Bristol

Bristol is a city in Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 27,147 at the 2020 census. It is the twin city of Bristol, Virginia, which lies directly across the state line between Tennessee and Virginia. Bristol, TN and Bristol, VA are two separate, though unified, twin cities. Wikipedia.
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Top attractions in Bristol

Bristol Motor Speedway
1. Bristol Motor Speedway
4.7
(10288)
Car racing venue
Sights & Landmarks
High-banked, quarter-mile race track hosts major auto races, amateur driving schools & daily tours.
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I came for the Speedway Classic GO REDS. While I heard people were upset with their seats... running out of food and merch. I had the BEST TIME! My section had food the whole time we had already bought our merchandise. Yes we got absolutely soaked and enjoyed every minute of it! Our seats were excellent. Gordon Terrace row 1. We want to come back for a race! Also the second day everyone brought in their own food. You just had to make the most of it ❤️ We even had a Praying Mantis chill with us 99% of the time! Highly recommend!
Okay, so my review isn't so negative about Bristol, that was awesome for the most part. But I had tickets to the Busch Banks and Brews area, and to be honest it wasn't as great as what I was expecting. Chips and beer, mixed drinks were limited, bathrooms were a long ways away and food services were just as far of a walk. We had level one, or white access; not sure how much the next level would have cost. So, not that great for the extra money. Now, the seats, were great! The view awesome! And the race, amazing! First time and was really impressed with the race!
First time at Bristol and it was absolutely amazing! The only bad thing was 7 dollars for a hot dog. Not going to have that take away from the overall experience. The best tram service and workers around. Everyone was super helpful. Definitely coming back!
I went with a large group for a NASCAR Cup race. I got to visit track-side, a suite, and found the 360 Bar to have a great view where I spent most of my time. The servers were awesome - go say hello to Jessica. Be prepared to walk a bit from parking area for this event, but many things to entertain you along the way.
Great venue! Sat in traffic after the game but there was 85k there, so that's just part of the gig! It got to rocking and shaking a couple times. I bet it would be loud and awesome to see a race! Fun experience!
Fun place to watch a race. Easy parking available through track or campgrounds across the street. The sound system was not great and the stands are steep causing challenges for elderly. But thr overall experience was a lot of fun!
I was setting up for the Nascar event and this place was HUGE they have alot of cool events going on at the fan zone as well as the race itself. Definitely check it out there's going to be alot of fun activities for everyone mom, dad, brother, sister, children even grandma an grandpa you won't be disappointed and if you are you weren't looking in the right places.
It was an awesome experience! We were there for the Speedway classic game on Aug2-3,2025. What an exciting experience. The field was built so well you would think you were in a major league park. The presentation for the fans was amazing. The concert was phenomenal. It was historic and would do it again without batting an eye!
Bristol Caverns
2. Bristol Caverns
4.7
(1568)
Nature & Parks
Caverns & Caves
Attraction featuring ancient caverns with unique mineral formations & an underground river.
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Such a cool place and our guide was fantastic! A very child friendly tour as well, we have a rambunctious 2 year old and at no point ever felt concerned for his safety. Our guide was super knowledgeable and was just overall very pleasant to speak with along the tour. I wish we had brought cash for a tip though, so if you can, bring cash for your guide!
Tour was easy walking and ready to start tour within 15 minutes, prices were very reasonable. Tour guide Luke was exceptional in knowledge and answered all questions asked. It was an amazing experience for me at 62 and for the youngest at 7. We all enjoyed the tour.
Awesome place to visit. We've been to a few different cave systems and were impressed with the colors in the cave and the tour guide's knowledge. We were lucky enough to be the only ones in our tour group and Chase was able to answer all our questions and share so many cool facts about the caverns. I was a little skeptical when we pulled up since I thought the building seemed a bit out of date looking, but it was definitely worth the stop. I do think it would be nice to have some additional information about the caverns in the gift shop area while you're waiting for the tour to start.
I visited on a Tuesday afternoon and just happened to be the only person on my tour. The guide, Eric, did a wonderful job of explaining different formations, pointing out fish in the water at the bottom, and a lot of the history of the cave. Having a degree in geology, he was able to answer any questions and allowed me to ask a thousand questions. I highly recommend visiting this site. Pictures really can't do it justice!
It's Fall break here in the tri-cities for many schools and I wanted to do something educational but fun for the kiddos, who are both 6 years of age. I remember coming to the Bristol Caverns on a school field trip when I was a child and I haven’t been back until today. It was a great experience and the boys loved it and I felt like they were at the perfect age to enjoy it but also for safety reasons be able to manuver the cave without giving me too much anxiety. Our guide was knowledgeable and took time for questions along the way. I highly recommend this place. We made reservations online ahead of time and the tour left promptly, so don't be late!
First adventure into caverns and this was a perfect intro! The one hour tour goes down and back up about 5 stories with stunning views including a river. Certainly worth the stairs!
Amazing cave to visit. Tour guide was very friendly and accommodating to those with physical disabilities. Didn't rush us. Asked for questions from all of the guests.
A beautiful cave. We took the easiest trip and there were stairs and a couple of angled floors spaces, but overall an easy stroll. Our guide was good about assuring us there was no rush, to take our time. He was friendly and knowledgeable about the cave.
Steele Creek Park
3. Steele Creek Park
4.8
(2670)
Park
Nature & Parks
2,200-acre lakefront park with paddleboating plus regular & disc golf, a mini train & nature trails.
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Love this park. Clean, safe, well maintained. There’s a $2.00 entry charge (or you can purchase a membership…well worth it) with multiple parking lots. The staff at the entry/exit gate are extremely friendly, pleasant, and helpful. This place is huge (over 2k acres if I recall correctly) so be sure to get a map upon entry. Great place to hike, hike with dog, bike, paddle boat, kayak, fish….Great for families, especially with children, with plenty of activities. Picnic areas (both under pavilion and without pavilion), grills for cooking out and picnic tables are amply spaced to allow for plenty of room between other picnickers. A nice creek runs through the picnic area and is a very harmonious atmosphere. There are bike trails of both gravel and asphalt base. It’s an easy hike or ride through the park and along the lake taking the lakeside trail. The fall foliage has been breathtaking this year. Whether you’re visiting with kids, friends, or alone, there’s much to see and do and enjoy nature and tranquility, as you choose.
This place is beautiful. It was $2 to get in for the whole car. They have a nature education building. Paths around the park to hike. A large lake to fish in. A splash pad area for little kids to play.
The dogs had such a great time on lakeside trail. There was a train ride that you could take with your kids! They also had a great visitor center as well.
Heard about this place and decided to go check it out. This park is beautiful. We didn't have the chance to check out all of the things we wanted to but we will definitely be going again.
The park has two wonderful disc golf courses! A park style course near the main entrance with 2 sets of teepads and a mix of short shots and distance shots. They also have a shorter wooded course down by the trails and the lake.
Nice, quiet park. Look up directions to the waterfall. It's small but very nice to visit.
Beautiful, clean park with paddle boats, and train in the summer. $2 fee to enter the park either cash or card. Nice trails, lake and creek to picnic near.
Beautiful park. The nature center was super cute!
South Holston Dam
4. South Holston Dam
Dam
Nature & Parks
Tennessee Ernie Ford Birthplace
5. Tennessee Ernie Ford Birthplace
4.4
(58)
Historical landmark
Sights & Landmarks
TV star Tennessee Ernie Ford was born in this now fully restored house in 1919.
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We loved visiting and hearing the history of Tennessee Ernirle Ford. It was our pleasure from Solar Hill Construction LLC to help contribute with the maintenance on the porch to keep this property like it was back in the day. If you haven't been, you should visit. Wonderful people!
Saw only the outside. Nice .
Historic treasure! It was so good to show my kids how they lived with simple pleasures and needs- that house was dated in the best way possible! Debra was very courteous as she gave us the tour. Gotta see if you love the history of the birthplace of country music! Go Bristol!
We called to arrange a time with a member of the historical society to visit the home. The decent was informative and answered our questions about Mr Ford and his early life in the home. There are period pieces in the home and photos and articles about him and his career to see. The original bathtub is still in the home. Parking is available off the street.
Lovely little house with rich history, inside was closed but we were able to see the sign and outside of house
As usual the house is much smaller than I thought it would be, like driving by your childhood house and what! It was way bigger!!! Cool to think though that his home is right down the street from ours? Cool stuff.
A must-see attraction for fans of Country Music and especially of Mr. Ford! We stayed at an AirBnB (1200 Anderson St.) just up the street from this historical house and we enjoyed walking over to see it and to take a tour. The docent was so gracious and full of information about the history of the area, the house, and Tennessee Ernie Ford whom she had met on multiple occasions. We enjoyed staying in this historic Bristol, TN, neighborhood and hope the historic Ford home, carefully restored and appointed with period pieces, remains in this location for tourists' enjoyment for years and years. Don't hesitate to call the Bristol Historical Association and request a tour. Most likely, a docent can meet you within hours for a tour.
It's just a house but the history of it and the man being honored are worth the trip...have to call ahead for reservations to enter inside the house... Don't know cost but a great visit for History buffs for our area... Have plaques outside with his info....
Tennessee Welcome Center
6. Tennessee Welcome Center
4.7
(3059)
Tourist information center
Sights & Landmarks
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This was our first time traveling through Tennessee. Such a beautiful place. The welcome centre was fully equipped with a great little food area. They had a microwave and pod coffee machine with many vending machines. All were operational. There is a large green space with lots of space for the dogs to run. The facilities are well maintained and the lot is clean. This is a great spot to stretch the legs before heading into the mountains.
A good amount of parking and it was clean but apparently the attendant was concerned about talking his time emptying the trash outside than stocking the restrooms. Four out of six stalls in the ladies room had no tp at all and the other side was "closed for cleaning" even though he was outside. I wish somebody would stress to them what's important. Very quiet though. I was able to sleep with the windows down.
It's such a beautiful Welcome Center. The first time we stopped there we thought it would just be for a quick leg stretch, it was Christmas time and beautifully decorated. Inside us cozy with rocking chairs and a fireplace. Tons of brochures all around, and always a friendly employee waiting at the entrance if you need assistance. The mountain view is gorgeous too! Around the main building are dog walking trails and picnic areas. Great place for a more elevated "pit stop" experience 🙂
One of my top five fave Welcome Centers definitely! The whole vibe is SET, very clean neat and organized. The vending machine room is the largest i have seen to date! You will not regret picking this one as your stop for RR snack or rest.
This is one of the cleanest and well maintained welcome centers Ive experienced. They have a good variety of snack machines, a microwave for public use, a Keurig machine for public use, K-pods in the vending machine if you dont have your own. The bathrooms are huge, very clean, and the staff here are very friendly, accommodating, helpful, and informative about the local area. The outside area that surrounds the center for all visitors and their pets to enjoy is nice and spacious with plenty of area to walk, or have a quick picnic lunch while on the road, or stopping by. The landscape surrounding the welcome center is well maintained, and clean and offers a beautiful scenery anytime of day or year. I would fully recommend stopping here for a quick bathroom break, or to stretch your legs, but also for more information about Tennessee and the surrounding areas, as there are hundreds of brochures and coupons available on-site that can come in handy when trying to save money and find interesting things to do while visiting or driving through.
After many Highway miles on my Motorcycle, I stopped here for refreshments and to rest. This place is impeccably clean, the staff offers true Southern hospitality, probably one of the nicest Welcome Centers I've ever visited. What a great first impression on the State of Tennessee! Stop by, without reservation.
This is an excellent welcome center! Restrooms are very clean. They have lots maps and booklets for just about everything there is to do in Tennessee. The buildings are beautiful. They have vending machines there. The employees were very friendly!
Really beautiful Welcome Center. As a Trucker I certified this as one of the best.
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Other notable attractions

Painter Creek Marina
Marina
Nature & Parks
Bristol Motor Speedway
Car racing venue
Sights & Landmarks
High-banked, quarter-mile race track hosts major auto races, amateur driving schools & daily tours.
Paramount Bristol
Live music venue
Concerts & Shows
Opulent performing arts venue in Art Deco style also features a vintage Mighty Wurlitzer organ.

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Weather in Bristol

Here's the historical average temperature in Bristol over a full year based on data compiled by NASA: for more details by month, see the weather in Bristol in January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, or December
Monthly temperature highs and lows in Bristol
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