Jonesborough’s Storytelling Campus

In downtown Jonesborough, storytelling is not just something people do — it has a home.

The International Storytelling Center campus was built around the art of storytelling, giving one of the region’s most beloved traditions a year-round place to gather, perform, teach, and preserve stories. In a town already known for its historic charm and deep Appalachian roots, the campus helps make Jonesborough a national destination for spoken-word tradition.

The center is closely tied to the town’s identity as a storytelling hub. Jonesborough is home to the well-known National Storytelling Festival, but the International Storytelling Center keeps that creative spirit active beyond a single event weekend. Its campus gives storytellers, listeners, visitors, students, and community members a dedicated space to experience the craft throughout the year.

For the Tri-Cities region, the center is a reminder that local culture is not limited to music, mountains, or historic buildings. Storytelling is also part of the Appalachian Highlands’ heritage — passed through families, front porches, churches, classrooms, festivals, and community gatherings.

The International Storytelling Center turns that tradition into something residents and visitors can see, visit, and experience. Whether someone is new to the area or has lived here for years, it offers a meaningful way to connect with Jonesborough’s character and the wider region’s creative roots.

The next time you are walking through downtown Jonesborough, the storytelling campus is worth noticing. It is a local landmark built around a simple idea: stories matter, and in this part of Tennessee, they have a place of their own.