Loretto History Museum
The Passarella family came down from up north and established the telephone company in Loretto, Tennessee. LorettoTel operated here until The SkyBest Company acquired it. The museum has many collectibles and antiques from when ladies on a switchboard controlled the telephone. The Loretto History Museum was the best way to honor those who brought the communication of the telephone to us in southern Lawrence County.
The Loretto History Museum Section 1
From the time you enter through the door, you will see the telephone station where the station made the patches. Here, ladies would patch you through and connect your call once you dialed the operator. There are also phone booths and payphone stations that are rare today. Many kids have never seen equipment like this, so seeing the old rotary dials and the different equipment will help them know the history of the telephone service. There are military uniforms and a desk where old store owners would write in the ledger to keep the books. Haircut stations and a place to get your shoes fitted and shined are located in the middle and back of the museum. The period wigs and hats of the 1920s to 1960s were the golden age of hats, and the Big Red Store was said to have the best in the south, so see their page here! The Big Red Store also made caskets, and the Loretto History Museum has the first caskets made here and a testament to the Loretto Casket Factory just north of the museum. In the very back is a kid's sample room of items and toys from long ago. All these items will give a person of experience a nostalgic remembrance of their former years and a child the context of those who have preceded them!
Loretto History Museum Section 2
Section 2 of the museum is where you will find a new category of unique antiques! There are more home décor items and playtime equipment like a record player jukebox with automated playing. A pinball machine with the arms that keep the ball in play. Just up from them are the items the early German settlers would use when they came into Loretto and built the old Catholic Church. The ice cream soda fountain is iconic for the bar stool seating, many hoses that would supply the carbonation, and the many drawers that would keep topping or mix-ins to add to the beverage. Many kids today have never seen anything like these bar stooled soda stations, so make sure to bring them by. There is also a soda station at The Big Red Store in Appleton that was said to be the fanciest soda station in the south that you can see here. The cooking section is neat with the old pans and cast iron cooking stove. There is even a selection of old vacuum cleaners and an old scoreboard that sports fan really like to see.
More Loretto things to do
There is more in Loretto, and the above gallery is just a few of the things you can see. The old Catholic Church is a neat opportunity to see, and inside is a spectacular scene with ornate wood carvings and stained glass windows, a real treat for those who enjoy these old churches. The Loretto events are neat so please see the Loretto Lift Up Facebook page for updates and upcoming events so that you can plan your itinerary with the inclusion of these events! We hope you enjoy your trip to The Loretto History Museum!
Area Events
We have a page devoted to the areas best events where you can combine interesting events to include into your vacation itinerary! See our page in the button link below!
Indoor Activities
Indoor activities are essential for inclement weather and nightlife recreation! We have bowling, pool, and axe throwing. Yes! Axe throwing at Axe Kicking in Loretto is a very popular destination for those wanting to throw axes and try to get out of an escape house where they lock you up as a group inside a group of rooms where you must use clues in order to find the key to get out! We also have Crockett Theater where you can see shows and live concerts performances! If movies are your interest then Crockett Cinemas are here to give you the best viewing experience with all the snacks and foods you would expect from a working movie theater!
Click the link button below to see our indoor activities webpage! We have collected all the best indoor places in Lawrence county to help you add these places to your plans or itinerary for your stay! The Amish don't offer any kind of nightlife so we want to bring you options to make sure you can enhance your vacation with a few indoor activities!
Outdoor Activities
We have more outdoor sports than we do inside sports. Let's divide team sports up with parallel sports. A parallel sport is one that is played the same, no matter how many players there are. So if you like golf, tennis, motorcycle and atv, or bicycle sports then we have the place you will love! We have both ball golf and disc golf courses and plenty of places to ride your ATV on wooded trails and jumping hills! We also have archery and gun ranges where you can take your best shot and be on target!
Our outdoor activities webpage is where you can find all of our listings of outdoor activity in Lawrence county! This directory explains our top places for outdoor recreation! The button below takes you to the outdoor page so click the button and get started on planning your trip itinerary with these outdoor activities in mind!
Area Woods and Watersports
We have many awesome rivers and lakes in Lawrence county. Visitors come from all over to participate in our great tubing and kayak adventures. There are three great places for fun on the water. Each place we feature opens around May and close labor day weekend. The water temperatures are a bit cold before May and after August. Crockett Shoals Tubing Company is our pick for kids 10 and under as the water is very shallow and the tubes have a bottom so you can't slide out into the water. If a child does fall out of the tube, it is only a foot deep in most places so they just have to stand up. Upa Creek kayak rentals have both tubes, canoes and kayaks and offer different drop off locations according to how long you want to float. Upa Creek is right beside a great restaurant called the Taco Shack if you want to eat after a long float. Double G canoe and kayak rental is for the person who wants a good long float with great scenery. They can even facilitate wheelchairs and other needs for those with disabilities. At Double G they can offer the longest float and the most unique way of putting the kayak in the water!
All of these places and more are featured on our webpage that is devoted to woods and watersports. Please see our detailed guide for more information on seeing which places best fit your needs for a day in the woods or out on the water!
Amish Itineraries
See the top things to do around Ethridge. Our page will help you find your kind of fun!
Places To Stay
Our guide covers the best places to stay around Ethridge. See our page to find your perfect room!
Where To Eat
Our restaurant guide shows you the best places to eat around Ethridge. See our page to find your favorite foods!
Area Shopping Places
We have a page devoted to the areas shopping places where you can find interesting things to shop for. See our page in the button link below!
We are looking to advertise your product or service!
Do you have a business that would like to advertise your product or service on this page? Then see the link below for our advertisers contact page where you can fill out the forms to get us going so you can get in front of your ideal customer!
We (The Amish of Ethridge) do not guarantee the accuracy of the links it shares, as the URL may be changed without warning from the original location. We also do not represent any business listed above or the Amish Community we share. Anyone who consumes our content and acts on what they perceive is doing so of their own volition. We built our website and trails to show our visitors possibilities to include in their itinerary to experience on their vacation.
