The Tennessee State Museum is currently open to the public. We are thrilled to welcome visitors to experience Tennessee history, art, and culture from the state’s natural history beginnings through the present day. We have taken the Tennessee Pledge and are committed to protecting the customers that we serve. In preparation for our reopening, please be aware of the following important information regarding safety requirements. We look forward to seeing you!
LOCATION:
The Museum is conveniently located at the corner of Rosa L. Parks Blvd. and Jefferson Street, adjacent to the Nashville Farmers’ Market at the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park. Free parking is available in lot shared by the Museum and the Farmers’ Market.
Address:
1000 Rosa L. Parks Blvd
Nashville, TN 37208
OPERATING HOURS:
The Museum will be open special hours:
Monday: Closed
Tuesday-Saturday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday: 1 p.m. – 5 p.m
The Museum is closed on New Year's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
ADMISSION:
Admission to the Tennessee State Museum is free.
VISITOR CAPACITY:
Based on Metro Nashville Davidson County Phase 3 Reopening Guidelines, the Museum will be able to welcome visitors at 75% of our normal capacity.
FACE MASKS AND TEMPERATURE CHECKS ARE REQUIRED:
The Tennessee State Museum is housed in a State of Tennessee building which requires that all employees and guests receive a temperature check when entering the facility and wear a mask or similar face covering over their nose and mouth. Patrons will be permitted to wear their own face covering or be provided a disposable mask at the visitor desk. According to CDC guidelines, children under the age of 2 should not wear a face covering. Those not wearing a mask, or presenting with a temperature higher than 100.4 degrees, will not be allowed to enter. Notice for entry requirements will be posted at the visitor entrances.
SOCIAL DISTANCING:
Staff will be maintaining the recommended six feet distance when interacting with Museum visitors. Social distancing signs will be placed in the Grand Hall, gallery spaces and store and near elevators to assist in directing patrons to keep a safe distance from each other.
CHILDREN’S GALLERY CLOSED:
During this initial phase of the Museum’s reopening, our Children’s Gallery will be closed to the public. We invite visitors looking to engage their children with kid-specific programming to visit the new TSM Kids section of our website at TNMuseum.org/kids.
TOUCHSCREENS DISABLED:
During this initial phase of the Museum’s reopening, all interactive touchscreens throughout the Museum will be disabled to further protect the visitor.
GUIDED TOURS AND EVENTS:
All Guided Tours, at both the Museum and the State Capitol, and public events at the Museum are currently postponed. Please keep an eye on our events calendar for updates on events. We continue to offer many events, like our Lunch with a Curator lectures, classes, and book club discussion online. You may also wish to sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of our home page or follow us through our social media accounts for updates.
RATIFIED! TENNESSEE WOMEN AND THE RIGHT TO VOTE:
Ratified! Tennessee Women and the Right Vote, the Museum’s temporary exhibition commemorating the 100thanniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, is now open. We also invite visitors to visit Ratified! Statewide!, an online component of the exhibition that surveys activity related to the women’s suffrage movement in every county in the state.
ALL CURRENT PERMANENT AND TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS OPEN:
All of the Museum’s current permanent and temporary exhibitions will be open to visitors. These include the permanent exhibitions, Tennessee Time Tunnel, Natural History, First Peoples, Forging a Nation, Civil War and Reconstruction, Change and Challenge and Tennessee Transforms, and the temporary exhibitions, Early Expressions: Art in Tennessee Before 1900, In Search of the New: Art in Tennessee After 1900, Tennessee and The Great War: a Centennial Exhibition, and Why Do Museums Collect?
Click here for Online Visitor Guide
Click here to download a PDF of the Visitor Guide
WATER FOUNTAINS:
While the functionality that enables visitors to refill their own personal water bottles at our water foundations will be enabled, the water fountain functionality will not. Please remember to bring your own water or a refillable bottle.
IF VISITORS ARE SICK:
If you have a fever, are exhibiting any COVID-19 symptoms, or have been exposed to anyone else with symptoms within a two-week period prior to your visit, we ask that you not visit the Museum at this time. If you experience any symptoms within two weeks of your museum visit, please let us know by emailing info@tnmuseum.org.
QUESTIONS:
For questions about the visiting the Museum, please contact us at info@tnmuseum.org or (615) 741-2692.
Additional Information:
Parking, Walking, Biking and Public Transit:
Parking: Free parking is available in the parking lot which is located between the Museum and the Nashville Farmers’ Market. There is also free two-hour parking available along 6th and 7th Avenues. Because there are a limited number of these spots used by both Museum and Farmers' Market visitors, it is highly recommended that on the weekends, visitors seek alternate modes of transportation to visit the Museum. On weekends, visitors may also park free in the state employee parking lots around the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park.
Walking: The Museum is conveniently located just one block west of the Downtown Greenway trailhead and adjacent to Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park.
Biking: Bike racks are located at both the 7th Avenue and 8th Avenue entrances to the Museum. There is also a Nashville BCycle bikeshare dock located on 7th Avenue at the entrace to the Farmers' Market Market House. Bikes can be rented at Nashville BCycle. Click here for more information about rates and stations.
Public Transportation: WeGo Public Transit (Formerly Nashville MTA) Nos. 42 (St. Cecilia/Cumberland), 22 (Bordeaux) and 29 (Jefferson) all stop at the intersection of Rosa Parks and Jefferson Street. Click here for more information on route and hours of operation.
Hop On Hop Off Tours are offered by both Old Town Trolley and Gray Line tour companies which have a stop near the Museum at Farmers’ Market. Please check their websites for the latest information on tour schedules.
Driving: The Tennessee State Museum is conveniently located at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, at the corner of Rosa L. Parks Blvd, and Jefferson Street, northwest of downtown Nashville and the State Capitol. Click here for detailed information.
SOCIAL NARRATIVE:
For Families (PDF)
For School Groups (PDF) | Please note School Tours are cancelled until further notice.
