4 Tennessee Towns Where Famous Movies Were Filmed
Tennessee has long had a reputation as the home of two major music capitals, thanks to Nashville, known as “Music City,” and Memphis, celebrated as both the “Home of the Blues” and the birthplace of rock ’n’ roll. But it is also rich in film history, with countless towns serving as movie backdrops. A number of Hollywood actors were also born in Tennessee, including Academy Award winners Morgan Freeman and Kathy Bates, as well as Megan Fox and Quentin Tarantino. So if you love film history, pop culture, the early lives of the rich and famous, behind-the-scenes trivia, Hollywood gossip, or discovering the real-life locations from some of your favorite blockbusters, take a closer look at four Tennessee towns where famous movies were filmed.
Memphis
Memphis is a city on the Mississippi River synonymous with music, and no street better epitomizes this connection than Beale Street, a happening entertainment district renowned for its live shows, historic buildings, and significant contributions to culture. Memphis was also the setting and shooting location of The Firm (1993), the John Grisham novel turned movie adaptation, starring Tom Cruise.
Filmed around downtown Memphis, both Beale Street and the famous Peabody Hotel appeared in key scenes. The Peabody first opened in 1869 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is also lovingly renowned for the five mallard ducks known to march through the lobby twice a day. Spend a night in the lap of luxury, or simply take a wander through the iconic lobby and grab a cocktail at the bar.
The 80-acre Elmwood Cemetery, the oldest cemetery in Memphis, was also featured in The Firm. The graveyard, its dramatic Entry Bridge, and the Carpenter-Gothic Office Cottage are all on the National Register of Historic Places. Elmwood is also an official bird sanctuary and arboretum, making it a peaceful place for a walk and a beautiful oasis in the heart of the city.
Walk the Line, the 2005 Johnny Cash biopic, used many Memphis locations to shoot the film that won Academy Awards for both Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon. Real-life hot spots include the historic Orpheum Theatre, which was built in 1928 and continues to host world-class live shows, the Arcade Restaurant, the oldest cafe in Memphis, and the legendary Sun Studio, where you can take a 40-minute guided tour of the place where musicians like B.B. King, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Cash once recorded hits.
Nashville
Tennessee's capital city, Nashville, is naturally the setting of Robert Altman’s 1975 masterpiece, Nashville, but it is also one of the stars of the sprawling ensemble movie that follows two dozen characters navigating the worlds of country music and politics during the 1970s. The film relies heavily on several iconic landmarks to set the scene, so movie buffs will enjoy traipsing around town in places like the world’s only exact-size replica of the original Parthenon in Athens and the 42-foot statue of Athena in Nashville’s Centennial Park.
Of course, no visit to Music City is complete without a visit to the celebrated Ryman Auditorium, nicknamed the “Mother Church of Country Music.” Visitors can opt for a 1-hour self-guided tour or a 2-hour VIP tour of its hallowed halls. Both options include an immersive “Soul of Nashville” theatre experience, the “Opry 100” exhibit celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Grand Old Opry, and hundreds of one-of-a-kind celebrity artifacts from the likes of Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash.
Morristown
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is routinely cited as the most-visited national park in the US, attracting over 12 million visitors annually to its 522,427 acres divided almost evenly between Tennessee and North Carolina. Beyond the misty foothills of the Smokies lies Morristown, a quiet rural East Tennessee town well-known to devoted horror fans as the filming location for Sam Raimi’s cult classic, The Evil Dead (1981). Although the original legendary backwoods cabin burned down in the spring of 1982, horror movie aficionados still go looking for it. A mystery surrounds the cause of the fire, and there is a rumored chimney at the undisclosed site where fans who find it are known to take bricks as souvenirs.
If you’re looking for historic locations, Morristown is home to the Crockett Tavern Museum, built on the site of the boyhood home of Davy Crockett. The museum is a reconstruction of the 1790s John Crockett Tavern, once owned and operated by the parents of the American folk hero. Seasonally open, the museum features frontier-era artifacts, costumed interpreters, and exhibits on Davy Crockett’s early life. Wind up the day in Morristown with a stop at the 1907 Brewing Company, named for the year in which the building was constructed. The pub and tasting room are located near “overhead sidewalks,” an early 20th-century walkway designed to allow you to walk from building to building without stepping on the road.
Spencer
The unassuming town of Spencer sits between Nashville and Knoxville, along the edge of Fall Creek Falls State Park. The region served as the filming location for part of Disney’s live-action remake of The Jungle Book (1994), thanks to the area’s remote, lush environment. Falls Creek Falls State Park spans some 30,000 acres and is home to the tallest waterfall in Tennessee. It is also one of the state’s most visited parks, encompassing lush forests, spectacular gorges, and 56 miles of hiking trails. Cane Creek Cascades, a gorgeous 45-foot waterfall, also makes a cameo in the film, rumored to be where Mowgli jumps off a cliff and plummets into the water below.
Visitors today can cross a suspension bridge over the creek and check out the Betty Dunn Nature Center to learn more about the park’s history, flora, and fauna. The state park is also home to a lakeside lodge that features 85 unique guest rooms, a restaurant, a pool, paddleboard and boat rentals, and an 18-hole golf course. Another part of the movie was filmed in nearby Lost Creek State Natural Area, a 385-acre preserve considered one of Tennessee’s most secluded and magical locations, where you can explore Lost Creek Cave, as well as 7 miles of mapped passages and several waterfalls.
Exploring Tennessee’s Most Iconic Movie Locations
Tennessee’s movie-making scene is as diverse as its music scene, with films ranging from legal thrillers to musical biopics and cult horror classics. In Memphis, movie lovers can retrace scenes from The Firm or visit famous spots from Walk the Line. Nashville shines in landmarks like Centennial Park’s Parthenon and the Ryman Auditorium in the film of the same name. Meanwhile, over in Morristown, fans of horror flicks keep searching for the long-lost location of The Evil Dead, while the Fall Creek Falls State Park near Spencer becomes a lush jungle stand-in for Disney’s The Jungle Book, showcasing the state’s natural beauty.
