Attractions

"Uniquely Haywood"

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!

 

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Haywood County Cotton

Brownsville-Haywood County has a deep, rich southern heritage in architecture, agriculture and the arts. A simple drive through the city and county will pique the interest of any early-American history buff, as he or she sees the homes, buildings and churches, many of which date back to the early 19th century. The county’s economy has long been based on agriculture and the county abounds with beautiful farmland that continues to be fertile, producing crops of cotton, corn, wheat, soybeans, other grains and vegetables and fruits. This part of the county’s heritage is depicted in the Cotton Museum Room at the West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center.

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Park of Dreams

Now officially open to the public, The Park of Dreams is a 8,000 square foot playground designed to be accessible to the special needs of children with disabilities while maintaining its main purpose to encourage the inclusion of ALL CHILDREN at playtime. The project is a result of a three year effort made by a committee of 15 local citizens who saw a need and decided to rally the community behind their vision. Funding for this project came from the State of Tennessee LPRF Grant, the City of Brownsville, Haywood County, and private donations raised by the committee. The Park of Dreams is located in the Industrial Park. For more information, call 772-6693.

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West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center

From this heritage, artists of all genres have created music, paintings and writings to record the region’s history through the arts. Early blues musicians Sleepy John Estes, Yank Rachel and Hammie Nixon are known throughout the world for their music, as is Tina Turner for her rock music and Alex Harvey for his country lyrics. These are just a few of the artists who have called Brownsville-Haywood County home and are featured in the Music Museum Room at the West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center. The center, which also houses the Hatchie River Museum Room, is also considered to be the welcome center for West Tennessee, representing and offering information about other West Tennessee counties to visitors as they leave I-40 at Exit 56. The West Tennessee Delta Center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m. For more information, please send an e-mail or visit the website.

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