Whether you are a tourist wanting a picture with the Dolly statue or a local who is spending some time downtown, there are some ‘Instagram worthy’ places to find in in the center of Sevierville. This blogger teamed up with DB Photography, a Sevier Commons board member and an Instagram savvy downtown worker to find the best places to go. Here is our list of the most Instagram-worthy spots downtown.
SITES
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THE DOLLY PARTON STATUE
Without a doubt, the statue of Dolly Parton is the most photographed spot in downtown Sevierville. You can drive by almost any time of day to find people taking pictures with the statue of our favorite native, Dolly Parton. She is loved by audiences all over the world so there are sure to be some fans at the statue, especially on weekends. In fact, I saw five cars stop during our photoshoot that Sunday with visitors from Alabama, Arkansas, and Texas. Find this special place on Court Avenue in front of the Sevier County Courthouse. The statue always seems to say “Welcome to downtown Sevierville!”
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Wings of Wander mural on Bruce Street
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THE SEVIER COUNTY COURTHOUSE
While at the Dolly Parton statue, you should consider a photo of the Sevier County Courthouse due the bell tower, curved windows, brick, and other attributes. I have taken pictures of it during different times of day and various seasons. Clouds and the sky contrast well with the dark brick and bell tower. I always find it interesting.
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THE CROSSWALK IN FRONT OF THE COURTHOUSE
This photo taken on the crosswalk in front of the Sevier County courthouse is a fun replica of the Beatles Abbey Road album cover. If you want this shot then you better visit on Sunday when there are few cars parked downtown to ‘clutter’ your shot. The courthouse gets busy during the week, especially on Fridays.
Or you can take a photo from this view of the crosswalk. The lines make an interesting frame for the model. In addition, the pretty flowers, plants and doorway in the background lend interest. Yes, crosswalks are good for Instagram photos!
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DOORWAYS ON COURT AVENUE
Across the street from the Sevier County courthouse, you will find a block of buildings with interesting characteristics. For example, several offices have interesting doorways and windows. Fashion bloggers often use doorways to frame their shots so anything curved or out of the ordinary is a good bet for an interesting photograph for an Instagram shot.
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This doorway is simple yet interesting with the three steps and contrasting color on the doors. Find this doorway across the street from the Sevier County Courthouse.
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COURTHOUSE DONUTS
A favorite downtown gathering place is Courthouse Donuts at 160 Court Avenue. The bench is not just for resting, but for for posing for social media pictures. You get a bench, pretty windows, flags, flowers, and buildings all in one shot. The windows of Courthouse Donuts always display work from local artists; therefore, it is one of the best places downtown to take a picture. Just across the street from the courthouse, Courthouse Donuts also offers refreshment and a nice morning vibe. You can relax with a coffee and have one of the best donuts in Tennessee. Or stay for lunch. The building is lovely inside. Go take a look!
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D GARDEN
D Garden is just a few doors away Courthouse Donuts and offers the most lovely view on Court Avenue. This wonderful ‘floratique’ has several windows and a doorway that are more than Instagram-worthy. In addition, one can hear music playing softly in the background of the entrance, making you want to linger. Take a closer look because this space has a bit of history inside.
The front door of D Garden is just as lovely. Look at the small chandelier overhead. You are ready for a great photo at D Garden on Court Avenue because it is dressed up and ready to go! Find the website at www.dgardenfloratique.com
With the picture above, you can see that D Garden has the most beautiful door and exterior in downtown Sevierville.
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THE VICTORIA MALL ARCADE PASSAGEWAY ON COURT AVENUE
This is what the British call an arcade, or a passageway, from Court Avenue to the back parking lot of Sevier County Bank and the gazebo area. You can take some interesting pictures here due to shadows and lighting. Give it a try! The Southern Fried Hair salon is on the left and the Cause and Effect store is on the right.
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THE ALLEY ON COURT AVENUE
This alley is near D Garden and north of the courthouse. It is rather long and interesting. The wood side contrasts with the brick. Your imagination is the limit for this Instagram worthy shot.
The wood side of the alley makes a nice neutral background for portraits. Beautiful!
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THE WALL BEHIND THE FORMER SEVIER COUNTY BANK LOCATION
Continue walking toward Main Street then take a right to find this wall behind the old Sevier County Bank building. Why is this shot Instagram-worthy? Any color will stand out from the neutral background color of the wall. Observe how the blue denim color in the dress ‘pops’ in the foreground of this shot. See an upcoming blog on my website for the ideas we had for this wall.
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THE OLD EMERY 5 & 10 SIGN
For a nostalgic photo, take one with this Emery 5 & 10 sign. To find it, continue past the wall behind the former Sevier County Bank building. You will find it to the right, on the back of the building. DB Photography can do special effects to intensify elements in a photo. Can you see them here?
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THE OLE SMOKY MOONSHINE OFFICE
This business is decorated and ready for your photo shoot downtown. In fact, it was one of the most festive places that we found downtown last week. Ole Smoky is ready for fall!
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BISTRO 109
Go back to Courthouse Donuts then turn left on Bruce Street. Across the street you will see one of our favorite lunch and dinner spots, Bistro 109. The exterior affords a nice picture with nice windows, lights, and plants. Go inside and take a picture of the beautiful copper bar and piano. The interior of the restaurant has many Instagram-worthy spots so take a look. After all that, I recommend the cranberry chicken salad and a beverage of your choice. It is one of my favorite places to eat in town.
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THE CHERRY PIT
The Cherry Pit is close to Bistro 109. The exterior is interesting so we stopped for a look. The window contains some pretty things as well. Wear blue to stand out amidst the red and white at this location.
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THE BRICK ALLEY ON BRUCE STREET
This was next to the old bus depot and buses actually used to drive through this alley. It is hard to believe because it looks so narrow. There are unlimited ideas for this photo spot.
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THE OLD JAILHOUSE CELL BARS
I once heard a story during a history walking tour downtown about the old jail burning down. In an effort to re-use materials, they made a sewer grate from the old jail house cell bars. You often find interesting shots on Instagram using flooring or the ground. There are also shots called ‘flatlays’ where one takes a photo looking down at objects. This one would be a conversation piece. Go to the back of the Bruce Street brick alley to find this interesting piece of Sevierville history.
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CHAROTTE’S BRUCE STREET CREATIVE
Continue up the street to Charlotte’s Bruce Street Creative for an attractive window scene. This one is dressed in our favorite colors: orange and white. Go Vols!
Enter Charlotte’s Creative to see beautiful jewelry and art. You may sign up for a class sometime. The interior is an artist’s dream.
If you are impressed with these photos, the business card for DB Photography is pictured above. Danyelle Bledsoe is my official photographer for special events.
VFL!
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THE SEVIER COUNTY HERITAGE MUSEUM
I remember when this building used to be the post office. It was hard to find a parking space during certain times of the day when one needed to buy stamps. Now, the building serves as the Sevier County Heritage Museum. The brick and white treatments combine to make a nice picture. Thus, it makes our list of the most Instagram-worthy places in downtown Sevierville.
This is the grassy area beside the Sevier County Heritage Museum.
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CASH HARDWARE
Yes, you read that correctly. Cash Hardware! I would not have thought of using that spot but Sara, our Instagram savvy friend, pointed out that the panels almost matched the color in my shirt. Color co-ordination is important for social media fashion bloggers so we tried the shot to see what it would look like. Not bad!
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THE GAZEBO ON BRUCE STREET
Danyelle caught the gazebo from a beautiful angle here. There are many more in the gazebo area. Visit the farmer’s market here during the summer or ‘Music in Common’ performances on Friday nights this month, October 2017.
Here is a trick—try to match the courthouse bell tower with the one on the sign. There are some beautiful plants and baskets downtown this year and they have not gone unnoticed. The city landscaping department has really done an excellent job this year.
In case you missed it, here is the info for our photographer, who owns DB Photography. This blog story would not have existed without her skillful photography and posing suggestions.
Here is a link to her Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/dbphotographysevier/
Many thanks to our models who helped to give this story life. They were willing to try anything to make the story work and are devoted to the revitalization of downtown Sevierville. You can too—come downtown and visit!
This blogger, DB Photography, a Sevierville Commons member and an Instagram savvy downtown worker enjoyed this photoshoot and we have ideas for more in the future. These photos present just a few ideas for Instagram-worthy spots in downtown Sevierville; however, there are probably many more. What are your favorite picture spots downtown? Let me know. There could be a Part II !
In the meantime, we’ll see you out and about in Sevierville.
Boogertown Gap performed on October 6th.
Out and About in Sevierville 