Attractions
See the Video, "The Only Thing Missing Is You!"Telling em' "We're Uniquely Haywood"
As part of our commitment to tourism, the Chamber is proud to announce we are now linked on the Tennessee Tourism site "Tennessee Vacation"! People use this publication to find vacation and event destinations in our state. We will be highlighting great things about Haywood County on our partner page with the state, as well as listing events that will bring more tourism to our part of the world. Please click the "Unique" button above to visit the site. Email us if you have other suggestions to add to the site, or if you'd like to comment. Thank you for being a part of what makes us "Uniquely Haywood", and what makes folks want to come and see us!
Hatchie River
One of the county’s greatest natural resources and sources of pride is the Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge. This nearly 10,000 acres of land surrounding the Hatchie River supports over 100 species of fish, 35 species of mussels and 250 species of birds.
The Hatchie River is the longest unchannelized river remaining in the Lower Mississippi River Valley and hosts the most extensive bottomland forests in Tennessee. It was established in the mid-1960s primarily as a waterfowl refuge and is home to many other species of wild game.
The Hatchie River is also now under the watchful eye of The Nature Conservancy that has the vision to protect the rich biological diversity of the river, while maintaining sustainable cultural and economic uses of the river. The Conservancy has designated it as “One of the 75 Last Great Places” in urgent need of protection. For more information about the Conservancy and the Hatchie River Project, please click here.
Haywood County Museum/College Hill
The Haywood County Museum, formerly Haywood High School and before that the Brownsville Baptist Female College, houses not only historical treasures of the community, but the Haywood County Sports Museum and a valuable and unique Lincoln collection. It is located in the city’s historic district at the College Hill Complex.
Members of the Brownsville-Haywood County Arts Council work hard year-round to provide a variety of cultural venues for the community. In recent years, audiences delighted in the talent of local actors in the comedy-musical “Annie.” The council has also presented the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, Christmas at College Hill, other plays and programs, and sponsors an “Arts in Education” program in all of the Haywood County Schools.
This organization joins many others that enhance the community’s social offerings, as do several patriotic and historical organizations that preserve the history of our veterans and promote Americanism. In addition, there are number of charitable organizations that the community supports to help those in need.
Reese Moses-Scallions Genealogy Room at the Elma Ross Public Library
Preserving our past are the community’s Historical Society and the Reese Moses-Scallions Genealogy Room at the county’s Elma Ross Public Library.
The Genealogy Department of the library provides thousands of piece of information annually to people who are searching for their roots.
In addition, the library has an outstanding collection of books, reference materials and periodicals and offers the community a wide array of services, including Internet Access, a meeting room, a Lunch and Learn program, a summer reading program for children in the community, and copies of local newspapers on microfilm dating back to 1838.
Historical Society Projects
Members of the Brownsville-Haywood County Historical Society took as their project in 1979 to have a portion of the city designated as a State Historic District. Known as the College Hill Historic District, it includes 83 buildings, one vacant lot and one cemetery, of which 75 buildings and the cemetery contribute to the significance of the district. The architectural character and significance of buildings surrounding the area well-define the boundaries of this historical district. Greek Revival is the most frequently visible style of architecture. One of the Brownsville-Haywood County Historical Society’s continuing missions, in conjunction with the city and county. We place plaques and monuments throughout the community to mark significant historical events.The Mindfield
This multi-faceted, multi-dimensional monument of art, that is located in downtown Brownsville, is a work in progress by local artist Billy Tripp.