Seymour, TN Indoor Activities

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.

After its construction in 1928 as a grand movie palace in the Spanish-Moorish style, the Tennessee Theatre gradually fell into disrepair, its ceiling cracking and its colors fading. A $23.5 million renovation completed in 2005 restored the venue to its Roaring Twenties glory, starting with a complete repainting that restored the rich reds and golds of the proscenium, the baby blue of the ceiling, and the original '20s graffiti in the alley that reads, “Talkies are a fad.” Grand chandeliers cast glittering light across the lobby and the meticulously restored, burgundy velvet seating cradles showgoers in downy comfort. Filling the space with a wall of pipe-produced sound, the 17-rank Mighty Wurlitzer pipe organ that acts as the theater’s centerpiece stands at the ready, recently disassembled, refurbished, and restored it to its wall-shaking prime.

Ripley’s has enthralled audiences for more than nine decades with its dedication to revealing odd and unexplainable rarities from around the globe. But it all began with one man: Robert Ripley, a wildly successful and eccentric character who rose to fame during the first half of the 20th century. After selling his first cartoon to Life magazine at age 14, he set out on a quick-paced career of drawing sports cartoons for the New York Globe. During a slow day at the office, he sketched nine unusual sporting events and finished his work with a title: “Believe It or Not!” It became immensely popular, allowing Ripley to travel the world in search of more bizarre stories to put into his comic strips. While visiting relatively unknown areas in locales such as India, China, and the inside of his neighbor’s chimney, he picked up a slew of unbelievable souvenirs that later became fixtures in several of Ripley’s museums, or as they’re affectionately called today, Odditoriums. Ripley’s now encompasses publications, attractions, a television show, and a blog, all of which carry Ripley’s tradition of reporting on the world’s curiosities.

Larry Schmittou, a renowned minor-league coach, executive, and overall baseball legend, traded diamonds for lanes to become president and co-owner of Strike & Spare Family Entertainment. Bowlers, gamers, and bar-goers can convene at locations across four states, each booming with the thundering sound of balls clashing against pins and confused children tap-dancing down the alley. The center is open 365 days per year, with lights and music enticing adults into the bar for a drink or snack, all while the arcade’s bells and whistles distract young ones until the lanes close. A bowling-rewards card incentivizes trips to the alley with credits for future purchases.

The instructors at The Practice Yoga Studio come from diverse backgrounds: one is a classically trained symphony flutist, another is a massage therapist, and still another is a public-relations professional. But all of them are united by a common passion for yoga. On the hardwood floors of their spacious studio, the highly trained yogis guide students of all skill levels through a curriculum of classes including traditional Vinyasa yoga, hot-hatha yoga, and restorative yoga. During their signature Yogalates classes, the teachers combine yoga and Pilates movements to strengthen core muscles and enhance flexibility. Outside the classroom, the studio's onsite shop stocks yoga essentials ranging from professional mats and clothing to soothing audio recordings of Gandhi reading from his book, My Favorite Whale Sounds.

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.