McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture

09/02/2026

It's football time in Tennessee! University of Tennessee, Knoxville welcomes the Vols back to Neyland Stadium this weekend, so the museum will be closed on Saturday, September 5.

09/01/2026

Mark your calendars for our next free, family-friendly day at the McClung Museum on Saturday, September 12!

Join us for Fashioning Ourselves: Community Day as we celebrate the stories our clothes can tell.

From cultural traditions to professional identities, what we wear can say a lot about who we are and where we come from. Meet special community guests who will share their own connections to traditional and professional fashions, then explore the exhibition and get creative with hands-on craft activities for kids.

Saturday, September 12 | 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Admission is free, but registration is preferred! See the link in the comments to sign up.

08/28/2026

Come along on a camel caravan adventure! 🐪

Registration is open for first Museum Sprouts: Fall 2026 program. Join us on Tuesday, September 8 from 9:30–10:30 am for an educator-led session designed specifically for toddlers (ages 0-4) and their caregivers.

During this program, we'll head to the Decorative Arts gallery to meet a special camel sculpture, learn a little about these fascinating animals, and then get creative by making a camel of our very own! 🐪🎨

Spots fill quickly! Register by visiting the link in the comments.

08/25/2026

Rounding up our butterflies for Dolly Parton today. 🦋

Remembering a true Tennessee original whose music and generosity reached far beyond our state 🧡.

08/20/2026

Yoga at the Museum is back!

Starting August 21, join us for gentle yoga at the McClung Museum on the 2nd and 3rd Friday of the month. Take a break with mindful breathing, relaxing movements, gentle stretching, and moments of meditation to help you unwind and ease into the weekend.

The program is free to attend and runs from 9:30–10:30 am. No experience necessary! Space is limited.

08/17/2026

Welcome back, Vols! 🧡 Campus wasn’t the same without you.

08/16/2026

Spotted near downtown - sweet notes from our friends at Knoxville Museum of Art

08/14/2026

Look closely, or you may miss it 🧡

This small set of wedding rings on view in Fashioning Ourselves may be easy to overlook, but it connects to one of the themes at the heart of the exhibition: the ways clothing and adornment can mark life’s transitions.

These rings belonged to Ella G. and Hugh L. McClung. Together, the rings tell the story of two transitions: their marriage, when they were first joined, and their passing, when the rings were joined together again after death.

Their daughter, Ellen, later dedicated McClung Tower and Plaza in their memory, creating a lasting tribute to her parents and their life together.

See this quiet love story in Fashioning Ourselves: The Power of Clothing & Adornment, on view through December 6.

08/10/2026

Caregiving is a shared human experience 🧡

After meeting through the Denbo Center for Humanities and the Arts Scholars Collective on Mortality, Cat Shteynberg and Joel Anderson's conversations around caregiving sparked an idea: What if a museum exhibition could create space for people to share their own experiences of care?

That idea grew into “Images of Care,” a community-sourced exhibition bringing together personal stories and reflections on caring for others. Shteynberg, the McClung Museum's former assistant director and curator of exhibitions, and Anderson, a professor in the University of Tennessee College of Nursing, brought the museum and campus communities together around an experience that touches all of our lives.

Read the full story by visiting the link in the comments.

08/09/2026

🅿️ Parking update: Campus move-in starts today! While the museum is open today, parking on campus will be is extremely limited as UT welcomes new students to Rocky Top.

Only 3 more days! We can't wait to meet you all! 🧡