Things to do / Travel Guide
Tours of places like motor speedways and old-fashioned factories give visitors a taste of what to expect from the southern Appalachian Mountains region. But a genuine motion picture studio offers a little bit of Hollywood-like “cinemagic,” to spice up the region's behind-the-scenes and factory tour offerings.
Factory Tours near the Smoky Mountains
Definitively located in “NASCAR country,” marvel at one of the most famous auto tracks in the United States, Bristol Motor Speedway and Dragway. One look at the incredible 36º banks around the track will make your head spin, as this behind-the-scenes tour is flush with high-octane excitement. Touring the main track as well as the legendary ¼-mile strip of dragway asphalt in Bristol, Tennessee, you'll get a better understanding of what has made superstars like Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, and Darrell Waltrip household names to auto racing fans.
Also reflecting the region's culture is the The Old Mill, in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
Grinding it out the old-fashioned way, The Old Mill, built in 1830, still churns out about 1,000 pounds of grain each day. The product is used, among other things, for making cornbread, grits, and other delicious local dishes at the site's restaurant, also on the premises. Take a factory tour for a taste of what the South has to offer and dine in the adjacent restaurant.
Taking a guided behind-the-scenes look at Blue Ridge Motion Picture Studios will make you forget that you're actually quite far from Tinseltown. As you'll see for yourself, this professional, hi-tech film production facility proves that you don't need to travel all the way out to Hollywood to make movie magic happen.
Factory Tour in Northern Virginia
Route 11 Potato Chips, in Middletown, is a great place to watch some spudmasters create great snacks out of raw potatoes. The only factory tour available in northern Virginia, on this free tour you'll get to sample some of the factory's finished products - delicious!
Behind-the-scenes and factory tours are typically family-friendly activities good for a short and interesting diversion from a region's mainstream tourist activities. Generally inexpensive, visitors are often given complimentary tastes and samples, like at Route 11 Potato Chips, in Middletown, Virginia. Note that some tours have irregular hours and admission restrictions. Click on the individual icons for more practical information.
Behind-the-Scenes and Factory Tours in Roanoke, Asheville, Smoky, Blue Ridge, Shenandoah and Southern Appalachian Mountains
Behind-Scenes-Factory-Tours
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