VISITOR GUIDE
VISITLAWRENCEBURG.COM
Welcome to Lawrenceburg There are some places you visit once, enjoy, and move on. Then there are places like Lawrenceburg, where you start picturing what life might look like if you stayed a little longer. People come here for the outdoors, the quiet beauty, and the easy pace of southern Tennessee. But somewhere between a walk downtown, a day on the water, and a conversation with somebody who treats you like a neighbor, Lawrenceburg starts to feel different. It feels real. It feels welcoming. It feels like the kind of place people still choose on purpose. You can spend the night in a cabin tucked into the woods, bring the camper, pitch a tent, or find a spot somewhere in between. Around here, the same landscape that once shaped David Crockett’s story is still part of the experience. It is not hard to see why people want to slow down and stay awhile. If water is part of your perfect day, you will find plenty of it here. Swim, fish, rent a kayak or canoe, try a paddleboard, or just enjoy the view over a meal by the lake. Later, head into historic downtown Lawrenceburg for local shops, pretty streets, and the kind of casual conversations that make a place memorable. There is plenty to come back for, too. Music, museums, rodeos, monster trucks, antique car and engine shows, food festivals, Oktoberfest, and more fill the calendar throughout the year. Lawrenceburg is also proud to be known as the home of Southern Gospel music, a tradition that still echoes through the community. Come for a visit. Take your time. And don’t be surprised if Lawrenceburg feels less like a getaway and more like somewhere you could belong.
LOCATION IN TENNESSEE
ExperienceTN.com This guide is developed in partnership with the South Central Tennessee Tourism Association and Experience Tennessee. To learn more, visit SCTTA.org or ExperienceTN.com. Don’t just Travel Tennessee, Experience Tennessee!
TABLE OF CONTENTS RECOMMENDED EXPERIENCES........................
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TENNESSEE’S AMISH COUNTRY......................
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OUTDOOR ADVENTURE....................................
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A LEGACY OF GOSPEL AND BLUEGRASS..........
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EXPLORE TOGETHER........................................
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Find more travel information, business listings, event info, and more on the official website.
VISITLAWRENCEBURG.COM
ANNUAL EVENTS May - Clash of the Monster Trucks June - Summertown Bluegrass Reunion June - Lone Star Rodeo July - LawCo Freedom Fest July-August - The James D. Vaughan Quartet Festival August - Crossroads of Dixie Antique Tractor Show August - David Crockett Days September-October - Middle Tennessee District Fair October - Loretto Oktoberfest
PHOTOGRAPHER:
LAWRENCEBURG
RECOMMENDED EXPERIENCES
by: ExperienceTN.com
DINING OPTIONS Adriana’s Berries
303 Lawrence St, Lawrenceburg
A dessert shop offering Dubai strawberries, caramel apples, acai bowls, and more.
Amish Country Smoke House
49 Bud Taylor Rd, Ethridge
Cafe next to a historic hotel serving Southern specialties straight from the garden.
CoWork Coffee
130 N Locust Ave, Lawrenceburg
A relaxed coffee shop in a restored 1926 house offering breakfast, lunch, and dessert.
Daydream Diner
2132 N Locust Ave, Lawrenceburg
A locally owned diner offering classic American fare, well-known for their breakfast.
Pie Factory
9 Public Square, Lawrenceburg
A popular pizzeria featuring gluten-free options and thin-crust pies cooked traditionally
Rick’s Barbecue
1507 N Locust Ave, Lawrenceburg 121 N Military St, Loretto
A local drive-through barbecue chain, serving slow-smoked barbecue since 1979.
Shaffer Farms Texas Bar-B-Q
4 Vaughn Staggs Rd, Summertown
A butcher shop with an attached eatery serving brisket and other Texas BBQ favorites.
Striker’s Steakhouse
321 Crews St, Lawrenceburg
A casual restaurant serving hand-cut steaks, fresh seafood, pastas, and more.
The Dolly Llama
538 N Military Street Ste G, Loretto
A unique dessert shop serving ice cream, dessert waffles, acai bowls, and more.
1819 The Restaurant
45 Public Square, Lawrenceburg
Casual restaurant with elevated fare including seafood and steak, as well as a full bar.
LODGING OPTIONS Best Western Plus
One Western Wy, Lawrenceburg
A hotel with a welcoming atmosphere, and indoor pool, and 24-hour fitness center.
Factory Creek Retreat
194 Creekside Ln, Westpoint
A private getaway with creek access, a fire pit, and a patio with stunning views.
Hampton Inn by Hilton
200 Hampton Way, Lawrenceburg
A hotel with spacious rooms, free WiFi, free breakfast, and fitness center.
LawCo Loft
North Military Ave, Lawrenceburg
A newly renovated Airbnb that sits above a classic 1940's brick home in town.
Winnie’s Bed and Breakfast
2295 East Gaines St, Lawrenceburg
A local B&B known for its warm hospitality, scenic garden patio, and breakfast.
Woodland Parkview Motel 3
1105 W Gaines St, Lawrenceburg
An upgraded vintage motel with comfortable beds, soft linens, and fluffy towels.
THINGS TO DO & OUTDOOR ADVENTURE Amish Welcome Center
3943 US-43, Ethridge
A welcome center offering wagon tours of Amish Country, maps, souvenirs, and more.
David Crockett State Park
1400 West Gaines St, Lawrenceburg
A state park located on Shoal Creek offering water access, hiking, camping, and cabins.
Double G Canoe Rental
629 Busby Rd, Westpoint
Canoe and kayak rental company also offering parking and shuttles on Shoal Creek.
Dixie Oaks Golf Club
76 Pleasant Garden Rd, Summertown
A picturesque, tree-lined golf course with 5 tee options and water obstacles.
Escape from Warehouse 1/Axe Kicking
303 Vine St, Loretto
Offering a variety of themed escape rooms, a rage room, and axe throwing.
Hope Botanical Garden
16 Ford Rd, Leoma
A non-profit, public garden featuring the nation’s largest maze garden & seven others.
Amish Country Depot
4004 Hwy 43 N, Ethridge
A general store & cafe offering ice cream, candy, jams, burgers, fried bologna, & more.
Laurel Hill WMA
72 South Main St, Lobelville
A lake and Wildlife Management Area offering fishing, horse trails, hunting, and more.
Plowboy Produce Auction, LLC
469 South Brace Rd, Ethridge
Wholesale spot for buying fresh, Amish-grown produce.
Scout Park
602 Waterloo St, Lawrenceburg
A scenic recreation area with an 18-hole golf course and nature trails along the creek.
Wheelin’ in the Country
128 Anderson Creek Rd, Summertown
An off-road park featuring trails, climbing, RV sites, cabins, and primitive camping.
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AMISH COUNTRY DEPOT
ETHRIDGE
ETHRIDGE
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AMISH COUNTRY SMOKEHOUSE
ETHRIDGE
AMISH BUGGY TOURS
ETHRIDGE
TENNESSEE’S AMISH COUNTRY Just north of Lawrenceburg, in and around Ethridge, visitors will find Tennessee’s largest Amish community and the largest Old Order Amish settlement in the South. The area stretches across several miles of farmland east and west of U.S. Highway 43, where long rural roads, open fields, hand-lettered signs, and horse-drawn buggies create a setting unlike anywhere else in the region. The Ethridge Amish community began in 1944, when a small group of families arrived from Mississippi and Ohio in search of fertile farmland. Today, the settlement is home to roughly 2,200 Amish people, many of whom belong to the Swartzentruber affiliation, one of the most conservative Amish groups in the country. Their way of life is intentionally plain. Families travel by horse and buggy, farm with real horsepower, attend their own schools and home-based churches, and speak a Pennsylvania Dutch and German-based dialect among themselves. For visitors, Amish Country offers a rare chance to experience a working agricultural community rooted in tradition. Many families sell goods directly from their homes, with handmade signs at the end of the driveway letting travelers know what is available. Depending on the season, you may find fresh produce, baked goods, jams, jellies, baskets, leather goods, furniture, plants, and other handmade items. The growing season brings even more activity, especially at the Plowboy Produce Auction, where local growers sell fruits and vegetables directly to buyers. A good first stop is one of the Amish welcome centers, where visitors can pick up maps, brochures, and local guidance before heading into the countryside. An Amish Country map can be found at multiple different stops, highlighting individual homes throughout the community and what each family sells. That map is also available online. Guided wagon tours are another popular way to explore the area, typically lasting one to two hours depending on the stops, and giving visitors a closer look at Amish Country with the help of a local guide. Along the way, guests may stop at Amish homes and shops for baked goods, produce, crafts, and other goods. Food is one of the easiest ways to connect with the area. Homemade breads, fried pies, cinnamon rolls, fudge, pickled vegetables, and fresh garden produce all reflect the skills and traditions passed down through generations. These are not tourist props, but the work of families who farm, bake, preserve, and make much of what they use and sell. Before visiting, it is important to understand a few customs. Amish families do not sell on Sundays, and hours may vary based on seasons, weather, family needs, or religious observances. Only stop at homes with signs indicating they sell to the public. Photography of Amish people is not allowed, as it goes against their religious beliefs. Visitors are asked to be respectful, patient, and courteous while traveling through the community. A visit to Ethridge is best enjoyed slowly, with an open mind and an appreciation for a way of life built around simplicity, hard work, and deep connection to the land.
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DAVID CROCKETT STATE PARK
LAWRENCEBURG
SHOAL CREEK
LAWRENCEBURG
THE NATCHEZ TRACE PARKWAY
LAWRENCEBURG
WHEELIN’ IN THE COUNTRY
SUMMERTOWN
OUTDOOR ADVENTURE Outdoor adventure in Lawrence County doesn’t have to be complicated. With a state park in the heart of Lawrenceburg, waterfalls just up the road, disc golf in local parks, quiet fishing spots, and scenic drives within easy reach, visitors can build a day outside around whatever pace fits best. David Crockett State Park is the natural place to begin. Located along the banks of Shoal Creek, the park gives travelers an easy way to experience the outdoors without getting far from town. More than 10 miles of hiking trails wind through forested terrain, past limestone bluffs, waterfalls, wildlife habitat, and scenic views of Shoal Creek. For a shorter outing, visitors can take the paved bike trail, which stretches about 1.5 miles through wooded areas. A fitness trail with exercise stations adds another option for anyone who wants to turn a walk in the park into a workout. Water is part of the experience here, too. Lake Lindsey offers a peaceful setting for fishing, paddling, and slowing down for a while. The park is also home to cabins, campgrounds, picnic areas, a visitor center, and a restaurant overlooking the lake. Families can spend the morning on the trails, eat lunch with a view, and still have time to explore downtown Lawrenceburg before the day is over. Just north of Summertown, Stillhouse Hollow Falls State Natural Area is another memorable outdoor stop. The 90-acre natural area is named for its 75-foot waterfall, which can be reached by a short trail from a parking area near Highway 43. It is an easy addition to a Lawrence County itinerary, especially for travelers who want a quick hike with a rewarding view. For visitors who like a little friendly competition, the Lawrence County Disc Golf Trail offers three municipal courses in Lawrenceburg, St. Joseph, and Loretto. Golfers can also play traditional rounds at Lawrenceburg Golf & Country Club or Dixie Oaks, a public course set in the countryside. Fishing, birdwatching, horseback riding, picnicking, and primitive camping can be found at Laurel Hill Lake, where trails move through wooded areas and open meadows near the lake and Little Buffalo River. Shoal Creek and VFW Lake offer additional fishing options, while nearby marinas and TVA lakes in North Alabama expand the possibilities for boating, water skiing, and tubing. For a more rugged kind of adventure, Lawrence County also offers offroad experiences, including Wheelin’ in the Country in Summertown and Noah’s Landing in Westpoint. Still, the easiest outdoor memories often start with simple plans: a trail, a picnic, a fishing pole, or a quiet afternoon beside the water.
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JAMES D. VAUGHAN QUARTET FESTIVAL
LAWRENCEBURG
JAMES D. VAUGHAN QUARTET FESTIVAL
LAWRENCEBURG
CROCKETT THEATRE
LAWRENCEBURG
JAMES D. VAUGHAN QUARTET FESTIVAL
LAWRENCEBURG
A LEGACY OF GOSPEL AND BLUEGRASS Music has deep roots in Lawrenceburg, and one of the city’s most important stories begins with James D. Vaughan. Known as a pioneer of Southern Gospel music, Vaughan helped shape the way gospel music was written, taught, published, performed, and shared across the country. His influence reached far beyond Lawrence County, but the heart of that story can still be found in downtown Lawrenceburg. Born in nearby Giles County in 1864, James David Vaughan became a music teacher, composer, publisher, and innovator whose work changed American gospel music. In 1910, he formed what is considered the first professional traveling gospel quartet, helping establish the four-part harmony style that would define Southern Gospel for generations. Through the Vaughan Publishing Company, he published more than 180 gospel songbooks and helped distribute millions of copies, making gospel music more accessible to churches, singing schools, families, and communities across the South and beyond. Vaughan was also a leader in music education. The Vaughan School of Music trained countless singers and musicians, while his use of the seven-shape note method made it easier for people without formal training to read and sing gospel music. In 1922, he established WOAN, one of the first radio stations in Tennessee, using the new technology to broadcast gospel music to a wider audience. Long before modern music promotion, Vaughan understood the power of publishing, radio, education, and performance working together. Visitors can explore this legacy at the James D. Vaughan History Museum, located on the public square in Lawrenceburg. The museum offers a closer look at Vaughan’s life and work through rare memorabilia, historical artifacts, and exhibits that tell the story of Southern Gospel’s early development. For music lovers, historians, families, and anyone interested in Tennessee culture, it is a meaningful stop that connects Lawrenceburg to a much larger American music story. That legacy is still celebrated today during the James D. Vaughan Gospel Quartet Festival, held at the Historic Crockett Theater. The festival brings top Southern Gospel quartets, including longtime favorites and rising performers, to the stage in the city where so much of the genre’s history took shape. It is a chance to hear the music in a place that helped give it direction. Lawrence County’s music scene also reaches into bluegrass. The Summertown Bluegrass Reunion, held in June and again on Labor Day weekend, brings together live music, crafts, food, shade tree picking, primitive camping, and RV hookups. It has the relaxed, communitycentered feel that makes bluegrass events so special, with musicians and visitors gathering around the music as much as the stage. Lawrenceburg’s music story is preserved in museums and theaters, carried through festivals, and still heard in the voices of performers who keep these traditions moving forward.
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THE DOLLY LLAMA
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LORETTO
RUMBLE AT THE CROSSROADS
LAWRENCEBURG
THUNDERHILL RACEWAY PARK
SUMMERTOWN
DAVID CROCKETT STATE PARK
LAWRENCEBURG
EXPLORE TOGETHER Lawrenceburg makes it easy to plan a family trip with enough variety to keep everyone interested. One day can include a walk through the woods, a garden maze, a hands-on challenge, a little local history, and a good meal before heading back to the hotel. Many of the area’s familyfriendly stops are easy to reach, easy to enjoy, and flexible enough for different ages. David Crockett State Park is one of the best places to begin. Located in Lawrenceburg, the park gives families room to move with hiking trails, biking, fishing, boating, picnic areas, cabins, campgrounds, and seasonal programs. Kids can look for wildlife along wooded trails, spend time near Lake Lindsey, or learn more about one of Tennessee’s most familiar frontier figures through the park’s history. It is the kind of place where families can spend a full day outside or simply stop in for a walk, lunch, and a little fresh air. For a quieter kind of adventure, Hope Botanical Garden in Leoma offers a memorable stop for families who like to explore at a slower pace. The garden features one of the nation’s largest maze gardens, along with several specialized gardens, walking paths, koi ponds, birdwatching opportunities, a children’s garden, and peaceful spaces designed for discovery. Its mission centers on native and site-adapted plants, education, conservation, and enjoyment, making it a fun and meaningful family stop. Families looking for something more active can head to Escape From Warehouse 1 in Loretto. The escape rooms give groups up to eight players 60 minutes to work together, solve clues, crack codes, and beat the clock. It is a great fit for older kids, teens, parents, and groups who like a challenge. The same location also offers Axe Kicking, an axethrowing experience for anyone ready to test their aim, and a rage room where guests can safely smash breakable items with protective gear provided. Lawrenceburg’s family experiences also include the simple, classic stops that make a trip feel easy. Families can go bowling, catch a movie, visit a dog park, browse local shops, or explore unique cultural stops like a one-of-a-kind museum housed in an 1800s jail. A short drive can even lead to one of the area’s most memorable communities, where families can visit America’s original hippie commune and shop for colorful tiedye and handmade goods. A family trip to Lawrenceburg does not have to follow one set plan. It can be outdoorsy, educational, playful, relaxed, or a little bit of everything. From state park trails and garden paths to escape rooms and local discoveries, Lawrenceburg gives families plenty of ways to enjoy time together.
visit over 170 Amish Farms THE SOUTH’S LARGEST AMISH SETTLEMENT: SEE WORKING FARMS, BUY HANDMADE GOODS, AND RIDE HORSE-DRAWN BUGGIES
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ETHRIDGE
Play in our big back yard EXPLORE A NATURAL WATERSHED REGION ANCHORED BY 100 MILES OF THE NATCHEZ TRACE.
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WAYNESBORO
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