Rugby: Museums, Exhibitions & Discounts

Rugby is a historic community located in Morgan County, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1880 by British author Thomas Hughes, it was established as an experimental utopian colony for the younger sons of British gentry. The village was designed as a class-free, agricultural community that would provide opportunities for these young men who were restricted by British primogeniture laws.

While the original colony lasted only about twenty years, Rugby today stands as a remarkably preserved Victorian-era village and serves as a window into late 19th-century colonial experiments in America. The village features original architecture from the 1880s, including Christ Church Episcopal, the Thomas Hughes Library, and several other historic buildings. Rugby's cultural significance lies in its unique history as a planned community and its well-preserved Victorian architecture, which continues to attract visitors interested in both American and British colonial history.