When the flowers are blooming and the trees are blossoming, it’s nigh time for a new season at TVA’s visitor centers.
The team at Bicentennial Volunteers, Inc. (BVI) is hard at work as they prepare retiree volunteers for the April 4 opening of the manned visitor centers at Fontana, Kentucky and Norris dams. The visitor center at Raccoon Mountain is staffed year-round.
If last year’s success is any indication of the coming season, it’ll be another exciting year to share TVA’s story with travelers from near and far. In 2025, BVI volunteers welcomed more than 95,000 people into the visitor centers to hear firsthand stories about TVA’s history and mission of service.
Each center has photos, videos and relics for families to enjoy, offering unique experiences to learn about the history and mechanics of the site and TVA’s greater mission of service to the people of the Valley region.
This year, teachers can take classes on field trips to the visitor centers by completing a new easy-to-use online form, found at tva.com/visit.
“Our visitor centers offer a wealth of engaging and interesting content, providing an accessible way to reach younger audiences,” said Liberty Phillips, TVA Communications Consultant. “And with the new field trip form, TVA has the opportunity to reach thousands of students each year.”
Alongside operating four manned centers, TVA also has informative display panels at Wilson and Guntersville dams in Alabama, and at South Holston, Fort Patrick Henry and Douglas dams, as well as Melton Hill in eastern Tennessee.
Each location offers information about TVA’s history and explains how the enterprise generates electricity and manages the Tennessee River and its tributaries.
Staffed visitor centers
- Fontana Dam: Located off North Carolina Highway 28, near the Tennessee border. Open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily April through August, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily September and October.
- Kentucky Dam: Located off U.S. Highway 62 East coming from Paducah, Kentucky, or west from Clarksville, Tennessee. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily from April through the last Sunday in October.
- Norris Dam: Located off Interstate 75, Exit 122 north of Knoxville. Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, April through the Monday before Thanksgiving.
- Raccoon Mountain/Laurel Point: Located off Raccoon Mountain Road near U.S. Highway 64/72 west of Chattanooga. Open year-round from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. April through October, and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. November through March.
Unstaffed visitor centers
- Douglas Dam: Located off I-40, Exit 407. Accessible year-round.
- Fort Patrick Henry: Located off Interstate 81, Exit 59. Open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. April through October and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. November through March.
- Guntersville Dam: Located off Snow Point Road (CR-50). Accessible year-around.
- Melton Hill: Located off I-40, Exit 364 near Lenoir City, Tennessee. Accessible year-round.
- South Holston Dam: Located on South View Dam Drive, Bristol, Tennessee. Open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. April through October and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. November through March.
- Wilson Dam: Located off Reservation Road in Muscle Shoals. Accessible year-round.
Visitor centers close for major holidays and in times of severe weather. Check the visitor center page for updates on closures.