Andrew Johnson Trail
Andrew Johnson arrived in Greeneville as a young tailor in 1826 and left it as President of the United States. Every stop on this walk is tied to his life here, and the four main sites are run by the National Park Service free of charge. Start at the Visitor Center for parking, restrooms and free tickets to tour his home.
Start this tour on the map-
Visitor Center and Tailor Shop
101 N. College St.
This is where the story starts. Johnson bought this small shop at a public auction in 1830 and ran his tailoring business here while he got into local politics. In the 1920s the State of Tennessee built a memorial building around the shop to protect it, and you can stand in front of the original one-room shop today. The museum also has a 13 1/2 minute film and artifacts from his presidency and impeachment trial.
Free. Open daily 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. April through November, and Wednesday to Sunday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. December through March. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Pick up free Homestead tour tickets here. The only public restrooms on the trail are here. Call 423-638-3551.
On the map → -
Andrew Johnson Statue
E. Depot St. at S. College St.
A statue of Johnson stands across Depot Street from the Visitor Center. It was the wish of his great-granddaughter, Margaret Johnson Patterson Bartlett, who spent decades preserving his memory and is named on the plaque as the donor. A second plaque sums up his rise from apprentice tailor to alderman, mayor, vice president and president.
Outdoors, always viewable.
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Andrew Johnson's Early Home
N. College St. at E. Depot St., across from the Visitor Center
Andrew and Eliza Johnson lived in this two-story brick house from the 1830s until 1851. They started their family here, and Johnson went from town tailor to alderman, mayor and state lawmaker while living in it. It is also where he lived when he bought his first enslaved people, in 1842 and 1843. Three rooms downstairs hold exhibits on his early life and a timeline comparing his life with the nation's.
Free, open during park hours. Self-guided, three downstairs rooms. Next to the park parking lot.
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Birthplace Replica
E. Depot St., across from the park parking lot
The small gray building is a replica of the house in Raleigh, North Carolina, where Johnson was born in 1808. His family was poor, his father died when he was three, and he was later apprenticed to a tailor. Seeing how small it is helps explain why he called himself a man who had wrestled with poverty.
View from outside. It is not listed as one of the park's four main areas, so ask at the Visitor Center about any interior access.
On the map → -
Andrew Johnson Mural
S. Main St. at W. Summer St.
Walk west on Depot Street and turn left on Main to reach this painted window scene. It shows Johnson in his Masonic dress looking out of a building on this corner, where the Masonic Lodge once met. Johnson was a lodge member, and Masons conducted the rites at his burial in 1875. Local artist Joe Kilday painted it as part of the Windows to the Past mural project.
Outdoors, always viewable.
On the map → -
Valentine Sevier Home
230 S. Main St.
A state historical marker calls this the oldest house standing in Greeneville. Valentine Sevier built it around 1795, and Andrew Johnson later owned it. It is a quick stop on the way to the Homestead, a block further down Main Street.
Marker and exterior view from the sidewalk.
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Andrew Johnson Homestead
209 S. Main St.
Johnson bought this brick house in 1851 and owned it for 24 years, living here before and after his presidency. Soldiers occupied it during the Civil War, and the family repaired and refurnished it when they came home from Washington in 1869. Three generations lived here until 1956, so the rooms are full of original family belongings and political gifts.
Interior by free guided tour only, usually at 10 and 11 a.m. and 2 and 3 p.m. Get tickets at the Visitor Center at least 15 minutes before the tour. Groups are capped at 10, first come, first served. Tours start on the back porch. Three flights of stairs, not wheelchair accessible, no restrooms.
On the map → -
Andrew Johnson National Cemetery
121 Monument Ave.
Johnson bought this hilltop in 1852 because he loved the mountain view, and he asked to be buried here. He was laid to rest on August 3, 1875, and his family raised the tall marble obelisk over his and Eliza's graves in 1878. His daughter Martha asked that the hill become a resting place for veterans, and today more than 2,000 graves cover it. Climb to the top for the view he liked.
Free, open daily dawn to dusk. Hilly sidewalks and stairs. Leashed pets allowed on sidewalks. It is about half a mile from the Homestead, mostly uphill, so you may prefer to drive.
On the map →