Quality of Life
Beauty, history and heritage abound.
McNairy County has the competitive advantages to attract international companies and the small town feel to turn visitors into residents. Our low crime rates, mild climate, affordable cost of living and quality schools make McNairy County an ideal place to raise a family.
Big Hill Pond State Park and Pickwick Lake offer some of the best bass and crappie fishing in the state. Immerse yourself in history at Shiloh National Military Park, Pinson Mounds State Archaeological Park, and the Coon Creek Science Center. We boast a rich musical heritage and long list of music rebels such as Carl Perkins. Travel the Rockabilly Highway through Selmer and enjoy the iconic murals painted by Brian Tull.
Nature
McNairy County offers something for the nature lover in everyone. Big Hill Pond State Park, in the southwestern part of McNairy County, encompasses 4,138 acres of timberland and hardwood bottomland. The park includes a 70-foot observation tower with beautiful views of Travis McNatt Lake and a boardwalk that winds through the Great Dismal Swamp. Pickwick Landing State Park is known for its smallmouth bass and Tennessee River catfish, and some of the state’s largest fishing tournaments are held here. The park features a golf course surrounded by trees and water that attracts golfers from across the nation.
Heritage
McNairy County has a long history of innovators who saw the world differently. This heritage is celebrated through award-winning performing arts, musical performances and folk arts festivals. The nonprofit Arts in McNairy began its first theater season in 2001. In 2008, the section of Highway 45 South from Interstate 40 to the Mississippi state line was named the Rockabilly Highway to honor McNairy County’s rockabilly roots. For folk art enthusiasts, the annual Broomcorn Festival, sponsored by Hockaday Handmade Brooms, is a celebration of McNairy County’s arts heritage.
History
History is alive and well in McNairy County. Civil War enthusiasts will find some of the best preserved battlefields in the nation at Shiloh National Military Park. This park illustrates the story with 151 monuments, 217 cannons and more than 650 historic tablets on 4,200 acres. Coon Creek Science Center is one of the most important fossil sites in North America. The site contains extremely well-preserved Upper Cretaceous marine shells and vertebrate remains that are more than 70 million years old.
