04/24/2026
Highly recommend this stop if you have a day to take a road trip while in the Smokies.
At the Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary in Petros, Tennessee, you’ll find one of the state’s most chilling places to explore. Built in 1896 using stone cut by prisoners from a nearby quarry, it became Tennessee’s first maximum-security prison. It remained in operation until 2009 and held some of the state’s most dangerous inmates, including James Earl Ray, who escaped in 1977 before being caught eight miles away.
Today, you can visit and explore more than 30 sections of the prison on a self-guided tour. You’ll walk past rows of old cells, step inside the punishment block known as “the Hole,” and view displays filled with hidden contraband and handmade weapons. There’s also a restaurant, a working distillery, and nighttime tours that let you experience the prison in a completely different setting after dark.
You can also attend a number of upcoming entertaining events here throughout the year, including the Brushy Mountain HillClimb on May 29–31 with race cars and a FanFest. Live music fills the yard with Brent Cobb on June 6, Aaron Lewis on July 25, and Jamey Johnson performing September 12!
