Tennessee’s 228th birthday is Saturday, June 1, and the Tennessee State Musuem hopes you will celebrate by participating in free, family-friendly activities on the Bicentennial Mall State Park Campus.
The Tennessee State Museum will open at 10 a.m. to the public and offer highlight tours, Storytime with reigning Miss Tennessee Brandee Mills, period games on the front lawn, and a cupcake celebration. Highlight Tours will be provided at 10:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Mills will read in the Children’s Gallery at 10:30 a.m. The cupcake celebration, which will include Mills reading the Tennessee State poem, “Oh Tennessee, My Tennessee” by Commander William Porter Lawrence, will begin at noon in the Museum’s Grand Hall. Activities on the lawn will run until 2 p.m.
The schedule is as follows:
• 10:30 a.m. | Story Time | Children’s Gallery
Miss Tennesse Brandee Mills reads What the Ladybug Heard for Story Time, written by Julia Donaldson and published by Henry Holt and Co.
• 10:30 a.m. | Highlight Tour | Galleries on 2nd Floor
Enjoy a free guided highlight tour of the Tennessee State Museum galleries. The tour lasts 45 minutes to one hour.
• 12:00 -12:30 p.m. | Cupcake Celebration | Grand Hall
Miss Tennessee Brandee Mills reads the Tennessee State Poem “Oh Tennessee, My Tennessee” by Naval Adm. William Porter Lawrence, followed by cupcakes.
• 2:00 p.m. | Highlight Tour | Galleries on 2nd Floor
Enjoy a free guided highlight tour of the Tennessee State Museum galleries. The tour lasts 45 minutes to one hour.
All Day Programs for Statehood Day include:
• 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. | Historic Games | Front Lawn of Museum
Try out some old-fashioned fun with Historic Games on the Front Lawn!
• 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. | Print Shop Demonstration | Forging a Nation Gallery on 2nd Floor
Have you ever wondered how an 18th century print shop worked? Join us as we demonstrate the printing press.
The State Capitol will also be open for guided tours by Museum staff hourly from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Self-guided tours are also available at any time. https://tnmuseum.org/state-capitol.
In addition to the Tennessee State Museum the Tennessee State Library and Archives will celebrate by showcasing Tennessee’s founding documents and new exhibits. The Library & Archives will also host living history interpreters and indoor and outdoor activities — including a scavenger hunt — from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Tennessee’s three priceless original constitutions will also be presented, displayed, and guarded by the Tennessee Highway Patrol Honor Guard as part of the opening ceremony at the Library & Archives, starting at 11:00 a.m. Behind-the-scenes tours, which include stops at the robotic retrieval system and blast freezer, begin at 11:30 a.m. Space is limited, and reservations may be made on the event day. For more information, visit Tennessee Secretary of State (tn.gov).
