Tennessee River Freshwater Pearl Museum and Cabin Rentals

"Museum" is not the right word. There is no museum but rather you can schedule a lecture--a good lecture; like a TED talk--about freshwater pearl harvesting. It is the only freshwater pearl farm in North America and that alone makes it unique. The process is fascinating and informative and at the time of this writing, they are only asking for a suggested donation of $10, which I think was well worth it. The owner is very well informed and is super friendly.
If I can make a suggestion: I would change the word "museum" to something like "experience" or "venture" and if I could take it an extra step I would suggest this: Do the lecture on a boat that goes around the mussel beds. Charge $20 and make it an hour tour that just goes around the lake a bit. Call it "Pearls of wisdom" or "The Great Pearl Adventure" or something like that.
All in all, I recommend a stop here. You won't find this anywhere else in the country.

Very informative video. Beautiful jewelery. Found the perfect ring for a special occasion. Prices were great for the value and uniqueness. The lady working was super nice. Would be great to visit with a group. Irreplaceable one of kind jewelry.

Interesting place to stop. Or, rather, it’s very interesting to me that it even exists to stop at! I saw it was kind of along our way, and knew I wanted to buy souvenir to give my daughters. Very friendly manager. My husband watched the video while I shopped. Giving 5 stars bc of the shopping experience…didn’t partake in much ‘museum’ info.

We went as a family of 11, 2 adults and 9 kids, on a weekend. We were on the way to a friend's wedding with a little bit of spare time. The lady was very helpful in telling us how to get here. IT IS A MUSEUM!!! Museums, in my opinion should NOT be state operated, tourist attractions that are full of outside influence and paid for by government tax money. Should they not tell the story in the family's own unique way? This was a delightfully family owned, donation-out-of-kindness, helpful, and informitive setup. It is on my favorites list! If you will be pliable with your expectations then this place is PERFECT for you! I bought a beautiful pair of pearl studs that were handcrafted with sterling silver, and I LOVE them. They remind me of the best daytrip we ever made. The jewelry is a bit pricey but I hope you've heard the saying; 'You Get What You Pay For' Thanks so much for the delightful service. Sincerely, The Diggs Family

Great Harvest Host spot for the night! Waterfront site. Paid for electric as it was a hot day. Free showers. Free laundry. Interesting history. Lots to read and learn about the Farm and it's history. Friendly owners and staff. Would definitely come again.

We stayed here in our camper as part of being members of Harvest Host. They have a museum, gift shop, camping, cabins and marina. Nice quiet place to relax peacefully. The gift shop has some nice items for sale.

Stopped off when I saw the sign on 40 westbound; I've always had a thing for cool local landmarks and this didn't disappoint! Campgrounds are well kept with good amenities, and the pearl museum is very informative... it's the only freshwater pearl farm in North America, so where else will you get to see this?! On top of it all, these folks even sell boats! Very accommodating owners, scenic easy drive off the interstate, and all in all a place I'm glad I visited!

Hard to find, but a real hidden treasure. Bob, the owner is very kind and his hostess Michelle are so welcoming and informative on fresh water pearls. Just a few minutes off the interstate. Take the time to visit and see the cultivation area in the water, very interesting! Would recommend!

Bob the owner was very keen and interesting as a owner and a boater .I found him to be a all around a good ,smart ,careing, personal love for what he does type man . information on what he does impeccable .He cares about what he is doing and the people coming in a lot more than most people. people and marina owners could learn a lot from him.

We stopped by to go through the pearl museum and they hadn’t opened for the summer season yet. We were told to go to the office and they would help us. We met Michelle who opened the museum for us. She showed us the pearl implants, showed us the 10-15 minute film and showed us all the different shells and how the interior shell color becomes the color of the pearl. She was terrific. Then diver John happened by. He shared some of his dive stories. He also crafts some of the jewelry. We bought one of his pieces. We spent about two hours there and it was fantastic. Michelle and John made it a great time. Thanks!

The grounds are great for camping near the lake. The staff was so pleasing. The presentation was informative and very interesting. The gift bag make each feel special
Learning something new was right at our back door. Cool! P.s. thanks Bob for sharing God's handy work with us.

My wife and I visited on the day after Thanksgiving. While this was certainly not a peak time for visitors, the lady took the time to show us through the museum and gift shop. She was very nice and very well informed. It was a great experience.

Excellent presentation concerning fresh Water Pearls in the U.S. A must see and visit. I was there in the off-season. Regardless, call ahead and schedule your visit.

Today we went there with the grandkids which they were amazed .Staff Elena was patient, kind and just overall amazing teaching the kids regarding turtles & snakes. They got to hold & feed them. Thank you Eleana for the amazing experience.

The ladies in the community center were very nice. We chatted for almost an hour talking about pearls, the community around and the river. I got a beautiful single drop pearl necklace and my boyfriend got mother of pearl buttons for his work shirts. I want to go back during the spring/early summer with my kids to go on a farm tour and stay out on the river. Super country and down home southern, which is a great vacation for me as a city dweller.

the previous comment about the establishment burning down is a year late (it will not burn again in the future) but the staff here was super friendly and showed us a short video and some of the items not damaged as well as authentic American produced pearls; they also saw an issue with our trailer tow and spent two hours with a retired Servicemember help us fix our U-Haul tow assembly, cannot say enough nice things about the people here - they're saints!

along with the pearl museum there is a local resort with access for RVs, Campers, and a small marina with boat launches

Lovely experience and learned so much! Staff was so nice and informative! Will be going back and even may stay in sight for camping! Thanks so much for showing us around! Just beautiful!

Too bad the museum had bad fire in 2016. It was still worth the extra drive from I-40. The staff there were very help and friendly.

Very interesting and informative. Never dreamed that I would have loved it as much as I did. Great host and wonderful pearl shopping.

They sure do love having you here. Video is quick and the pearls are amazing.