Discover Hohenwald

Hohenwald, Tennessee, brings together themes from nature and regional history. The Elephant Discovery Center is in the town center; the Lewis County Museum focuses on local history and includes the Maddox Wildlife Collection. Historic buildings and how people adapt to the natural environment are also among the area’s themes. These highlights offer different ways to explore Hohenwald according to your travel interests.

Elephants and Conservation in the Town Center

In the center of Hohenwald, the Elephant Discovery Center features interactive multimedia exhibits, a theater, and an outdoor classroom. Regular programs cover elephants, the purpose of the Elephant Sanctuary, and conservation efforts in the wild. Visitors can explore the Center independently during opening hours, without an appointment. Those interested in elephants can also learn about the Sanctuary’s mission and the protection of wild animals here.

Local History and the Maddox Wildlife Collection

The Lewis County Museum includes exhibits on local history and the Maddox Wildlife Collection. The local history area features prehistoric artifacts from Lewis County as well as an exhibit about Meriwether Lewis. For young visitors, the Maddox Wildlife Collection offers a self-guided video and audio tour in which they search for animals from the collection. The museum is located at 108 East Main Street, Hohenwald, Tennessee 38462.

Historic Structures and Outdoor Trails

The Lewis County Museum’s Discovery Trail includes Fort Oliver, a stockade fort. The trail also includes an early 19th-century cabin. It illustrates the type of shelter built by early settlers in Tennessee. The Outdoor Discovery Trail runs through the Discovery Center’s four-acre grounds and illustrates how people have adapted to the natural environment. While the fort and cabin focus on historic structures, the Outdoor Discovery Trail explores adaptation to the environment.

Different Ways to Explore

The ways to explore also differ: At the Elephant Discovery Center, visitors explore the exhibits independently, while the Maddox Wildlife Collection offers young visitors a video and audio tour with a search activity. If you’re planning a museum visit for younger travel companions, this tour is a specific difference between the two offerings; it is intended for young visitors.

The Depot and Its History

The restored Hohenwald Depot was built in 1896 along the North Carolina and St. Louis Railway. Today, it houses the Welcome Center and the Chamber of Commerce. This brings together two points in time in one building: its origins along a railway and its current institutional use.

Historical Time Periods

The historical themes span different periods: The museum displays prehistoric artifacts from Lewis County, the cabin illustrates a type of shelter from the early 19th century, and the depot was built in 1896. These reference points can be considered different chapters in local and regional history, without combining them into a continuous narrative. Meriwether Lewis is also featured in a dedicated exhibit at the museum.

For the broader travel overview: Lewis County.