No, you cannot tour the Body Farm as a casual visitor; access stays restricted to students, professionals, and registered donors’ families.
True crime shows and podcasts often mention the Body Farm in Knoxville, and many travelers start to wonder whether it belongs on their next trip. The idea of a hidden research field where human remains lie under trees sounds unreal, so curiosity kicks in quickly.
Before you add it to an itinerary, it helps to know how these sites really work, who can enter, and what someone interested in forensic science can do instead. This guide walks through the reality behind the nickname, outlines why access stays so tight, and points you toward respectful ways to connect with this kind of research.
What Is The Body Farm?
The Body Farm is the popular nickname for the Anthropology Research Facility at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Created by forensic anthropologist William Bass in the early 1980s, it became the first outdoor lab devoted to watching human bodies decompose under controlled conditions.
Donated bodies rest on the soil, in shallow graves, in vehicles, or under other realistic conditions. Researchers record how temperature, moisture, insects, and plant growth change remains over days, months, and years. Those observations help medical examiners and investigators narrow down time since death and reconstruct what happened at crime scenes.
The University of Tennessee’s Forensic Anthropology Center explains that the facility exists to provide research, training, and casework help for students and law enforcement, not for sightseeing. Their public statement notes plainly that they do not provide tours of the Body Farm, and similar rules apply at most other human decomposition sites.
| Facility | Location | Public Access Snapshot |
|---|---|---|
| Anthropology Research Facility (Body Farm) | University of Tennessee, Knoxville | No public tours; training and research only |
| Forensic Anthropology Center At Texas State (FARF) | Freeman Ranch, San Marcos, Texas | Access for students and invited professionals |
| Forensic Osteology Research Station (FOREST) | Western Carolina University, North Carolina | No public or school tours; visits by request for relevant fields |
| Southeast Texas Applied Forensic Science Facility (STAFS) | Sam Houston State University, Texas | Research and professional training; no tourism |
| Complex Forensic Anthropology Research Facility (CFAR) | Southern Illinois University | Closed to the public; academic and law enforcement use |
| Forensic Investigation Research Station (FIRS) | Colorado Mesa University | Controlled access for teaching and research work |
| Amsterdam Research Initiative For Sub-surface Taphonomy | Amsterdam, Netherlands | European research facility with restricted entry |
Every site has its own rules, but one pattern repeats: donors and their families stand at the center of every decision. Bodies arrive through formal donation programs, and staff handle them with the same care you would expect in a hospital or medical school lab.
Can You Visit The Body Farm?
The short answer to can you visit the body farm? is a clear no for general tourism. You cannot buy a ticket, join a walking tour, or peek through the fence while a guide points out case details. The facility sits behind locked gates, heavy security, and plenty of privacy screening.
Several reasons sit behind that rule. First, donors and families sign paperwork with the expectation that loved ones will rest in a secure setting, not in front of tour buses. Second, research data stays cleaner when uninvited visitors are not near the study plots, trampling the ground or dropping trash. Third, staff need to control health and safety risks that come with exposure to decomposition, biohazards, and rough terrain.
Media and crime novels helped turn the Body Farm into a kind of legend, which can give people the wrong impression. In real life, the grounds look far less theatrical than television sets. Plain wooden fences, tarps, steel cages that keep scavengers away, and tagged remains arranged in rows dominate the view. For staff and students, the space feels like an outdoor lab, not a horror attraction.
Why The Body Farm Stays Closed To Tourists
Keeping tourists out protects donor dignity first. Many donors chose this route because they wanted their remains to keep helping others after death. Uncontrolled visitors would undercut that promise of respect, and could even distress relatives who visit campus later for memorial events.
Strict access also keeps neighbors comfortable. Odor, insects, and heavy research traffic need careful management, and extra visitor cars or buses would place extra strain on nearby streets and homes. Even small choices, such as camera flashes over fences, can feel intrusive to families living nearby.
Security plays a role as well. Facilities want to avoid vandalism, theft of remains, or any misuse of photographs taken without consent. Tight rules on cameras, phones, and access gates lower those risks and keep the focus on science.
Who Can Access A Body Farm Site?
Entry usually goes to people with a direct educational or professional reason to be present. That list often includes:
- University students enrolled in forensic anthropology or related courses
- Graduate researchers working on approved projects
- Law enforcement officers and crime scene teams in training courses
- Medical examiners, pathologists, or other specialists working with faculty
- Occasional donors’ family members invited to visit offices or memorial events, not the plots themselves
Some facilities, such as Western Carolina University’s FOREST, state directly that they do not offer public or school tours, while leaving room for professionals in fields like law enforcement or funeral work to request supervised visits. You can read their policy in the FOREST section of Western Carolina’s forensic anthropology facilities page.
Visiting The Body Farm: Realistic Ways To Get Involved
Tourists cannot walk through the Body Farm, yet someone with a strong interest in forensic work still has options. Some paths call for plenty of study, while others simply depend on paperwork and clear family conversations.
Study Or Train At A Forensic Anthropology Program
If forensic anthropology speaks to you, the most direct route to the fence line runs through a relevant degree. The University of Tennessee and several other schools that run human decomposition facilities offer undergraduate majors, minors, and graduate programs in anthropology or forensic science.
Students who meet course requirements often spend time at the research plots, learning how to map remains, record details, and recover skeletons in a controlled way. Short courses welcome working professionals such as detectives or medical examiners who need more hands-on training with outdoor scenes.
Reaching that stage takes time and effort, but it turns a passing interest into a skill set that helps real cases. Instead of a two-hour tour, you gain days or weeks of supervised fieldwork and classroom context.
Body Donation To Research Facilities
Another option involves registering as a donor. The Forensic Anthropology Center in Tennessee and programs like FOREST in North Carolina accept willed body donations through forms that you can request or download. Staff then work with next of kin when the time comes to arrange transport and paperwork.
Donation does not give family members casual visiting rights, yet many relatives say they feel comfort knowing a loved one’s remains contribute to training and research. Some centers maintain memorial walls or hold periodic remembrance events so families can visit campus, share stories, and hear how donors helped specific classes or investigations.
If you think seriously about donation for yourself or a family member, read the consent documents closely and talk through the choice with close relatives. Policies differ on issues such as out-of-state donors, size limits, or certain medical conditions, so you want to match your plans to a facility that can accept you when the time comes.
Alternatives To A Body Farm Visit For Curious Travelers
Many travelers and true crime fans still want a tangible link to forensic work, even if fences keep them far from active research plots. Several alternatives carry that interest into spaces designed with visitors in mind.
Forensic And Medical Museums
Major cities often host medical history museums, crime labs with visitor centers, or university exhibits that explain forensic methods. Displays might include skeletons, recreated crime scenes, or tools used to process evidence. Staff, guided tours, and clear signage answer questions without exposing remains that families expected to stay private.
Some science centers run temporary exhibits on topics such as decomposition, DNA, or crime scene investigation. These spaces treat human remains and case stories with care while still giving visitors a close look at lab tools and research methods.
Books, Documentaries, And Online Courses
If you enjoy reading on long flights or train rides, first-hand books by forensic anthropologists give a rich view of day-to-day work. Titles linked to the Body Farm describe how cases unfold, how researchers design field projects, and how donation programs operate behind the scenes.
Documentaries and streaming lectures offer another window. Some pair interviews with staff from sites like the Body Farm with controlled footage of training exercises, crime scene reconstructions, or lab work with skeletal collections.
| Option | What You Do | Good Fit For |
|---|---|---|
| Forensic anthropology degree | Enroll at a university that runs a human decomposition facility and complete required coursework | Students ready to commit to science study and fieldwork |
| Short professional course | Attend a multi-day training at a site such as the Forensic Anthropology Center | Investigators, medical examiners, or crime lab staff |
| Body donation | Register with a facility and coordinate plans with next of kin | Adults who want their remains to aid research and training |
| Medical or forensic museum visit | Visit exhibits that explain decomposition, autopsy, and evidence work | Travelers who want a structured, visitor-friendly setting |
| Public lecture or campus event | Attend talks by faculty or guest speakers on forensic topics | Locals near universities that host these programs |
| Books and documentaries | Read or watch detailed accounts by forensic experts | Anyone who prefers a quiet, self-paced way to learn |
Mindful True Crime Travel
True crime tourism spreads across podcasts, walking tours, and museum exhibits. When your interest leans toward murder investigations and mystery novels, it can be tempting to chase morbid thrills on every trip.
With sites tied to real deaths, a more thoughtful approach works better. Ask whether an attraction works with victims’ relatives, keeps profits transparent, or funds education and public safety projects. Avoid sites that treat victims as props, sell graphic souvenirs, or encourage trespassing at active crime scenes or cemeteries.
The same mindset applies to the Body Farm. Respect for donors and families outranks a traveler’s curiosity. That respect includes staying outside restricted fences, not trying to snap photos from nearby hills, and correcting friends who talk about sneaking in for a thrill.
Planning A Trip Near A Body Farm Location
Maybe you already have tickets booked to Knoxville, San Marcos, Cullowhee, or another city linked to human decomposition research. You can still enjoy a rich trip even though can you visit the body farm? has a firm no as an answer.
Start with the public side of the hosting university. Many campuses offer history tours, art museums, or science centers that welcome visitors. You might find a display on anthropology, crime scene investigation, or local history that links back to the same faculty who work at the decomposition facility.
Local museums often touch on policing, medical history, or regional disasters, and those exhibits can give context for why forensic research matters. Parks and hiking trails near campus round out the day and leave space to process heavy topics before dinner.
If your schedule allows, watch local event calendars for public lectures by forensic scientists, crime writers, or law enforcement trainers. Those talks rarely involve graphic photos, yet they share real lessons that staff learned from years of field and lab work.
By the time you head home, you can say you visited the city that hosts the Body Farm, learned how donors shape real science, and still kept every step of your trip respectful.