Things to Do in Clarksville, TN: Dunbar Cave, the Riverwalk, Downtown and Events (2026)

You're weighing a move to Clarksville, and most of what you'll find online was written for a weekend visitor. You want to know what's open on a regular Saturday, what shuts down for the season and what's actually inside the city. Here's the list, with the address, the hours and the price each place posts.

I've been selling real estate since 2013, and I live in Canterbury, in Thompson's Station. My work is centered on Davidson, Williamson and Maury counties, and Clarksville is in Montgomery County, so treat this as your scouting list, and use the distance table to see how it sits against Nashville and Franklin.

What are the best things to do in Clarksville, TN?

The best things to do in Clarksville, as of October 2026, are outdoors at Dunbar Cave and along the rivers, with a museum and a theater downtown for bad-weather days.

1. Hike Dunbar Cave State Park. The 140-acre park at 401 Old Dunbar Cave Road has more than three miles of trails, and there's no access fee.
2. Tour the cave in season. Dunbar Cave tours run May through September, and the state says they frequently sell out.
3. See the Customs House Museum. It's at 200 South Second Street in an 1898 federal post office, with one of the region's largest model railroad layouts.
4. Walk the Cumberland Riverwalk. McGregor Park, 640 N. Riverside Drive, has a one-mile walking trail along the river.
5. Walk Fort Defiance. This Civil War site at 120 Duncan Street sits on a bluff 200 feet above where the Red and Cumberland rivers meet, and admission is free.
6. Spend an evening on Public Square. The Roxy Regional Theatre is at 114 Public Square, and the First Thursday Art Walk runs downtown from 5 to 8 p.m.
7. Drive out to Port Royal State Park. The former river town at 3300 Old Clarksville Highway runs ranger tours every weekend.

What can you do for free in Clarksville, TN?

Tennessee State Parks charges no access fee at any state park, and Fort Defiance lists free admission, as of October 2026. The Lighted Christmas Parade is free to watch, and the city posts no admission for the Cumberland Riverwalk or the Clarksville Greenway.

What's at Dunbar Cave State Park?

Dunbar Cave State Park is a 140-acre state park and State Natural Area at 401 Old Dunbar Cave Road in Clarksville, Montgomery County. It has the cave, Swan Lake, a restored prairie and more than three miles of foot trails, and the Visitor Center and gift shop are open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily.

The longest trail is Dunbar's Path at 1.1 miles, rated moderate. Grassland Trail is 0.75 mile, Flint Knapper Trail is 0.55 mile, and Resort Trail is a paved 0.45 mile that's listed as wheelchair friendly. Trails are foot traffic only, and pets stay on a leash.

Swan Lake Sports Complex, at 2002 Sanders Road, is a separate city park. There's no RV or trailer access at Dunbar Cave, and the lake trail may flood in heavy rain.

The state says people have used the cave entrance since the end of the last ice age, and Mississippian drawings on the walls date to about the 13th and 14th centuries. Enslaved workers labored here when it was part of a plantation from 1785 to 1864. Recently emancipated people then settled nearby in a community called Affricanna Town, and the park has exhibits on it. The cave ran as a show cave for nearly 100 years before it became a State Natural Area in 1973.

Can you tour Dunbar Cave year-round?

No. Tennessee State Parks runs cave tours only from May through September, and exact dates change each year. The trails stay open, and the $9 virtual reality tour runs at the Visitor Center year-round. Here's how this year's cave tours ran.

The cave stays about 56 degrees. You'll need a handheld flashlight, phone lights aren't allowed, and photography inside isn't allowed. The state recommends reserving because tours frequently sell out, and it says the cave may close during the season for flooding.

What's at the Customs House Museum in Clarksville?

The Customs House Museum & Cultural Center is a history and art museum at 200 South Second Street in downtown Clarksville, partly housed in a federal post office and customs house that opened in November 1898. It's open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m., and it's closed Mondays and major holidays, as of October 2026.

Admission is $12 for adults 18 to 64, $9 for adult military, college students and visitors 65 and over, and $5 for ages 3 to 17. Age 2 and under is free. Parking is free in the lot behind the museum on South Second Street.

The building survived the F3 tornado that hit downtown on January 22, 1999, and it reopened after nearly 18 months and $1.8 million in repairs, per the museum. The Heimansohn Gallery holds one of the region's largest model railroad layouts, and the trains run with volunteer conductors on a posted schedule, so call 931-648-5780 before you go.

Current exhibitions include Toys from the Collection through January 1, 2027, and A Pop Culture Meal: The Lunchbox Collection through May 31, 2027.

Where can you walk along the Cumberland River in Clarksville?

The Cumberland Riverwalk runs along the river at McGregor Park, 640 N. Riverside Drive, a city park with a one-mile walking trail, a boat ramp, picnic areas and restrooms. It's about a mile from City Hall. The As the River Flows Museum on Clarksville's river history is there by reservation.

For a longer outing, the Clarksville Greenway is the city's main trail corridor north and south of the Red River, open to walkers, runners, bikes and skates. The city lists five trailheads: Heritage Park at 1241 Peachers Mill Road, which has the most parking, Pollard Road at 1101 Pollard Road, Mary's Oak at 329 Marys Oak Drive, Red River at 820 Kraft Street and McGregor Park. Its Raymond C. Hand Pass is a 600-foot pedestrian bridge.

The Red River pedestrian bridge is under construction, and the city says it will create about 11 miles of connected greenway trail. High water can close riverfront parks, so check the city's Parks app for closures.

What parks are in Clarksville, TN?

Clarksville Parks & Recreation lists six main parks, plus the Greenway, the Clarksville Blueway and more than a dozen neighborhood parks, as of October 2026. Unless a park posts otherwise, city park hours are dawn to dusk.

What is there to do in downtown Clarksville?

Downtown Clarksville runs along Franklin Street and Public Square, with the Roxy Regional Theatre, the Customs House Museum, F&M Bank Arena and the First Thursday Art Walk within a few blocks of City Hall. This Franklin Street has nothing to do with the City of Franklin, about 68 miles south.

The Roxy Regional Theatre, at 114 Public Square, runs a full season. A 1940s Radio Christmas Carol plays December 4 to 20, 2026, and the box office is 931-645-7699. F&M Bank Arena, at 101 Main Street, has Austin Peay basketball on its calendar through November.

The Clarksville Downtown Market runs on Public Square on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon. The 2026 season ended on October 3, and the city says it has run May through October since 2009. Downtown Commons, at 215 Legion Street, had free Downtown @ Sundown concerts on select Fridays from May 15 through October 2, 2026, per Clarksville Online.

The L&N Train Station, at 189 South 10th Street, is a restored depot with historical displays, and the city's page names two songs tied to it: Bobby Goldsboro's "The L&N Don't Stop Here Anymore" and the Monkees' "Last Train to Clarksville." Parks & Recreation announced hours of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, plus every third Saturday, when it reopened in June 2025. Call 931-472-3351 to confirm before you go.

What is Fort Defiance in Clarksville?

Fort Defiance Civil War Park & Interpretive Center is a free city historic site at 120 Duncan Street in Clarksville, on a bluff 200 feet above where the Red and Cumberland rivers meet. Its fall and winter hours are Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m., and it's closed Mondays. Spring and summer hours run until 5 p.m.

Confederate troops built the fort to defend the river approach, and Union forces captured it in February 1862 and held it for the rest of the war, per the city. People escaping slavery came to the fort, and many worked in and around it. The outer earthworks, powder magazine and gun platforms are still visible, and the center has a 16-minute film on Clarksville during the Civil War.

What is Port Royal State Park?

Port Royal State Park is a 30-acre day-use state park at 3300 Old Clarksville Highway, with an Adams, TN address, in Montgomery County. It's the site of a town established in 1797 on the Red River, and it's about 17 miles and 25 minutes east of Clarksville City Hall without traffic. The park office is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the restored 1859 General Store is the visitor center.

A preserved section of the Trail of Tears runs through the park. The state says more than 10,000 Cherokee people passed through Port Royal on the northern route in the fall and winter of 1838.

Rangers run two one-hour tours, as of October 2026. Follow Their Footsteps is free on Saturdays and Sundays at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., with 20 guests per tour. From Commerce to Collapse covers the townsite on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., for $5 at 13 and older and free at 12 and under.

Don't confuse it with Fischer Park at Port Royal, on Port Royal Road in Spring Hill. That one's about 80 miles south of Clarksville, in Maury County, and I know it well because my kids have played soccer there. It's in my Spring Hill list.

Is there a winery or distillery in Clarksville, TN?

Yes. Beachaven Vineyards & Winery, established in 1986, is at 1100 Dunlop Lane, and Old Glory Distilling Co. is at 451 Alfred Thun Road. Both have Clarksville mailing addresses, but the Census geocoder puts Beachaven outside the city limits.

Beachaven's store is open Monday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., as of October 2026. It lists more than 25 wines, and it has music every weekend from May through October. Call 931-645-8867 about tours, since they have limited availability.

Old Glory's bottle shop and tasting room open at 9 a.m. Monday to Saturday and 10 a.m. Sunday, closing at 9 p.m. except Friday and Saturday at 10 p.m. It also runs a restaurant, the Silo Bar and guided distillery tours.

What events are coming up in Clarksville, TN?

The next big city event in Clarksville is Christmas on the Cumberland, which opens at McGregor Park on Saturday, November 21, 2026, with a free grand opening and Holiday Market from noon to 8 p.m. Here's what's posted for the rest of the year, as of October 2026.

The first Saturday of December 2026 falls on December 5, and the 2026 parade theme is Santa's Workshop. The city says Christmas on the Cumberland is open nightly from November 21, 2026 through January 2, 2027, and the lights go off in rain or high winds. Check the city's events page for updates.

What's inside Clarksville city limits, and what's nearby?

Clarksville is a city in Montgomery County, Tennessee, with an estimated 188,829 people on July 1, 2025, per the Census Bureau. Most of this list is inside the city. Port Royal and Beachaven aren't, and Fort Campbell's main gate is across the Kentucky line.

City and county are from the U.S. Census Bureau's geocoder. Drive figures are OpenStreetMap routing from City Hall at One Public Square on October 30, 2026, with no traffic, so plan on more at rush hour.

What's it like to have all of this close to home?

Dunbar Cave is about 4 miles from City Hall, and the museum, the theater and the arena are within a few blocks of each other. If you're moving here, work out which of those you'd use every week, then look at homes with that drive in mind.

A Clarksville mailing address doesn't settle whether a home is inside the city, and Beachaven's a good example of that. I've been part of more than 500 transactions, and I'll check any address's county, tax and water for you before you get attached to it.

My Clarksville, TN guide covers homes for sale, ZIP codes and the drive to Fort Campbell and Nashville. If you're still comparing towns, things to do in Franklin and things to do in Brentwood run the same way. Got an address you're looking at? DM me, text or call 615-392-1186.

Frequently asked questions about things to do in Clarksville, TN

What are the best things to do in Clarksville, TN?

Walk the trails at Dunbar Cave State Park, 401 Old Dunbar Cave Road, see the Customs House Museum at 200 South Second Street, walk the Cumberland Riverwalk at McGregor Park, walk Fort Defiance at 120 Duncan Street, and catch a show at the Roxy Regional Theatre on Public Square.

What can you do for free in Clarksville, TN?

Tennessee State Parks charges no access fee at any state park, and Fort Defiance lists free admission, as of October 2026. The Lighted Christmas Parade is free to watch, and the city posts no admission for the Cumberland Riverwalk or the Clarksville Greenway.

What county is Clarksville, TN in?

Clarksville is a city in Montgomery County, Tennessee, with an estimated 188,829 people on July 1, 2025, per the Census Bureau.

Can you tour Dunbar Cave year-round?

No. Tennessee State Parks runs cave tours only from May through September, and exact dates change each year. The trails stay open, and the $9 virtual reality tour runs at the Visitor Center year-round.

How much does the Customs House Museum cost?

Admission to the Customs House Museum is $12 for adults 18 to 64, $9 for adult military, college students and visitors 65 and over, and $5 for ages 3 to 17, as of October 2026. Parking is free in the lot behind the museum.

Where is Port Royal State Park?

Port Royal State Park is at 3300 Old Clarksville Highway, with an Adams, TN address, in Montgomery County. It's about 17 miles and 25 minutes from Clarksville City Hall without traffic, and it's outside the city limits.

When does Christmas on the Cumberland start in 2026?

Christmas on the Cumberland opens at McGregor Park, 640 N. Riverside Drive, on Saturday, November 21, 2026, with a free grand opening and Holiday Market from noon to 8 p.m., per the city.

Let's check the address before you fall for it

Send me the Clarksville address you're looking at, and I'll check its county, tax and water. DM me, text or call 615-392-1186.