If you’re going to be in the Nashville area and enjoy a bit of history, you should definitely plan a stop at the Tennessee State Museum. The initial version of this museum began in 1817 when an artist of the time began displaying works in the Nashville public square. In 1937, the museum was given an official home in the War Memorial Building and later moved to the James K. Polk Center in 1981. Permanent exhibits at the museum take you all the way back to prehistoric times when mastodons roamed what are now the streets of Nashville. The settlement and defeat of the British are chronicled in the Frontier exhibit, which even has a sword that was surrendered by the British during the Revolutionary War at the Battle of King’s Mountain. Other permanent exhibits take visitors through the antebellum period and the Civil War, all the way to current times in The New South displays.This museum also offers new and changing exhibits throughout the year. This summer the Tennessee History Comes Alive showcase is being presented by the Tennessee General Assembly Arts Caucus and presents a collection of artifacts that are traced to actual Tennessee families. Other traveling exhibits at the museum include Hoof beats in the Heartland: Civil War Cavalry in Tennessee, and Bagels and Barbeque: The Jewish Experience in Tennessee. If war history is of interest to you, there is a Military Branch Museum located in a separate building with exhibits from the Spanish-American War to World War II.When you’ve had your fill of history for the day, stop by the Museum store and look through crafts, jewelery, books, and other souvenirs from your day walking through history. Times and exhibit dates can be found on the museum’s website. Most admission is free except for a few of the temporary exhibits.

Comments are closed.