Tennessee, also known as the Volunteer State, has a rich history and culture that lends itself well to riddles. From Nashville’s music scene to Memphis’ barbecue, Tennessee offers many clues for fun riddles. Here are 51 riddles about Tennessee places, people, foods and more – with the answers provided as well! Test your Tennessee knowledge and see how many you can get right.
Riddles about Tennessee Places
1. What Tennessee city hosts a huge country music festival every summer?
Answer: Nashville hosts the CMA Music Festival every June. The festival features hundreds of country artists performing live concerts over 4 days.
2. I’m a city in West Tennessee that shares its name with an ancient Egyptian city. What am I?
Answer: Memphis is named after the ancient city of Memphis in Egypt.
3. I’m a museum in Nashville dedicated to one of the most popular American music genres. What am I?
Answer: The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville honors the history and artists of country music.
4. I’m a theme park in East Tennessee with thrilling roller coasters, live shows and rides based on movies and TV. What am I?
Answer: Dollywood is Dolly Parton’s theme park located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
5. I’m a historic battlefield in Middle Tennessee where a crucial Civil War battle was fought. What am I?
Answer: The Battle of Stones River took place at Stones River National Battlefield near Murfreesboro.
6. I’m a city in East Tennessee known for my association with the Manhattan Project. What city am I?
Answer: Oak Ridge was the home of the facilities that enriched the uranium for the first atomic bomb.
7. What is the tallest building in Tennessee?
Answer: The Batman Building in Nashville, officially called the AT&T Building, is the tallest building at 617 feet.
8. What NFL team plays in Nashville?
Answer: The Tennessee Titans play in Nashville.
9. What famous whiskey is distilled in Lynchburg, Tennessee?
Answer: Jack Daniel’s whiskey is made in Lynchburg.
10. I’m a museum in Memphis focusing on the history of rock n’ roll music. What am I?
Answer: The Rock N’ Soul Museum tells the story of rock n’ roll, soul and blues music.
Riddles about Tennessee People
11. I was the first woman elected to represent Tennessee in the US Congress. Who am I?
Answer: Irene Bailey Baker was the first woman elected to Congress from Tennessee in 1932.
12. This famous frontiersman and Congressman from Tennessee wore a coonskin cap. Who was he?
Answer: Davy Crockett was known for his coonskin cap.
13. I’m a famous country music singer born in East Tennessee in 1932 who’s known for songs like “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You.” Who am I?
Answer: Dolly Parton is a music legend born in Locust Ridge, Tennessee.
14. This actor from Memphis played the roles of MLK, Thurgood Marshall, Jackie Robinson and James Brown in biographical films. Who is he?
Answer: Chadwick Boseman played all those famous figures in movies.
15. This Memphis native became an iconic rock n’ roll pioneer known as “The King.” Who was he?
Answer: Elvis Presley, The King of Rock n’ Roll, was from Memphis.
16. Before becoming President, this man lived at The Hermitage plantation in Nashville. Who was he?
Answer: Andrew Jackson resided at The Hermitage when he wasn’t serving as President.
17. This Chattanooga native was the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in swimming. Who is she?
Answer: Gertrude Ederle won Olympic gold in 1924.
18. This famous abolitionist led dangerous slave escapes on the Underground Railroad in Tennessee. Who was he?
Answer: John Rankin helped runaway slaves cross the Tennessee River from his home in Ripley.
19. I wrote classics like To Kill a Mockingbird and Go Set a Watchman. Who am I?
Answer: Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird, was from Monroeville, Tennessee.
20. I’m a famous blues and rock musician from Nashville known for songs like “The Thrill is Gone.” Who am I?
Answer: B.B. King was a renowned blues guitarist from Nashville.
Riddles about Tennessee Culture
21. I’m a style of music born in the 1920s in both Memphis and Nashville. Pioneered by artists like the Carter Family, what am I?
Answer: Country music originated as a recording genre in Tennessee in the 1920s.
22. Derived from gospel, blues and country music, I’m a genre that began in Memphis in the 1950s. What am I?
Answer: Rock n’ roll music was born in Memphis, combining influences from other Southern musical styles.
23. I’m a dance move associated with country music where partners stand facing each other and grasp forearms. What am I?
Answer: The Tennessee Waltz is a famous country music dance.
24. I’m a style of barbecue native to West Tennessee focused on dry rubs rather than sauces. What style am I?
Answer: Memphis-style barbecue relies on dry spice rubs to season meat before smoking.
25. The bluesy chords of this style of guitar playing have roots in African-American music of Deep South states like Tennessee. What is it called?
Answer: The Delta blues guitar style originated in the Mississippi Delta region, influenced music in Tennessee.
26. What nickname did early Scottish and Irish immigrants give to the Appalachian region of East Tennessee?
Answer: East Tennesseans call their home in the Appalachian Mountains “the foothills of heaven.”
27. Whose image is prominently featured on the Tennessee state flag?
Answer: The flag features three white stars representing the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee, as well as the Roman numeral XVI for Tennessee’s admission as the 16th state.
28. What is Tennessee’s official state song?
Answer: Tennessee’s official state song is titled “My Homeland, Tennessee.” It was adopted officially in 1925.
29. Dating back to 1866, I’m a famous walking horse show held in Shelbyville, Tennessee every September. What am I?
Answer: The Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration showcases this breed’s unique gait and honors top competitors.
30. What is the most popular sports team in Tennessee?
Answer: The Tennessee Titans football team garners the most loyalty and excitement among sports fans in the state.
Riddles about Tennessee Symbols
31. I’m one of Tennessee’s state symbols, a freshwater game fish popular with anglers. What fish am I?
Answer: The largemouth bass is Tennessee’s official state sport fish.
32. With bright orange and white flowers, this showy plant represents Tennessee’s spirit and hospitality. What is it?
Answer: The passion flower, or maypop, symbolizes Tennessee’s warm hospitality.
33. With nine species native to Tennessee, I’m a state symbol that represents peacefulness. What animal am I?
Answer: The common eastern box turtle, a mostly docile reptile, symbolizes Tennessee’s peaceful ambience.
34. I’m Tennessee’s state bird – an orange and black songbird named for my musical trills and calls. What am I?
Answer: The northern mockingbird can mimic other birds’ songs and is the Tennessee state bird.
35. Tennessee named me as the official state rock to represent strength and durability. What am I?
Answer: Limestone, used often in construction, was designated the official rock of Tennessee.
36. With spear-shaped leaves and edible tubers, I’m a Tennessee native plant used in Appalachian cooking. What am I?
Answer: The Tennessee coneflower’s tubers can be cooked and eaten like potatoes.
37. My fragrant white flowers led to my name as Tennessee’s state cultivated flower. What am I?
Answer: The iris’s meaning stems from its Greek name for “rainbow,” referencing the wide variety of flower colors.
38. I became Tennessee’s state insect in 1975 – I’m a flying, stinging pest known for ruining summer picnics! What am I?
Answer: The humble honeybee might interrupt picnics, but also pollinates crops and makes honey.
39. With a name meaning “he who fights with a club,” what reptile is one of Tennessee’s state symbols?
Answer: The Timber rattlesnake, whose Latin name Crotalus horridus refers to its fangs, became a state symbol in 2009.
40. What colorful fruit became an official Tennessee state symbol in 2013 in recognition of its importance to the state’s agriculture?
Answer: The tomato, used widely in Southern cuisine, joined the list of state symbols in 2013.
Riddles about Tennessee History
41. I’m a 19th century political figure in Tennessee who represented the common man and poor farmers. Who am I?
Answer: Andrew Jackson embraced populism and the common man in early Tennessee politics.
42. We were opponents in a famous 1806 duel near Nashville that arose from a feud over land claims and accusations. Who were we?
Answer: The duel was between Andrew Jackson and Charles Dickinson in Logan County.
43. I’m a Nashville newspaper that began in 1812 and am one of the South’s oldest newspapers still in publication. What am I?
Answer: The Nashville Tennessean began as the Nashville Whig over 200 years ago.
44. I’m a college in Murfreesboro that was the first coeducational Normal School in the South. What school am I?
Answer: Middle Tennessee Normal School, now Middle Tennessee State University, opened in 1911 as a teaching college.
45. What was the last capital of the Confederate States during the Civil War from 1864-1865?
Answer: The Confederates relocated their capital to Nashville in 1864 for the war’s conclusion.
46. What civil rights leader was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis in 1968?
Answer: Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis. The motel is now part of the National Civil Rights Museum.
47. What was the name of Nashville’s NFL team before becoming the Tennessee Titans?
Answer: They were originally known as the Houston Oilers before moving to Nashville in 1997.
48. Who was the first woman to be elected Governor of Tennessee, serving from 2003 to 2011?
Answer: Phil Bredesen was the first woman elected as Tennessee’s Governor.
49. What university’s basketball team is known as the “Volunteers”?
Answer: The University of Tennessee’s sports teams in Knoxville are called the Volunteers.
50. What event brought national fame to the town of Dayton during the 1920s?
Answer: The famous Scopes “Monkey Trial” over evolution took place in Dayton in 1925.
Conclusion
How did you do with these Tennessee riddles? This state has a rich culture just waiting to be explored. From the origins of country music to the volunteers who flock to help their neighbors, Tennessee offers many fascinating facts behind its symbols, history and culture. Learning more about the Volunteer State through these riddles can make any visit or drive through Tennessee even more enjoyable. Next time you’re in Nashville, Memphis or the Great Smoky Mountains, see how many hidden Tennessee facts you can find!
