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Rutherford County, Tennessee, is center stage to an unforgettable Tennessee experience. Located just southeast of Nashville on the I-24 corridor, it represents a unique blend of Civil War history and a thriving 21st century community.
The Civil War is forever linked with the history of Rutherford County. Stones River National Battlefield, located in Murfreesboro, commemorates the fierce Civil War battle that began on New Year’s Eve in 1862 and caused 23,000 casualties. Oaklands Historic House Museum is an antebellum mansion that was caught in the crossfire of the Civil War, while Sam Davis Home and Museum in Smyrna was the boyhood home of Sam Davis — a Civil War hero who was captured and executed at the age of 21.
Other great sites include Cannonsburgh Village, a reconstructed Southern village that depicts Tennessee life in the 1800s and the Discovery Center at Murfree Spring, a hands-on children’s museum with 20 acres of outdoor wetlands to explore.
Take a walking tour of the historic downtown area; visit the Heritage Center, Bradley Academy Museum & Cultural Center and the historic Rutherford County Courthouse (circa 1859); or take a tour of the 5.4-million-sq. ft. Nissan manufacturing plant in Smyrna. Murfreesboro is home to the beautiful 500-acre campus of Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), which at an enrollment of 25,000 students is the largest undergraduate university in the state.
Visitors will love shopping at The Avenue ® Murfreesboro, Tennessee’s largest outdoor shopping venue, as well as Stones River Mall — a community favorite for generations with several antique malls, unique finds on the downtown square and boutiques scattered throughout the county. Rutherford County also offers 3,500 hotel rooms and over 375 restaurants to please every appetite, from familiar favorites to unique local eateries.
Recreational opportunities are abundant in Rutherford County. Check out our many parks — from the Barfield Crescent Park & Wilderness Station to Old Fort Park & Golf Course, Kid’s Castle playground, Murfreesboro Bark Park and the Splash Pad at Gregory Mills Park in Smyrna. The county also boasts a 10-mile paved Greenway trail system, six public golf courses, several sports complexes, baseball and soccer fields, as well as fishing and boating on scenic Percy Priest Lake.
Rutherford County is an easy drive to many regional attractions, including the world-famous Grand Ole Opry, Wildhorse Saloon, Country Music Hall of Fame, Nashville Superspeedway, Ryman Auditorium, Jack Daniel Distillery, George Dickel Distillery, Arrington Vineyards and the whistle-stop community of Bell Buckle. We are also featured on the Jack Trail: Sippin’ to Saddles, which is part of the Discover Tennessee Trails & Byways program, and on the Civil War Trails statewide Civil War driving tour program.
Graceful structures, dating back to the early 1800s, blend with modern shopping, medical facilities and amenities to lend a touch of Southern nostalgia to Rutherford County. Tour, shop, dine and relax in this vibrant Southern community. For more information, or to request a free visitors’ guide, contact the Rutherford County Convention and Visitors Bureau, 501 Memorial Blvd., Murfreesboro, TN 37129, e-mail info@rutherfordchamber.org, call toll free at 1-800-716-7560 or visit our website at www.rutherfordchamber.org/visit.
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