Things to Do in Cleveland

At Wheat Union Station, volunteers restore and maintain the Southern Appalachia Railway Museum's four diesel engines. Authentically outfitted conductors and staff keep one shiny shoe firmly in the past as air-conditioned coach cars and an open-air baggage car rumble past Poplar Creek, Watts Bar Lake, and Highway 327. The museum conducts seasonal rides and theme rides, including dinner trains and murder mysteries. Secret City Scenic Excursion train rides chug along rail lines that stretch out from K-25, a site of World War II's Manhattan Project.

In 1848, railway workers embarked on a project to open up trade between the Midwest and East Coast by digging a 1,477-foot tunnel through the base of the Chetoogeta Mountain. Around them, the town of Tunnel Hill sprouted up, as well as Clisby Austin's antebellum-style home, which would go on to serve as a hospital and the headquarters of William Sherman during the Civil War. Train cars eventually outgrew the tunnel, leading to the construction of a larger, parallel tunnel and the retirement of the Western & Atlantic Railroad Tunnel in 1928.

Today, visitors can take a step back in time by walking though the restored tunnel's stone arches or gleaning factual tidbits at the Heritage Center Museum. Civil War reenactments bring the grassy fields to life, as the Federals and Confederates engage in battle and hoop-skirted civilians struggle to stitch up the field's time-space wormhole.

Built in 1786, James White's Fort affords glimpses into the frontier lifestyles of America's forefathers while providing education on Knoxville founder and the fort's creator, James White. Each year, more than 10,000 visitors explore the residence, which was restored and opened to the public in 1970. Six cabins and a stockade wall surround the main two-story log house, where guests can experience hands-on interpretations of life as a pioneer by cooking on an open hearth or spinning retro cell-phone-charger cords on an antique loom. Special events held throughout the year keep a continuous line of visitors waltzing across the land of Tennessee's first capital, including an annual celebration of Cherokee heritage.

Certified yoga instructor Katy Branstetter's fitness career took off when she joined her high school's cheerleading squad. She continued encouraging athletes to b-e-a-g-g-r-e-s-s-i-v-e when she went to college, where she began developing an interest in yoga and Pilates. After discovering barre-based exercises and their ability to chisel toned glutes and abs, she decided to share her knowledge to help others whip into shape, while providing jobs for out-of-work ballet barres. At Neighborhood Barre, she and her team of dedicated instructors create a welcoming, judgment-free atmosphere as they lead students of all abilities through fast-paced, intense workouts that combine dance conditioning, Pilates, and yoga. They help both men and women carve their bodies into dancer-like sculpted physiques through low-impact isometric movements and stretches, emphasizing proper alignment to protect lower backs and spines.