Tipton County @ West Tennessee Day Trippin'

A Tennessee Treasure

Tipton County has lots to offer visitors. Spend the day on Covington’s Historic Square and browse our variety of antique shops, boutiques, and home decor. Be sure to enjoy lunch at one of our local restaurants ranging from tea rooms, BBQ, down home country cooking, or try some fried chicken at the original location of Gus’s in Mason, Tennessee. Visit our beautiful park systems including a nature trail that runs behind the Tipton County Museum, Project Play Playground at Cobb Parr Memorial Park, Centennial Park in Munford, and more. Check our calendar of events to attend one of our great festivals. We have Chocolate Tour in February, Music on the Square in May and June, BBQ Festival in June, Art on the Square in July, Covington Heritage Festival and Celebrate Munford in September, Squarecrows in October, Holiday Open House in November, and Dickens on the Square in December. Visit covington-tiptoncochamber.com for more information.

Featured Attraction

Valentine Park

St. Matthews Episcopal Church

Coca-Cola Bottling Plant

Trinity Church

Hotel Lindo

Atoka

POPULATION: 8,387 (2010)

Atoka Railroad Adventure

Atoka Railroad Adventure has miniature golf, an arcade, bumper cars, rock climbing wall, and a ferris wheel for the whole family!

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Charles Walker Park

60-acre park that hosts a splash pad, volleyball courts, walking track and soccer and football fields.

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Brighton

POPULATION: 2,735 (2010) The Dacus Riding Club is a non-profit, family-oriented organization which features horse riding events, such as Barrels, Poles, Western Pleasure, and Walking/Saddle Horse, as well as pleasure riding for adults and children. The organization first formed as a combination of several smaller saddle clubs in the area, allowing the opportunity to hold larger events and join some of the sanctioned riding associations. There are currently over 200 members, with new families joining each month. In 2004, the club moved to its new 20 acre location at 9051 Highway 51 South, in Brighton. For more information, call (901) 485-3142.

T.R. Gray Cotton Gin Scale House and Complex

Historic ca. 1920 gin complex and ca. 1930 store.

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Covington

POPULATION: 9,038 (2010) Covington is the heart of the county and has a vibrant shopping community. It all starts in the Historic Court Square with a wide variety of shops and boutiques. The Court Square hosts the annual Tipton County Heritage Day Festival on the fourth Saturday in September, Dickens on the Square in December and the Chocolate Tour on the second Saturday in February. In May and June, bring your lawn chair and join the Covington-Tipton County Chamber for Music on the Square.

St. Matthews Episcopal Church

This Gothic Revival church was built in 1858 and is Covington’s oldest church.

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Coca-Cola Bottling Plant

This trapezoidal-shaped building was built in 1941 as the Coca-Cola Bottling Plant. In addition to producing Coca-Cola, the Moderne-style building served as a giant advertisement for the Coca-Cola corporation.

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Hotel Lindo

This Romanesque and Italianate style building was constructed in 1901 as Hotel Lindo and was Covington’s only hotel from its inception until the 1950s.

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Mt. Carmel Presbyterian Church

Constructed around 1854, the church exhibits Gothic Revival and Greek Revival influences. The congregation dates to the 1830s in the home of Rev. James Holmes, a Presbyterian missionary to Chickasaw Indians. A historic cemetery associated with the church is nearby.

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Isaac Hayes Historical Marker

Musical legend Isaac Hayes was born in Covington and grew up in Memphis. He contributed significantly to Stax’s “Soul Explosion” and wrote or co-wrote hundreds of songs, earning a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Songwriters Hall of Fame, two Grammys, and numerous other awards. Hayes was also dedicated to fighting police brutality, workplace discrimination, and unfair housing during his life. As part of this campaign, he cofounded the Black Knights with Warren Lewis in the 1970s to assist families with necessities like food and clothing.

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Mt. Carmel Church Cemetery

Constructed around 1854, the church associated with the cemetery exhibits Gothic Revival and Greek Revival influences. The congregation dates to the 1830s in the home of Rev. James Holmes, a Presbyterian missionary to Chickasaw Indians. The church was used in the 2005 film, Walk the Line, about the life and career of Johnny Cash.

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Canaan Baptist Church

Built around 1917 by the McCaddens, an African American family of skilled craftspeople. The church was a significant part of the Black community during segregation.

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Tipton County Museum

Explore military history, environmental education and West Tennessee heritage at this museum and 20-acre wildlife sanctuary. Take a stroll on the .5-mile nature trail through the forest and wetlands, or enjoy a picnic on the grounds of the largest urban park in the county.

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Covington Town Square

You’ll find unique shops and quaint restaurants on this charming square surrounding the historic 1889 Tipton County Courthouse. Great care has been taken to restore the courthouse and storefronts here, creating an inviting and charming spot for tourists and locals.

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Ruffin Theatre

This restored 1930s Art Deco-style theater is marked by a great old sign, and continues to entertain the area as host to events, community theater, productions and concerts. The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Elvis Presley, performed on the Ruffin stage in 1955. Open for performances.

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Drummonds

Drummonds is home to the Glenn Springs Lake, a perfect getaway for fishing and enjoying the outdoors. Located about 6.5 miles west of Munford, this Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency lake covers approximately 310 acres. The facilities include two fishing piers, a covered boat dock with spot for 32 rental boats, two launching ramps, a bait and tackle shop, a clubhouse, restrooms and two picnic pavilions. Every year, the lake hosts the Chamber’s annual children’s fishing derby, where 200 kids spend the morning at the lake. For more information, call 901-835-5253. Forest Hill Golf Course, official site of the South Tipton County Chamber’s annual golf scramble, is an 18-hole public golf course open year round. Golfers are presented with a hilly, tree-filled challenge when stepping on to Forest Hill’s greens. The course features Bermuda fairways and new Championship Bermuda greens. Weekday, non-discounted green fees are $12.00, and weekend fees are $15.00. Cart fees are $10.00 and walking is allowed. Forest Hill Golf Course is located in Drummonds. For more information, call 901-835-2152.

Glenn Springs Lake

A perfect getaway for fishing and enjoying the outdoors. Located about 6.5 miles west of Munford, this Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency lake covers approximately 310 acres. The facilities include two fishing piers, a covered boat dock with spot for 32 rental boats, two launching ramps, a bait and tackle shop, a clubhouse, restrooms and two picnic pavilions. Every year, the lake hosts the Chamber’s annual children’s fishing derby, where 200 kids spend the morning at the lake.

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Randolph Bluff Historic Site

Just past the Randolph United Methodist Church, you’ll find one of the best views of the Mississippi River, high above the floodplain on the second Chickasaw Bluff. A Civil War historical marker describes the area’s significance including Fort Wright (now private property) near this spot. The 1861 fort served not only as a defensive position for the Confederates on the Mississippi, it was one of the state’s first military training camps, where recruits. The area is significant for its unique geology, archeology, history, ecology, and scenery, and a portion of the site was acquired by TennGreen Land Conservancy in 2008.

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Mason

POPULATION: 1,609 (2010) The little town of Mason is home to some of the finest Southern cuisine that West Tennessee has to offer. Visit the original location of Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken for mouthwatering, made to order fried chicken and sides. Or pop across the street to Bozo’s Hot Pit Bar-B-Q. Bozo’s Hot Pit Bar-B-Q first opened in Mason, TN in 1923 by Thomas Jefferson “Bozo” Williams. This local favorite serves bar-b-q plates and sandwiches, ribs, catfish, burgers. Also, Ms. Perry “the Pie Lady” has been making homemade pies for Bozo’s for many, many years. Both restaurants are located on Highway 70. Either way, you can’t miss!

Robinson Cemetery

Robinson Cemetery is among the oldest in the Mason area. The first burial took place in 1833. An enslaved laborer was buried the next year, the first of many laid to rest in the cemetery. The older section has examples of intact obelisk, gabled obelisk, urned obelisks, tablets and a double arched monument. The cemetery is the burial place of Civil War, World War I, and World War II veterans.

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Bozo’s Hot Pit BBQ

Bozo’s Hot Pit Bar-B-Q first opened in Mason, TN in 1923 by Thomas Jefferson “Bozo” Williams. Bozo’s Hot Pit Bar-B-Q serves bar-b-q plates and sandwiches, ribs, catfish, burgers. Also, Ms. Perry “the Pie Lady” has been making homemade pies for Bozo’s for many, many years.

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Gus’s Fried Chicken

Visit the original location of Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken for mouthwatering, made to order fried chicken and sides.

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Munford

On the third Saturday in September, the streets of Munford close down to welcome some 15,000 people to Celebrate Munford, an annual event for families, with food booths, art and crafts booth, live entertainment, children’s games, and lots of fun. The Celebrate Munford car show and a 5K run are not to be missed. Centennial Park, located at the corner of Dacus and Reeder in Munford, opened in April of 2006 and has since become one of the finest ball complexes in West Tennessee. Centennial Park includes 5 ball fields, a covered playground, a walking track, restroom facilities, picnic areas, a press box, concessions and convenient parking. For more information, call 901-837-5966 or visit the City’s website at www.munford.com.

Valentine Park

Valentine Park offers two playgrounds, a picnic pavilion, restroom facilities, soccer fields, two 18-hole Disc Golf courses a stocked lake, and nature trails.

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Munford Skate Park

Operated by Munford Parks and Rec.

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