DAYTON, Tenn. (WDEF) – Nearly 100 years after the infamous Scopes “Monkey” Trial put evolution and education on the national stage, Dayton, Tennessee is bringing the courtroom drama back to life.
Inside this historic courtroom, the clocks roll back to 1925.
Actors are reenacting the Scopes Trial — a pivotal moment in American history that questioned whether evolution could be taught in public schools.
With period costumes, original dialogue, and plenty of passion, they brought to life a trial that sparked national headlines and ignited a cultural debate still discussed today.
Vendor Timothy Cruver says the event is a labor of love for many involved.
“There’s a lot of people that actually put in a lot of time and effort to put this together, and it’d be really nice to have people come down and look at the courtroom that’s all set up. The historical society has done a really good job setting it up, and the museum down below — it looks really nice. I was really surprised when I went down there.”
If you missed it this year, that’s okay — the reenactment takes place at the Rhea County Courthouse, the very same location where the original trial was held, and it returns annually.
