Dover, Tennessee

INCLUDED WITH YOUR VOYAGE

Dover, Tennessee HOP-ON HOP-OFF TOUR

Remember! Your vacation, your choices. Visit as many or few of the included attractions in Dover listed below at no cost. Learn about the Civil War from Tennessee's perspective.

FORT DONELSON RIVER BATTERIES

Late in 1861 Confederate military leaders selected locations in Stewart County, Tennessee, to construct two earthen forts to hinder anticipated Union naval advancement up the parallel and strategic Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers. Today, visitors to Fort Donelson can learn about the battle, view the miles of earthworks and artillery, and take a walk along the park’s trails.

STEWART COUNTY VISITOR CENTER

Stop here to discover the stories of Stewart County and Dover. Speak with a local volunteer at the visitor information desk, or admire the gallery that depicts the rich history and culture of the town.

W.D. SYKES HISTORICAL MUSEUM

The 1888 historic W.D. Sykes-Brandon House, built in the style of a river showboat, serves as the museum, with rotating exhibits that depict the county’s early history.

FORT DONELSON NATIONAL CEMETERY

The Fort Donelson National Cemetery was established in 1867 upon the battlefield of Fort Donelson as a burial ground for Union soldiers killed at Donelson, or of soldiers originally buried in other areas within the immediate geographic area of north Tennessee and southern Kentucky.

"THE SURRENDER HOUSE"/ DOVER HOTEL

During the Battle of Fort Donelson, the Dover Hotel served as the headquarters for Confederate Brigadier General S.B. Buckner and was site of the “unconditional surrender” of Buckner to Union Brigadier General U.S. Grant, on February 16, 1862.

FORT DONELSON MUSEUM

Set the scene for this battlefield journey at the Fort Donelson National Battlefield Visitor Center & Museum, the perfect place to get a background of the events leading up to the 1862 battle. Enjoy a short orientation film presentation, Fort Donelson: Gateway to the Confederate Heartland, which engages visitors with a storyline that draws on the lifelong friendship between Union General Ulysses S. Grant and Confederate General Simon B. Buckner.