Tennessee State Museum

08/28/2026

August is ! During our virtual "Tennessee Voices, American Stories 95 Counties Road Trip," we're stopping by Unicoi County. 🚗✨ In this photograph, an unidentified man is getting hands-on with his fishing pole and net while trout fishing near Erwin, Tennessee, in 1941.

The Unicoi County Heritage Museum & Clinchfield Railroad Museum features themed rooms with artifacts that teach visitors about local military, cultural, and social history. Additionally, visitors can hike the museum’s nature trail to learn more about the area’s wildlife.

Image courtesy of Tennessee State Library & Archives. Every county in the state is full of unique stories and history. Explore them all with the "Tennessee Voices, American Stories 95 Counties Road Trip" interactive map 🗺️: https://tnmuseum.org/tennessee-voices-road-trip

08/26/2026

Join us at the Museum for the next installment of TN Writers | TN Stories on Saturday, September 12 at 10:30 a.m. Author Joe Pagetta will be joined in conversation with Katie Peterson to discuss his new book, "The Apostle of Tennessee: The Indefatigable Life and Ministry of Father Aloysius Orengo" (Vanderbilt University Press).

When Nashville became a Catholic diocese in 1837, it was mostly an aspirational exercise. The few Catholics scattered throughout the state were ministered to only occasionally by missionary priests who traveled by horseback from Kentucky. That all changed when the Italian-born Father Aloysius “Luigi” Orengo arrived in Nashville in 1848. He traveled all over the state, sleeping in the woods, using his saddle for a pillow, and eating cheese and crackers. He’s credited with building churches in Franklin, Columbia, Pulaski, East Nashville, Tracy City, Gallatin, Humboldt, Brownsville, Grand Junction, Covington, Jackson, and McEwen. But for as influential as he was, Father Orengo’s story remained untold, until now.

RSVP for this free event 🎟️: https://bit.ly/46qkQjE This free book discussion is part of our TN Writers | TN Stories series presented in partnership with Chapter 16, Humanities Tennessee, and Vanderbilt University Press.

08/25/2026

Together with our fellow Tennesseans, we are heartbroken at the passing of Dolly Parton. Dolly shows up in not one, or two, but three exhibitions in the Tennessee State Museum, not to mention the numerous places she appears in interactives, films, online exhibitions, blog posts, the Imagination Library books in our Children’s Gallery and more. She’s always seemed to transcend any time period or theme; as if her generosity of spirit and her presence could not be contained. Wherever we are in the Museum, she accompanies us. And always will. We love you, Dolly.

08/25/2026

We're stopping in Fayette County as we travel along the "Tennessee Voices, American Stories 95 Counties Road Trip" online interactive map! 🚗✨ The Somerville Art Gallery features temporary art exhibitions from Fayette County and national artists for local residents and visitors.

📸: A fence alongside a Fayette County highway south of Moscow and near the Tennessee-Mississippi state line, August 1952. Courtesy of Tennessee State Library & Archives.

Every county in the state is full of unique stories and history. Explore them all with the "Tennessee Voices, American Stories 95 Counties Road Trip" interactive map 🗺️: https://tnmuseum.org/tennessee-voices-road-trip

08/24/2026

A reminder that this year's application deadline for the Capital Maintenance and Improvements Grants 🗓️ is tomorrow! Applicants have until August 25, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. CST to submit.

Learn more and apply online at TNMuseum.org/grants.

Grant applications are now open! 📢 For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, the Tennessee General Assembly included a direct appropriation in the amount of $5 million to the Tennessee State Museum “for the sole purpose of providing grants to museums with a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization or affiliated with a governmental entity for capital maintenance and improvements” (Section 61, Item 21 of the 2026-2027 Appropriations Act).

We are happy to once again facilitate this program and help museums and historic sites throughout Tennessee. If your organization would like to apply for this year’s round of funding, the application is now open and available on our website.

Learn more and apply online at TNMuseum.org/grants. This year's application deadline 🗓️ is August 25, 2026.

08/24/2026

08/21/2026

Most Tennesseans are familiar with the names William Strickland and Samuel Morgan when it comes to the history of the Tennessee State Capitol. But who were the individuals behind the fourteen-year effort to build it? During yesterday's Lunch and Learn event, Jeff Sellers presented his research on documenting the hidden stories of the enslaved African Americans and incarcerated laborers involved in the Capitol's construction. His presentation explores individuals such as George Dardis, a free African American porter employed at the Capitol during its construction. The Museum is dedicated to honoring these legacies, with plans to open a new Capitol Visitor Center in early 2027 that showcases these stories.

Watch the recording of this fascinating discussion on our Videos page: https://tnmuseum.org/videos/videos/stories-in-stone

08/20/2026

Discover the remarkable story of Rebekah Senter, a Tennessee nurse whose life of service spanned two world wars and decades of caring for others. Tara Spada, curator of military history, shares some of the recently acquired photographs and artifacts that bring Senter’s story to life and shows how one woman’s dedication to healing became part of Tennessee’s history. Read more on the Stories blog: https://bit.ly/4zlBf6e

08/19/2026

The Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville served as an important symbol during the Civil War. From Union occupation to the development of a new state government, the Capitol was the site of major change for Tennessee. On the Junior Curators blog, discover how the Capitol was transformed and the many ways it served the state during this pivotal moment in Tennessee history: https://bit.ly/3U6z7iF

Pictured: Tennessee State Capitol surrounded by Union camps during the Civil War, 1861-1865. Tennessee State Museum Collection, 10.125.

08/19/2026