The Tennessee State Museum, located in the heart of Nashville, is a wealth of artifacts, memorabilia and historical information, going back as far as pre-Civil War. After closing for several months because of the coronavirus pandemic. the museum is now open, and ready to serve guests of all ages.

We sat down, virtually, with the Tennessee State Museum’s Community Engagement Manger, Rachel Helvering, to learn more about one of Music City’s most-beloved attractions.

1. How has the Tennessee State Museum evolved during the coronavirus pandemic?

The Museum switched its programs to a digital platform almost immediately after we closed the building to visitors, which created an opportunity to add even more lectures and conversations to our calendar and archive the videos for viewing. We also started publishing more content to our Stories blog and created a fun new area of the website just for kids, which includes weekly Storytime videos and a new blog geared to middle schoolers and their caregivers.

Since we reopened, the museum has worked hard to make visits to the museum fun and safe for everyone! While some of our interactive exhibits are closed for safety, the museum is open and free for visitors with plenty of social distancing and scavenger hunts for families & kids.

2. What are some of the must-see exhibits at the museum right now?

Our newest exhibit “Ratified! Tennessee Women and the Right to Vote” just opened for the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment. This exhibit tells the story of how Tennessee cast the critical vote for this amendment, as well as the national struggle for women’s suffrage. The 8,000-foot exhibit has beautiful images, textiles and other artifacts.

3. Talk about your role at the museum. What’s your favorite part about your position?

I work in Community Engagement and get to plan many of the museum programs. I love being able to create content for a variety of ages, from young children to older adults. Our programs include a weekly Storytime, lecture programs, Book Club and more. One of my favorite things about my job is the ability to work with organizations and people all across Tennessee.

4. What do both locals and tourists need to know about the Tennessee State Museum?

How large and diverse our artifacts and exhibits are! We have one of the largest collections of artifacts in the state and a beautiful, state of the art facility all of which is open to the public for free. If you have just an hour to look around or a whole day, there is enough to see that you can come back again and again! I think visitors are always surprised about the depth of the museum content and how much there is to see.

5. Any future exhibits that you’re excited about?

Our “Ratified!” exhibit just opened, and will be open through Spring 2021. It has been the product of lots of work from our staff. I am happy there is a chance for people to visit this exhibit in a safe, socially distanced way in the coming months! In addition to the exhibit, the museum has produced many digital programs about the fight for suffrage that can be found on our YouTube channel.

6. What makes the Tennessee State Museum unique?

The Tennessee State Museum (opened at the new location in October 2018) is a beautiful, state of the art facility that produces wonderful exhibits and programs all for free. Visitors are often shocked that there is no charge to the museum, and I believe it is something that makes our museum unique. I love the ability to serve the public without having to turn anyone away because of ability to pay.

For more information, visit TNmuseum.org.