City of Athens
Why MC?
Visit McMinn County to experience the artistic talents, cultural history and exciting family entertainment found in the region!
McMinn County has a vibrant arts and cultural scene that will interest persons of all ages. Residents are passionate about the arts and actively showcases the community’s artists and many talents. The history of eastern Tennessee is evident from the fascinating museums to drive-in movie theaters!
Arts and Culture
Athens Area Arts Center
The Athens Area Arts Center (AACA) has flourished from a group of passionate community members who wanted to share the arts with the area to a premiere performing arts organization and a cultural hub of the region. Just two blocks from Athens’ historic downtown courthouse, the Arts Center hosts a wide variety of live performances in the elegant 200 seat black box theater, including community theatre, touring artists, various dances and wedding receptions and theater classes. AACA also offers arts classes in a variety of media for all ages, hosts camps, and supports arts education in local schools. Rotating exhibits, including traveling exhibitions and local student art are on display for visitors to appreciate or purchase. The Artisan Corner features handmade goods and art by regional artisans.
Gem Theatre
Located downtown in Etowah, the historic Gem Theatre was built in 1927 and offers musical and theatrical shows throughout the year. A nonprofit organization, the Gem Theatre and North Newton Revitalization Corp, was formed in 2019 to assist various restoration projects. The Gem has its own resident theatre company, the Gem Players, who offer live performances throughout the year. It is known for hosting the annual Cousin Jake Memorial Bluegrass Festival each March, which commemorates Etowah native Jake Tullock, who played bass with Flatt and Scruggs for 20 years. The Etowah Arts Commission sponsors arts and cultural classes and events at the Gem as well.
McMinn County Living Heritage Museum
The McMinn County Living Heritage Museum is noteworthy in that it showcases delicate artifacts and documents that are collected and preserved, relating to the history of McMinn County and the broader region. Take a walk through history and learn about the evolution of the agriculture industry in McMinn County. Handcrafted works of art and paintings, along with fossils, are on display as well.
Etowah Depot Railroad Museum
The Etowah Depot Railroad Museum celebrates the fact Etowah was created by the Louisville & Nashville (L&N) Railroad in 1906 to serve as a planned community for its workers as well as headquarters for the Atlanta Division of the L&N Railroad System. The Depot is a two-story Victorian railroad station listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was the first building erected in the town. Visitors can stroll through two floors of exhibits telling the story of the town and its relationship with the railroad or look out upstairs windows to watch trains switching in an active rail yard. The museum is home to the Hiwassee River Rail Adventure, while the front lawn is home to scores of community festivals including the “Old Fashion Fourth of July Celebration.”
Cinema
Movie buffs can experience a bit of the new and the old in McMinn County.
The Movie Palace – Athens 5 Cinemas is one of the best movie and entertainment theaters in Eastern Tennessee, while the Swingin’ Midway Drive-In Theatre offers nostalgia from the drive-in theatres of the past with first run movies with digital sound and picture.
