Paris, Tennessee
What you can see: One of West Tennessee’s prettiest town squares, where a stately 1896 courthouse is surrounded by boutiques, bookstores, and flower shops. Revitalization has restored the look of an earlier era—it’s like visiting Paris in the 1920s! Paris, Tennessee, that is.
Where you can eat: Locals would favorably compare Clifty Farm country ham to any artisanal French jambon. But the headlining culinary attraction is the annual World’s Biggest Fish Fry, in which thousands of attendees consume more than five tons of fried catfish come April.
How it’s like that other Paris: Let’s see—oh, right, there’s an Eiffel Tower! At seventy feet tall, the park-set replica is about eighty stories shy of the original, but does theirs overlook a splash pad and disc golf course? Nope, didn’t think so.
Paris, Texas
What you can see: Billing itself as “the second largest Paris in the world,” this Northeast Texas town of twenty-five thousand also boasts an Eiffel Tower replica, whimsically topped by an enormous red cowboy hat to barely surpass the height of the competing tower in Tennessee.
Where you can eat: Crawford’s Hole in the Wall specializes in burgers, while 107 Texas serves up tacos, sliders, and pastas in its popular outdoor beer garden. For a bit more European flair, check out the artisan breads and galettes at Paris Bakery.
How it’s like that other Paris: France is practically the birthplace of alternative cinema. But this county seat can claim to have inspired at least one arthouse classic, 1984’s Paris, Texas, directed by auteur Wim Wenders and starring Harry Dean Stanton.
Paris, Mississippi
What you can see: An unincorporated crossroads in the northern part of the state, so blink and you might miss the Dollar General and open-sometimes Paris Village Antiques.
Where you can eat: Though the exterior of Harmon’s Fish & Steaks could be mistaken for a weathered barn, regulars love the buffet’s chocolate cobbler.
How it’s like that other Paris: Paris, France, sits 347 miles from the university town of Oxford, England. This Paris sits fifteen miles from the university town of Oxford, Mississippi, where myriad dining, shopping, and football-cheering options await.
Paris, Virginia
What you can see: A picturesque hamlet nestled in Virginia hunt country, Blue Ridge foothills rolling away to the Shenandoah River, the Appalachian Trail, and your pick of wineries.
Where you can eat: Dining and lodging alike center on the Ashby Inn & Restaurant, a cozy, elegant B&B built as a private residence in 1829. The highly regarded eatery is gourmet all the way; if you want a Parisian vibe, indulge in seared foie gras, duck confit, and chocolate mousse pavé.
How it’s like that other Paris: Both carefully preserve their historic architecture. Indeed, Virginia’s Paris Historic District contains dozens of nineteenth-century structures, including the Old Paris Meeting House and the red-roofed Ashby Chapel.
Paris, Arkansas
What you can see: Another Eiffel Tower! This one is a mere twenty-five feet tall, but it’s painted with the same brand and color of paint as the real deal, donated by the same French manufacturer. A few miles outside town is Mount Magazine State Park, home to Arkansas’s highest peak, which attracts rock climbers and hang gliders.
Where you can eat: Follow the locals to the Grapevine Restaurant for salads, wraps, and appropriately, a French Dip sandwich made with smoked brisket.
How it’s like that other Paris: These Arkansas Parisians also like their wine, so much so that the town is home to the Arkansas Historic Wine Museum and its displays of wine presses, barrels, and labels. And nearby sits a monastic abbey, which seems vaguely French even if its black-robed Benedictine monks trace their order’s history to Italy.
Paris, Kentucky
What you can see: This being Thoroughbred country, the surrounding countryside reveals stunning horse farms that can be toured by reservation, including Runnymede Farm, thought to be the state’s oldest continuously operated breeding operation, and Claiborne Farm, the retirement home of Triple Crown-winner Secretariat.
What you can eat: Everybody has an opinion on which of the recent wave of taco stands is the best. Or stroll the Bourbon County Farmers Market to find Hopewell Bakery, which uses fellow vendors’ eggs, sorghum, and fruits to create its small-batch creations.
How it’s like that other Paris: Dramatic equestrian statues appear ready to charge you around every corner in Paris, France. But none of those horses is as famous as Secretariat, who was memorialized in 2023 with the unveiling of a life-size bronze statue on historic Main Street.
