Visitor directory
Anderson County directory
Norris Dam and TVA’s first lake, the Museum of Appalachia, the Clinton 12 and the Secret City of Oak Ridge.
Cities: Clinton (county seat) · Oak Ridge (also Roane) · Norris · Oliver Springs (also Morgan & Roane) · Rocky Top (also Campbell)
Communities: Andersonville · Briceville · Claxton · Medford · Marlow · Powell (also Knox) · Heiskell (also Knox)
Official tourism, parks & attractions
Tourism
- Adventure Anderson (county tourism) ↗Official Anderson County tourism — things to do, lodging and the county event calendar.
- Explore Oak Ridge (visitors bureau) ↗Oak Ridge CVB — Secret City sites, dining, lodging and events. 1400 Oak Ridge Turnpike.
- Anderson County Chamber of Commerce ↗Clinton-based chamber — local businesses and community events.
- Historic Downtown Clinton ↗Antiques and shops on Market St — Mosaic Arts Fest, Clinch River Antique Festival, Christmas parade.
Parks & outdoors
- Norris Dam State Park (TN State Parks) ↗TVA’s first dam, CCC cabins, trails and the old grist mill. Heads-up: both campgrounds are closed for renovation — check the park page first.
- Manhattan Project National Historical Park (NPS) ↗Oak Ridge unit — ranger walks, programs and the story of the Secret City.
- Anderson County Park (Norris Lake) ↗County park and campground on Norris Lake.
Attractions
- Windrock Park ↗Major attraction · ATV/OHV trails, Windrock Mountain. Passes and trail rules on the park’s site · our Windrock guide →
- Museum of Appalachia ↗Pioneer farm-village museum near Norris — Fall Heritage Days, Candlelight Christmas, the Anvil Shoot.
- American Museum of Science and Energy ↗Oak Ridge science museum and Manhattan Project history — 115 E Main St.
- Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge ↗Hands-on museum for kids at 461 W Outer Dr.
- Green McAdoo Cultural Center ↗Free museum telling the story of the Clinton 12 and the 1956 desegregation of Clinton High — on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail.
- Coal Creek Miners Museum ↗Free museum in Rocky Top on the Coal Creek War and the Fraterville and Cross Mountain mine disasters.
- Oak Ridge Playhouse ↗Tennessee’s official state community theatre, on Broadway Ave.
Government
- Anderson County government ↗Official county site: offices, commission, media releases and calendar.
- City of Clinton ↗County seat — city hall, police and city notices.
- City of Oak Ridge ↗City services, parks, library and a busy community calendar.
- City of Norris ↗TVA’s 1930s planned town — city hall, watershed trails and archives.
- City of Rocky Top ↗City hall and services (formerly Lake City).
- Town of Oliver Springs ↗Shared with Morgan & Roane counties — town calendar and services.
Shared with neighboring counties
- Windrock Park — shared with other counties; listed under East Tennessee (general)
- Cumberland Trail State Park (TN State Parks) — shared with other counties; listed under East Tennessee (general)
- Norris Lake (TVA) — shared with other counties; listed under East Tennessee (general)
Local resources
- Emergency (police · fire · EMS)911Call 911 for any emergency.
- Anderson County Sheriff’s Office — dispatch(865) 457-2414101 S Main St, Suite 400, Clinton · 24-hr crime hotline (865) 463-6880 ⓘ source
- Clinton Police Department(865) 457-3112125 W Broad St, Clinton ⓘ source
- Oak Ridge Police — non-emergency(865) 425-4399200 S Tulane Ave, Oak Ridge ⓘ source
- Rocky Top City Hall (police · fire)(865) 426-2838195 S Main St, Rocky Top ⓘ source
- Anderson County Emergency Management865-264-6394111 S Charles G Seivers Blvd, Clinton — disasters, storm info ⓘ source
- Norris Dam State Park ranger (after 911)(865) 809-7888Ranger duty line for the park ⓘ source
- Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge(865) 835-1000990 Oak Ridge Turnpike — emergency room ⓘ source
- Anderson County Schools(865) 463-2800District site — calendars, closings ⓘ source
- Clinton City Schools(865) 457-0159District site — calendars, closings ⓘ source
- Oak Ridge Schools(865) 425-9001District site — calendars, closings ⓘ source
Checked Oct 28, 2026 · official sites only · phone numbers copied from each agency’s own page — tap ⓘ to confirm. In an emergency, call 911.
Area news
Headlines from local outlets · Anderson County
Anderson County wants public input on National Register historic listings at a Nov. 2, 6 p.m. meeting at the Chamber in Clinton.
Read at WVLT 8 →State foresters and DOE began prescribed burns on the Oak Ridge Reservation to clear invasive plants; burns continue through December.
Read at WBIR 10News →Oak Ridge Public Library opened Bud's Library Café in its lobby.
Read at WBIR 10News →Oak Ridge's electric department scheduled an overnight outage north of the Turnpike to replace a failing high-voltage switch.
Read at WATE 6 →Early voting in Anderson County is running 36% ahead of 2022; in-person early voting ends Oct. 29.
Read at The Courier News →DOE's deputy secretary warned in Oak Ridge that a skilled-trades shortage threatens plans to expand nuclear power.
Read at WBIR 10News →Anderson County Schools' new “Happy Lunch Box” food truck served free meals in Briceville and Rocky Top over fall break.
Read at WBIR 10News →
Short summaries in our words — tap through to read the full story at the outlet. All area news → · Outlet requests: [email protected]
A short history
Anderson County was created in December 1801 from parts of Knox and Grainger Counties and named for U.S. Senator Joseph Anderson. Its first seat was called Burrville, after Vice President Aaron Burr; after Burr killed Alexander Hamilton in their duel and was implicated in a land scheme, the legislature renamed the town Clinton. Coal mining became the leading industry once railroads arrived. In 1891 miners at Briceville rose against leased convict labor in the “Coal Creek War”; Tennessee’s convict-lease system ended in 1895.
TVA, signed into law in 1933, launched its first major construction project here: Norris Dam, the planned town of Norris, and public parks at Norris and Big Ridge. TVA notes Norris was its first dam, completed in 1936 and named for Nebraska Senator George Norris, author of the TVA legislation; its 1930s demonstration parks became the nucleus of Tennessee’s state park system.
During World War II federal planners chose the area for the atomic bomb project, and the new city of Oak Ridge (which extends into Roane County) became the fifth-largest city in Tennessee within two years. In 1956 Clinton High School opened its doors to Black students; a riot followed, Governor Frank Clement sent the National Guard, and in 1958 the building was bombed. Students attended classes in Oak Ridge while it was rebuilt.
Towns & communities
- Clinton — county seat, the former Burrville
- Oak Ridge — the Manhattan Project’s Secret City (also in Roane)
- Norris — TVA’s planned 1930s town beside Norris Dam
- Oliver Springs — once a mineral-springs resort where Anderson, Roane and Morgan meet (also listed under Morgan & Roane)
- Rocky Top — formerly Lake City
- Briceville — coal camp of the 1891 Coal Creek War
Our place stories in and near Anderson County
- Norris Lake — TVA dam history and clear water
- Oak Ridge — the Secret City and the Manhattan Project
- Windrock — off-road ridge country above Oliver Springs
Go deeper
Neighboring counties: Knox County · Roane County · Morgan County · Campbell County · Union County · All counties →
Official visitor links
Checked Oct 27, 2026 · hours, fees and events live on these pages.
Sources
Checked Oct 27, 2026 · We summarize; follow these for the full history. No hours or fees on this page — check official sites before you go.