Tennessee State Museum 2026-27 Capital Maintenance and Improvements Grantees Announced

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - October 15, 2026 - The Tennessee State Museum has announced the recipients of grants from the 2026-27 Capital Maintenance and Improvements Grant program from the State of Tennessee, as administered through the Museum. The funding came from $5 million the Tennessee General Assembly made available in the 2026-2027 Appropriations Act, "for the sole purpose of providing grants to museums with a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization or affiliated with a governmental entity for capital maintenanceand improvements."

In the fourth year of the grant program, it remains a highly competitive process. In total, the Tennessee State Museum received 160 applications, totaling $10,434,851 in requests. The Museum has made full or partial awards to 102 museums across the state, representing 49 counties. In the four years the Museum has administered the grant program, it has served
museums in 76 counties across the state. A complete list of 2026-27 grantees, counties and amounts is available for download at this link and posted at TNMuseum.org/grants.

"The Tennessee State Museum's Capital Grant program continues to bolster the infrastructure of Tennessee museums," said Ashley Howell, Tennessee State Museum Executive Director. "It is an honor to support the incredible work of our robust network of Tennessee museums. This grant is an extension of how the State of Tennessee can further assist these museums and their efforts to preserve local and state history. We thank the Tennessee General Assembly for their continued aid for Tennessee museums."

The Capital Maintenance and Improvements grant had a minimum request amount of $5,000 and a maximum request amount of $100,000. All projects must be completed by June 30, 2027.

About Tennessee State Museum

Celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2027, the Tennessee State Museum, located on the corner of Rosa L Parks Blvd. and Jefferson Street at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, is your home to thousands of years of Tennessee history, art, and culture. Through six permanent exhibitions titled Natural History, First Peoples, Forging a Nation, The Civil War and Reconstruction, Change and Challenge and Tennessee Transforms, the Museum takes visitors on a journey-through artifacts, films, interactive displays, events and educational and digital programing-from the state's geological beginnings to the present day.

Additional temporary exhibitions explore significant periods and individuals in history, along with art and cultural movements. The Museum is free and open to the public Tuesdays to Saturdays from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Sundays from 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. For more information on exhibitions and events, please visit TNMuseum.org.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD COMPLETE LIST OF 2026-27 GRANTEES