Explore Knoxville’s history with this key to the past.
The Historic House Museums of Knoxville (HHMK) and the East Tennessee Historical Society (ETHS) are proud to introduce the PastPort: Your Key to the History of Knoxville, Tennessee. The PastPort gives purchasers admission for a regular tour at the current seven members of HHMK as well as the Museum of East Tennessee History. Great for Knoxville staycationers and tourists, your journey through Knoxville’s past takes you from the late 18th century frontier of the Southwest Territory and the founding of Tennessee, through the Antebellum and Civil War eras, into the Gilded Age of the late 19th century, and beyond.
PastPorts available for purchase now! Proceeds from each PastPort go directly to the Historic House Museums of Knoxville. PastPorts can be purchased in person at any of the following locations:
James White’s Fort – 1785
What started as a land grant to Captain James White for his service in the North Carolina militia during the Revolutionary War, lives on today at the James White’s Fort. White built a 2-story log cabin in 1785 on 1,000 acres of land and later, additional cabins were added. The homes were fortified behind a 10-foot stockade wall and housed several families. In 1791, 64-lots were laid off from White’s land to become the capital of the Territory South of the River Ohio and the birthplace of Knoxville.
205 Hill Avenue SE Knoxville, TN 37915
Blount Mansion – 1792
Circa-1792 Blount Mansion is the Birthplace of Tennessee. Here U.S. Constitution signer William Blount governed the federal Southwest Territory and shepherded it into statehood as the nation’s sixteenth state. Blount’s home at the foot of the Gay Street bridge in downtown Knoxville features the main house, a kitchen, and Blount’s office, as well as the only public garden in downtown Knoxville. Blount Mansion is Knoxville’s only National Historic Landmark.
200 West Hill Avenue Knoxville, TN 37902
Marble Springs – 1797
Marble Springs State Historic Site preserves and promotes the legacy of John Sevier, Tennessee’s first Governor. The site offers a glimpse into 18th century Tennessee, hiking trails, an arboretum, original frontier structures, events, and much more! Named for its picturesque and soothing springs and the Tennessee “pink marble” quarried nearby, the site features a period tavern, kitchen, cabin, loom house, and spring house that helps interpret Tennessee’s early frontier history.
1220 W. Governor John Sevier Highway Knoxville, TN 37920
Ramsey House – 1797
Built in 1797, Ramsey House was designed by Thomas Hope, Knoxville’s first architect, for Francis Alexander Ramsey. At that time, the house, constructed of Tennessee “pink marble” and blue limestone, was regarded as the “finest in Tennessee.” The Ramseys were among the first European settlers in the area and played important roles in developing Knoxville’s civic, educational, and cultural institutions. A visit to Ramsey House offers a unique opportunity to explore the land between the Holston and French Broad Rivers and discover the peoples-whether indigenous, immigrant, or enslaved-who shaped our present.
2614 Thorngrove Pike Knoxville, TN 37914
Crescent Bend – 1834
Built in 1834 by Drury Pain Armstrong, this historic home was once the centerpiece of a 900 acre working farm and named for its prominent setting overlooking the crescent bend of the Tennessee River. Meticulously restored in 1977, this house museum contains the William P. Toms Collection of 18th Century furniture, decorative arts, and American and English silver (circa 1640-1820). Guests can also explore the three-acre formal Italianate Pleasure Gardens which feature five large fountains and nine garden terraces.
2728 Kingston Pike Knoxville, TN 37919
Mabry-Hazen House – 1858
Three generations of the same family resided in this circa-1858 Italianate-style home overlooking downtown Knoxville and Great Smoky Mountains. Mabry-Hazen gives a rare view into 130 years of Knoxville history. The museum showcases one of the largest original family collections in America with over 2,500 original artifacts on display. Learn about the origins of Knoxville’s Market Square, divisions the Civil War, the 1882 Gunfight on Gay Street, a mountain city in the New South, the 1934 breach of promise and seduction trial, and more through the colorful lives of Mabry-Hazen families.
1711 Dandridge Avenue Knoxville, TN 37915
Historic Westwood – 1890
Historic Westwood was built in 1890 for John Edwin Lutz and his wife Adelia Armstrong Lutz, a talented young woman who had emerged as a highly regarded artist and leader in the arts community. The couple commissioned Knoxville’s first and best known architectural firm, Baumann Brothers, to design Historic Westwood. The result was an impressive Queen Anne style house with Richardsonian Romanesque elements in stone. Historic Westwood is a member of the Historic Artists’ Homes & Studios program, a coalition of museums that were the homes and working studios of American artists.
3425 Kingston Pike Knoxville, TN 37919
Museum of East Tennessee History
Discover the Region’s story at the Museum of East Tennessee History! Once you explore the award-winning exhibitions in the feature gallery, signature gallery Voices of the Land: The people of East Tennessee, and our new interactive History Headquarters for children and families, how you think about East Tennessee will never be the same. Housing more than 13,000 artifacts, the Museum’s Collection comprises of objects that were either made or used in the region and illustrate life in East Tennessee throughout the ages. Operated by the East Tennessee Historical Society, whose mission is to preserve, interpret, and promote the history of Tennessee, focusing on East Tennessee. We believe history should not only be thought provoking, but it should also be fun.
601 S. Gay Street Knoxville, TN 37919