7 Bizarrely Named Towns In Tennessee

Tennessee is home to several quirky towns with unique histories, rich culture, music, and plenty to explore. From the immortalized Nutbush, the birthplace of Tina Turner, to the picturesque Paris with its Eiffel Tower replica, these bizarrely named towns offer something for everyone. Discover Hurricane Mills, steeped in country music lore, or visit Bell Buckle, where arts, crafts, and Moon Pies reign. Sweetwater surprises with The Lost Sea, while Ducktown, once a bustling copper mining town, invites history buffs to explore its mining past. Whether visitors are into scenic drives like the Snake 421 in Shady Valley or exploring Appalachian trails, Tennessee’s towns are full of charm and adventure waiting to be discovered.

Nutbush

While no one is precisely certain how Nutbush got its name, it may come from the hazelnut bushes that grew abundantly in the area in the early 19th century. Nevertheless, Nutbush is forever immortalized in the classic 1973 song, “Nutbush City Limits,” written and recorded by the “Queen of Rock and Roll,” Tina Turner, born there in 1939. With lyrics about the “one-horse town” with “no whiskey for sale,” Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock) also sings about “a church house, gin house, a school house, outhouse, on Highway Number Nineteen.” In 2002, Tennessee State Route 19 was renamed the “Tina Turner Highway,” the route rock and roll fans can drive from Nutbush to nearby Brownsville to visit the world’s only Tina Turner Museum, housed inside her former elementary school, Flagg Grove School.

Paris

Paris was named after the City of Light on the Seine River in France after a visit to the state by the Revolutionary War hero, the Marquis de Lafayette, in the early 1800s. Like the other Paris, this small town even has an Eiffel Tower or a 60-foot-tall replica of one, which is perfect for selfies if a trip to the other Paris is not within the budget. The best way to see Paris is by taking a walking tour through unique shops in the historic district, the 1896 Henry County Courthouse, the grand mansion and museum known as the Paris Henry County Heritage Center, and Sweet Jordan’s, a one-of-kind-bakery, ice cream, and coffee shop that focuses on abilities, not disabilities. Paris is also known as the home of the “World’s Biggest Fish Fry,” held every April. This year marks the 72nd annual event, a weeklong celebration of rodeos, parades, pageants, and all-you-can-eat catfish in the Fish Tent.

Hurricane Mills

Hurricane Mills derives its name from one of Tennessee's first hydroelectric turbine-powered mills, built in 1876, which provided electricity and ground grain. This mill was constructed on a site that previously housed an iron forge established in 1824, active during the Civil War. Local legend suggests that the spirits of soldiers still haunt the old mill, which is now home to the historic Grist Mill Museum. The town is closely associated with country music in general, and Loretta Lynn in particular, who discovered a white house above a waterfall along with an old gristmill and decided to purchase it, which included the entire town of Hurricane Mills. Today, this town, dedicated to the country music star, stands as one of the top tourist attractions in the state, drawing visitors to the Loretta Lynn Ranch, a replica of her Butcher Holler home, the Coal Miner’s Daughter Museum, and the singer’s Doll and Fan Museum. Various events like Chuckwagon Races and TN TrailJam will be held at the ranch during 2025.

Bell Buckle

Legend has it that the town of Bell Buckle, located about an hour from the capital city of Nashville, got its name from early settlers who found a carving of a cowbell and buckle on a tree by a creek. The settlers interpreted this carving as a warning from the Indigenous people that they and their cows were encroaching on ancestral land. Today, the Bell Buckle Historic District is a favorite destination for visitors interested in arts and crafts, culture, and moon pies, hosting events in 2025 such as the Webb School Art and Craft Show, the Bell Buckle Songwriters Festival, and the Bell Buckle RC Cola-MoonPie Festival. In downtown Bell Buckle, visitors can stop for coffee at the Bell Buckle Coffee Shop & Book Swap or go antiquing at the Livery Stable Antique Mall and Phillips General Store Antiques.

Sweetwater

The town of Sweetwater in East Tennesee is an unlikely location for a body of water known as The Lost Sea. Still, the tourist attraction is the largest underground lake in the U.S. and a Registered National Landmark. Part of Craighead Caverns, the Lost Sea cavern system includes the underground lake, crystal clusters called anthodites, stalactites, stalagmites, and a waterfall. The site once yielded bones and footprints of a giant jaguar from the Pleistocene era. Guided 75-minute tours of the caverns are available, where spelunkers will learn about how the Cherokee people first used the caves and then later by Confederate soldiers mining for saltpeter used to make gunpowder. In 2025, Sweetwater celebrates the 150th anniversary of the town's founding in 1875 with events, parades, concerts, and more. Legend has it that the town's name came from descriptions of area springs by early settlers.

Ducktown

According to legend, Ducktown was named after a Cherokee chief known as Chief Duck. Once a copper mining town that served as the headquarters for the Tennessee Copper Company, Ducktown is the ideal small town for mining enthusiasts to explore the nearly intact remains of the Burra Burra Mine at the Ducktown Basin Museum, which shares the history of copper mining in the U.S. Ducktown also serves as a gateway to the 650,000-acre Cherokee National Forest, where thrill-seekers can experience some of the best whitewater rafting in the United States on the Ocoee River. The southern U.S. National Forest is also home to over 600 miles of trails, including about 150 miles of the famous Appalachian National Scenic Trail.

Shady Valley

The town of Shady Valley takes its name from the valley where it is located. At an elevation of 2785 feet, it is the second-highest community in Tennessee and is renowned for its historic cranberry bogs. The town is also recognized as one of the most ecologically significant areas in the Southern Appalachian mountains, supporting at least 26 rare plants and animals, like the southern bog turtle, which is listed as federally threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Shady Valley is home to The Snake 421, a legendary stretch of road that travels through Shady Valley and is considered a favorite ride by motorcyclists and sports car drivers. “The Best of the Snake” is a 37-mile section of the route that includes 489 curves while crossing three mountains.

Tennessee’s bizarre town names are a mix of local legends, natural features, or significant historical events, like Nutbush, whose name may derive from the hazelnut bushes once common in the area. Paris, named after the French capital, was inspired by a visit from Revolutionary War hero Marquis de Lafayette. Hurricane Mills got its name from a hydroelectric mill built in 1876, while Bell Buckle likely earned its name from an Indigenous carving. Sweetwater was named for the area’s springs, and Ducktown was named after a Cherokee chief.