Tennessee State Museum Tours and Activities

Tennessee State Museum showing military items and interior views
Tennessee State Museum which includes interior views
Tennessee State Museum featuring interior views
Tennessee State Museum featuring interior views
Tennessee State Museum which includes interior views


Embark on a journey of historical discovery from prehistoric times through to the early 1900s.

Take a daytrip to the Tennessee State Museum and trace the fascinating history of this southern state, travelling back in time to almost 15,000 years ago.It’s easy to make your way around the museum, with the permanent exhibits arranged chronologically. Your first stop should be the First Tennesseans exhibit, a display dedicated to prehistoric and Indian cultures, containing interesting artefacts such as a steatite shaman’s medicine tube.Afterwards, move along the museum’s historical timeline to the Frontier section which, through interpretive displays, depicts the story of the first Europeans to reach Tennessee, namely Spanish conquistadors, followed by English and French explorers. Experience a real taste of Tennessee’s heritage through the museum’s two full-scale replicas of an authentic frontier cabin and a genuine Conestoga wagon which was used for migration from the east coast to Tennessee in the 1800s.Head to the early 1800s with a visit to The Age of Jackson section and learn about an era of great political development. This section is dedicated to the Southern general and plantation owner, Andrew Jackson, who went to on become the seventh president of the United States. Step into the period between the 1840s and the 1860s to marvel at the craftsmanship, artistry and finery of a wealthy pre-Civil War Tennessee in the Antebellum section.The museum’s extensive Civil War and Reconstruction section, one of the largest in the United States in fact, provides a great insight into a time when the issue of slavery divided the northern and southern states.The museum’s final permanent display, The New South, teaches visitors about women's suffrage and Prohibition from 1870 to 1920, a period of great change fuelled by the post-Civil War industrial revolution.Situated near the State Capitol in central Nashville, the museum is open from Tuesday to Saturday, except on public holidays. Parking is available for a charge in nearby car parks or on the street. Alternatively, you can jump on the free Music City Circulator, which stops right outside the museum.

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Top Tennessee State Museum Hotel & Accommodation Deals

Knights Inn Nashville

Knights Inn Nashville

1.5 out of 5
99 Spring St, Nashville, TN
Knights Inn Nashville
Hyatt Place Nashville Downtown

Hyatt Place Nashville Downtown

3 out of 5
301 3rd Ave S, Nashville, TN
Hyatt Place Nashville Downtown
Caption by Hyatt Downtown Nashville/The Gulch

Caption by Hyatt Downtown Nashville/The Gulch

3 out of 5
118 12th Avenue South, Nashville, TN
Caption by Hyatt Downtown Nashville/The Gulch
Comfort Inn Downtown Nashville - Music City Center

Comfort Inn Downtown Nashville - Music City Center

3 out of 5
1501 Demonbreun St, Nashville, TN
Comfort Inn Downtown Nashville - Music City Center
Cambria Hotel Nashville Downtown

Cambria Hotel Nashville Downtown

4 out of 5
118 8th Ave S, Nashville, TN
Cambria Hotel Nashville Downtown
Cambria Hotel Nashville Midtown

Cambria Hotel Nashville Midtown

3 out of 5
1612 Church Street, Nashville, TN
Cambria Hotel Nashville Midtown
Noelle

Noelle

4 out of 5
200 4th Avenue North, Nashville, TN
Noelle
Best Western Downtown Plus Music Row

Best Western Downtown Plus Music Row

3.5 out of 5
1407 Division Street, Nashville, TN
Best Western Downtown Plus Music Row
Sheraton Grand Nashville Downtown

Sheraton Grand Nashville Downtown

4 out of 5
623 Union St, Nashville, TN
Sheraton Grand Nashville Downtown
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.