Tennessee State Museum

The beginnings of the Tennessee State Museum can be traced back to a museum opened on the Nashville public square in 1817 by a portrait artist, Ralph E.W. Earl. A young boy who visited that museum in 1823 wrote home that he had seen a life-size painting of then General Andrew Jackson. That same painting hangs today in the State Museum, now located at the corner of Fifth and Deaderick streets.

In 1937 the General Assembly created a state museum to house World War I mementoes and other collections from the state, the Tennessee Historical Society and other groups. This museum was located in the lower level of the War Memorial Building until it was moved into the new James K. Polk Center in 1981. The Tennessee State Museum currently occupies three floors, covering approximately 120,000 square feet with more than 60,000 square feet devoted to exhibits.

Featured Articles

Reconsidering Jimmy Carter

by Kai Bird

Often thought to have been a weak president, Carter was strong-willed in doing what he thought was right, regardless of expediency or the political fallout.

How the Cherry Blossoms Came to Washington

by Edwin S. Grosvenor

Rarely has the full story been told how a famed botanist, a pioneering female journalist, and First Lady Helen Taft battled reluctant bureaucrats to bring Japanese cherry trees to Washington.

Bank Failures: As American as Apple Pie

by John Steele Gordon

Why have thousands of U.S. banks failed over the years? The answers are in our history and politics.

“With Malice Toward None”

by Jon Meacham

In his Second Inaugural Address, Abraham Lincoln embodied leading in a time of polarization, political disagreement, and differing understandings of reality.

The Indian World of George Washington

by Colin G. Calloway

Native American peoples and the lands they possessed loomed large for Washington, from his first trips westward as a surveyor to his years as President.

“These Are No Ordinary Times”

by Adam Hochschild

A hundred years ago, America was rocked by riots, repression, and racial violence.

Yellow Fever Stalks the Founders

by Stephen Fried

During Pres. Washington’s first term, an epidemic killed one tenth of all the inhabitants of Philadelphia, then the capital of the young United States.

Upon Starved Rock

by Mark Walczynski

Now a popular state park, the unassuming geological feature along the Illinois River has served as the site of centuries of human habitation and discovery.

Revenge of the Nevada

by Ed Offley

The recent discovery of the hull of the battleship Nevada recalls her dramatic action at Pearl Harbor and ultimate revenge on D-Day as the first ship to fire on the Nazis.

Confederates in Congress: Heritage or Hate?

by Edwin S. Grosvenor

Our research reveals that 19 artworks in the U.S. Capitol honor men who were Confederate officers or officials. What many of them said, and did, is truly despicable.

A Special Issue on Presidential Misdeeds

by Edwin S. Grosvenor

Here is probably the most wide-ranging look at Presidential misbehavior ever published in a magazine.

Marshall's Secret Preparations for War

by Paul Dickson

When Germany unleashed its blitzkreig in 1939, the U.S. Army was only the 17th largest in the world. FDR and Marshall had to build a fighting force able to take on the Nazis, against the wishes of many in Congress.

	Navy – Merchant Marine Memorial Washington, District Of Columbia	Located in Lady Bird Johnson Park on Columbia Island, the Navy-Merchant Marine Memorial
	Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park Key West, Florida	Named after 12th president Zachary Taylor, the U. S.
	Wright’s Chance/Queen Anne’s County Historical Society Centreville, Maryland	Dating back to the 1700s, Wright's Chance is a Colonial period plantation house.
	The Powder Magazine Charleston, South Carolina	Construction began on The Powder Magazine in 1712 and was completed by 1713, making it
	Del Webb Sun Cities Museum Sun City, Arizona	The Sun Cities Area Historical Society/Del Webb Sun Cities Museum is dedicated to the p
	Steamship Historical Society of America East Providence, Rhode Island	THE STEAMSHIP HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA was established in 1935 as a means of bring
	Tryon Palace New Bern, North Carolina	Tryon Palace is a modern recreation of the original palace, which served as the royal g
	Hampton-Preston Mansion & Gardens Columbia, South Carolina	One of Columbia's oldest remaining historic houses, the Hampton-Preston Mansion was hom
	Old Sturbridge Village Sturbridge, Massachusetts	Old Sturbridge Village is the largest living history museum in New England, spanning o
	Ysleta Mission El Paso, Texas	The church was partially destroyed during a disastrous fire in 1907, but was reconstruc
	Christ Episcopal Church Napoleonville, Louisiana	One of the oldest Episcopal churches west of the Mississippi River, Christ Episcopal Ch
	Castillo De San Marcos National Monument St. Augustine, Florida	Begun in 1672, the Castillo de San Marcos is the last 17th century fort left in the Uni
	North Hill Preservation District Pensacola, Florida	North Hill is one of the largest residential historic districts in the State of Florida
	Fort Sam Houston Museum Fort Sam Houston, Texas	Exhibits at the Fort Sam Houston Museum depict the history of the installation in chron
	Fort Washington Fort Washington, Maryland	At this 180-year-old fort visitors explore the the outer defense for Washington, DC dur
	Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area Murfreesboro, Tennessee	The Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area tells the whole story of the Civil War,
	Fort Douglas Fort Douglas, Utah	The 1862 fort was built to protect telegraph and railroad lines from the Indian populat
	First Territorial Capitol Fort Riley, Kansas	Governor Andrew Reeder picked this location, away from the proslave
	Fort Union National Monument Watrous, New Mexico	Fort Union was established in 1851 as the guardian of the Santa Fe Trail.
	Fort Negley Nashville, Tennessee	At the Visitors Center, the film, "The Fall of Nashville" reenacts how the Union Army c
	Battle Of Plattsburgh Center And War Of 1812 Museum Plattsburgh, New York	The Battle of Plattsburgh Association runs the Battle of Plattsburgh Interpretive Cente
	Fort Dallas And The William Wagner House Miami, Florida	Located in Miami's Lummus Park, Fort Dallas and the William Wagner House offer unique i
	Scotchtown Beaverdam, Virginia	Charles Chiswell obtained 9,976 acres on what was then the western part of New Kent Cou
	Rippavilla Plantation Spring Hill, Tennessee	The mission of Rippavilla Plantation, Incorporated is to preserve, restore and interpre
	Historic Rosedale Plantation Charlotte, North Carolina	The neighbors called it "Frew's Folly," though the reason remains obscure.
	Riversdale House Museum Riverdale Park, Maryland	This beautifully restored 19th century estate, which offers tours to the public, was ho
	Brandywine Battlefield Park Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania	On September 11, 1777, the Patriot army under George Washington came face to face with
	Vicksburg National Military Park Vicksburg, Mississippi	Patriotism during the Civil War was deep-rooted, and over 6
	Fort Toulouse/fort Jackson Wetumpka, Alabama	Nestled at the confluence of the Coosa and Tallapoosa Rivers 15 miles north of Montgome
	Fantasy Of Flight Museum Polk City, Florida	The stunning art deco facility is a perfect setting to display this priceless collectio

Tennessee State Museum

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Tennessee State Museum

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We hope you enjoy our work.

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Location

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Contact

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36.165253, -86.781613