The Tennessee State Museum is currently located in the James K. Polk Center in Nashville, Tennessee. It was relocated here in 1981. Although its roots date back to 1817, it was made an official state museum by the Tennessee General Assembly in 1937. Its mission then was to house artifacts from World War I. It occupies about 120,000 square feet with over 60,000 square feet dedicated to various exhibits.
Across the street from the main museum is the Military Branch Museum. Located here is the collection of various war artifacts from the Spanish American War to present day. Exhibits include memorials to Tennessee solders who died in various wars. Also on display are the uniform and decorations of Medal of Honor winner Alvin C. York from World War I. York is Tennessee’s most famous soldier.
The museum includes not only permanent exhibits but also changing and traveling exhibits. Traveling exhibits tour the state from time to time, and they cover a wide range of topics. Currently featured are “Hoofbeats in the Heartland: Civil War Cavalry in Tennessee” and “Bagels & Barbeque: The Jewish Experience in Tennessee.”
In the changing exhibit category, the current feature is “The People’s House, A Temple of Democracy.” This is on display through August 9, 2009. Other displays have shorter exposure periods. Check directly with the museum for what’s happening when you plan to visit.
Permanent exhibits are plentiful and extensive. Titles include “The First Tennesseans” showing life here starting about 15,000 years ago. This exhibit includes Indian cultures of the time and even bones from a mastodon. Other exhibits include displays on the “Frontier,” “The Age of Jackson,” “Antebellum,” “The Civil War and Reconstruction,” and “The New South.”
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