennessee’s WWII sites provide an insight into the state’s vital contributions to the war efforts.
Between 1941 and 1945, over 315,000 Tennesseans served in the armed forces. Over five thousand soldiers from the state gave their lives during the conflict. Seven men from Tennessee were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for their role in the war. In fact, the most recent recipient of this highest honor, Master Sergeant Roderick W. Edmonds from Knoxville, TN, was awarded a medal for his service in WWII on March 2, 2026.
In addition to its personnel contributions, Tennessee served the war effort by means of its natural resources, including its geographical similarities to areas of Europe. A large section of Middle Tennessee was converted into training grounds and became known as the Tennessee Maneuver Area. The area was selected due to its resemblance to France, Belgium and Germany and went on to see the training of over 1 million men.
Despite its valuable contributions across the state, the majority of the most important WWII sites in Tennessee lie within the town of Oak Ridge. This area in eastern Tennessee was selected as one of the three primary locations across the country dedicated to the creation of the atomic bomb. The region is rich in the natural resources needed to create these weapons. The town of Oak Ridge was built during the war in order to accommodate the many workers and their families employed in this top secret work. Oak Ridge was rewarded for its contribution to the war when it was named an official U.S. Heritage City in 2022.
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Must-Visit WWII Sites in Tennessee
As mentioned above, the state of Tennessee served the U.S. in the war in a variety of disciplines. Therefore, when I was assembling a list of the top WWII sites in Tennessee, I attempted to include stops that represented the state’s various wartime contributions. The highest concentration of worthwhile sites lie within the town of Oak Ridge due to its connection with the Manhattan Project. Because of this, if you are only able to visit one area of Tennessee, it should be the eastern portion of the state (Oak Ridge and Knoxville).
I have described each of my top 10 WWII sites in Tennessee in greater detail below. In order to help you plan the perfect journey through these sites, please use this interactive map.
1. Manhattan Project National Historic Park (Oakridge, TN)
Our first WWII site in Tennessee brings us to the heart of the state’s heritage city at the Manhattan Project National Historic Park in Oak Ridge, TN. Manhattan Project sites can be found throughout the town. Some are off-limits or only accessible by appointment (the Oak Ridge National Laboratory is still a functioning research facility). Some sites are no longer standing and others have been repurposed.
When attempting to explore the Manhattan Project sites in Oak Ridge, the best place to start is at the visitor’s center. Housed inside the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge, this stop is little more than an information desk and a small gift shop. However, don’t let its size fool you. The employees are extremely well-versed on the atomic history of the town and are more than happy to provide you with a map and an itinerary to explore the best of the town’s historic sites.
Hours – Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 4pm, Sunday 1pm to 4pm, closed Monday
Cost – free
Address – 461 W Outer Dr, Oak Ridge, TN 37830
Website – Oak Ridge Visitor Center
Looking to travel beyond Tennessee? Check out my post on Visiting the National WWII Museum (New Orleans).
2. American Museum of Science and Industry (Oak Ridge, TN)
Opened in 1949, this museum explores the city’s contribution to science and energy from its founding during the war through the present day. Its primary exhibit on the Manhattan Project is contained within a WWII “flat top” house, a prefabricated home used during the war to provide temporary housing for workers. The display includes information on J. Robert Oppenheimer (the Father of the Atomic Bomb) as well as replicas of atomic weapons.
The museum is a must-visit WWII site in Tennessee as it provides a detailed background on the role the state played in developing the world’s first nuclear weapon. It also helps explain how the town, created solely for the purpose of creating these weapons, has continued to grow and thrive even after the war’s conclusion. In addition to captivating displays, the museum also offers bus tours of the various Manhattan Project Sites scattered across Oak Ridge.
Hours – Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm, Sunday 1pm to 5pm
Cost – $10 adult
Address – 115 E Main St, Oak Ridge, TN 37830
Website – American Museum of Science and Energy
3. International Friendship Bell (Oak Ridge, TN)
On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped the very first atomic bomb to be used against an enemy nation. “Little Boy” exploded over the Japanese city of Hiroshima, causing unprecedented destruction and loss of life. The uranium core which gave the atomic bomb this destructive power was produced and enriched in Oak Ridge, TN.
Fifty years after the town’s founding, for the sole purpose of helping create this weapon of mass destruction, an 8,000-pound bronze bell was installed to symbolize a renewed friendship and understanding between the town of Oak Ridge and the people of Japan. This International Friendship Bell is a powerful example of the ability of two nations to remember the events of the past and choose a path of peace for the future. Each year on the anniversary of the dropping of the first atomic bomb on Japan, the city of Oak Ridge invites the public to ring the bell. This moving ceremony begins at sunrise and is marked by a path of luminaries surrounding the bell, each decorated with a message of peace.
Hours – always open
Cost – free
Address – 1401 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak Ridge, TN 37830
Website – The International Friendship Bell
4. Tennessee Maneuvers Remembered (Carthage, TN)
This entry is a little different as it is not a traditional site, but it is certainly worth checking out. Every year, the town of Carthage, TN hosts a festival dedicated to the Tennessee Maneuvers. This large-scale training operation took place across 22 counties in Middle Tennessee. Over 1 million soldiers were trained in this region in order to prepare them for combat across similar terrains in Europe.
Carthage honors its proud WWII history each year through parades, demonstrations, entertainment and flyovers. If you are not able to visit the town during the festival, be sure to explore this region of Tennessee in order to gain a better appreciation for the training ground of so many U.S. troops.
This Year’s Festival – May 2, 2026
More Information – Tennessee Maneuvers Remembered
If you are interested in a more detailed travel planning tool, check out my travel guides. Each guide includes information about sites, lodging, transportation, sample itineraries and much more. Click here to get your travel guide.
5. National Medal of Honor Heritage Center (Chattanooga, TN)
The National Medal of Honor Heritage Center is a must-visit WWII site in Tennessee due to its commitment to honoring the most valiant of soldiers. This immersive museum was opened in 2020 and honors recipients of the Medal of Honor from its inception during the American Civil War through the present day. The museum features several exhibits dedicated to the Second World War, including one on Desmond Doss. Doss’ heroic actions at Hacksaw Ridge, in which he rescued 75 men, led to him becoming the first conscientious objector to win the Medal of Honor.
Knowledgeable volunteers are available throughout the museum to answer any questions. They can also assist you in locating specific Medal of Honor winners through their complete database of recipients. Over 3500 Americans have been awarded this highest honor, including 472 recipients from WWII.
Hours – Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm, Sunday 10am to 4pm
Cost – $16.95
Address – 2 W Aquarium Way Suite 104, Chattanooga, TN 37402
Website – National Medal of Honor Heritage Center
6. Military Memorial Museum & Camp Crossville (Crossville, TN)
Camp Crossville began as a Civilian Conservation Corp camp before being repurposed as a POW camp in 1942. The camp was one of 11 such prisoner camps in the state and housed over 1500 German and Italian prisoners. Crossville was unique as it was the only POW camp in the United States solely dedicated to the imprisonment of officers. Following its closure in 1945, it was converted into a 4-H camp. Today, nothing remains of the original site, but a historic marker shows the spot of the original entrance.
To learn more about this piece of Tennessee’s WWII history, visit the Military Memorial Museum in Crossville. This local museum contains displays dedicated to the town’s military history from the Civil War to World War II.
Hours – Monday to Friday 10am to 3pm, closed Saturday and Sunday
Cost – donation requested
Address – 20 S Main St, Crossville, TN 38555 (museum)
2815 Pow Camp Rd, Crossville, TN 38572 (Camp Crossville Historical Marker)
Website – Military Memorial Museum
7. Enterprise South Nature Park (Chattanooga, TN)
Deep in the woods of a sprawling nature park lies one of the most unique WWII sites in Tennessee. At Chattanooga’s Enterprise South Nature park, 100 concrete bunkers can be found along a windy road through the forest. The bunkers were built by the Volunteer Army Ammunition Plant (VAAP) and were used to store TNT during the war. They were built in a bee hive shape and designed to blend into the natural environment around them in order to ensure they were undetected from the air. In the years since they were last in use, they have largely been overtaken be vegetation growing over their tops.
Today, three of these bunkers are open to the public. They sit along a 10-mile trail which can be explored on car, bike or foot. The remote location and overgrown state of these bunkers make them a fascinating, if slightly eerie, piece of WWII history in Tennessee.
Hours – free
Cost – daily 7am to 7:30pm
Address – 190 Still Hollow Loop Road, Chattanooga, TN 37416
Website – Enterprise South Nature Park
8. War Dog Memorial (Knoxville, TN)
The War Dog Memorial sits in front of the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. It is an exact replica of the official War Dog Memorial located on the island of Guam. The memorial is specifically dedicated to the 25 dogs who lost their lives during the liberation of Guam. More broadly, however, the memorial is meant to honor all dogs that served in the war. Come pay your respects to the heroic canines that served their country honorably during the war.
Hours – always open
Cost – free
Address – 2407 River Dr. Knoxville, TN 37996
Website – War Dog Memorial
9. Tennessee WWII Memorial (Nashville, TN)
This moving memorial to the Second World War is located in the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park in Nashville, TN. It features a granite plaza adorned with 10 columns. Each of the columns is engraved with images from the war (5 with scenes from Europe and North Africa and 5 with scenes from the Pacific). In the center of the memorial is an 8-ton solid granite globe displaying the world as it looked in 1940. The globe is designed to rotate on a base of water.
The Tennessee WWII Memorial was opened on Veteran’s Day in 1997. In addition to the nation’s role in the war as a whole, the memorial also honors the seven people from Tennessee who received the Medal of Honor as well as the 5,731 Tennesseans who died in the war.
Hours – 7am to 10pm
Cost – free
Address – 1049 6th Ave. N. Nashville, TN 37208
Website – Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park
10. Tennessee Museum of Aviation (Sevierville, TN)
This aviation museum is dedicated to all things military flight. While not solely dedicated to WWII, the museum features several exhibits on the conflict, including a piece of steel from the U.S.S. Arizona. The hangar features a wide variety of aircraft and the museum’s volunteers are available to answer any and all aviation related questions.
Hours – Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 6pm, closed Sunday and Monday
Cost – $18 adult
Address – 135 Air Museum Way, Sevierville, TN 37862
Website – Tennessee Museum of Aviation
Looking for more WWII sites in the U.S.? Check out my Ultimate Guide.
Are Tennessee's WWII Sites Worth Visiting?
Tennessee is a great state to visit for those seeking to better understand the role of the American home front during the war. Tennessee’s WWII sites are as varied and important as the many roles played by the state during the war itself. Many of the sites are within an easy drive of each other and the state’s relatively small size makes exploring multiple areas doable on a short trip. If time is short, consider a journey to Oak Ridge to learn more about the town’s role in the Manhattan Project. With more time, I highly recommend a stop at the Enterprise South Nature Park in Chattanooga. The abandoned TNT bunkers at the park are truly a unique piece of WWII history.
Which ever sites you choose to visit, be sure to remember the people who dedicated their lives to ensuring our freedom, particularly those who paid the ultimate price.
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