Clarksville, TN – The Customs House Museum and Cultural Center is located in Historic Downtown Clarksville, Tennessee. Come explore an entire city block featuring large gallery spaces filled with fine art, science, and history.
Some of the events in December at the Museum are Familiars: Celebrating Our Korean Culture, The Infirmary, New to the Museum Collection, Jim Diehr: Visual Songs;Many Verses, Interactions: Paintings by Judy Lavoie, Little Explorers: Winter Wonderland.
Customs House Museum Exhibits
Celebrating Our Korean Culture
Jan 7th – Feb 27th | Jostens Gallery
This year, February 1 marks the Lunar New Year, one of the most important traditional Korean holidays. Share in the celebrations and view cultural items like clothing, instruments and more.
The Infirmary
Jan 11th – April 17th | Lobby
Dr. Robert T. Burt was a skilled surgeon who opened Clarksville’s first hospital in 1906. He performed over 300 operations per year, including C-sections long before they were common practice. This exhibit features photographs and other artifacts that tell the story of Dr. Burt and his colleagues at the Home Infirmary.
New to the Museum Collection
Jan 11th – Feb 20th | Kimbrough Gallery
The Customs House Museum & Cultural Center is home to more than 21,000 artifacts, documents, photographs and works of art. Come and see a variety of recent additions to our collection!
The Petite Voyage: Small Works by Paul Harmon
Through Feb 6th | Harvill Gallery
This collection of small oil paintings is an homage to the little amateur landscapes found in Paris flea markets. Paul Harmon is the recipient of many major international painting awards and his work is well represented in galleries, museums, and collections around the world.
Jim Diehr: Visual Songs, Many Verses
Through Jan 30th | Crouch Gallery
Jim Diehr is a ceramic artist in Clarksville working with oil, acrylic, watercolor, wood, stone and clay to create works based on life experiences. This extensive multi-media exhibition is a mixture of new pieces and familiar favorites, including a new collection of cloud paintings and several whimsical sculptures
John Guider: Journeys
Through Jan 23rd | Orgain & Bruner Galleries
In 1779, John Donelson set out on a river journey that would lead to the founding of Nashville. John Guider followed 240 years later, capturing contemporary images of Tennessee’s waters in a boat of his own making. Photographs from his journey show us where we come from, and where we might be going.
Customs House Christmas Village
Through Jan 1st | Lobby
This large collection of porcelain pieces was assembled by Jimmy and Sue Drye of Clarksville and donated to the Museum by their children in their honor. Make your way through the lights and moving parts of the village.
Interactions: Paintings by Judy Lavoie
Through Jan 2nd | Jostens Gallery
A wide variety of themes inspire Judy Lavoie to paint. Interesting textures inspire her, as do delicate colorful flowers and brightly lit landscapes. “By exaggerating colors, or sometimes altering them from reality, I aim to preserve a moment in time, recreating the subject in my own way.”
Museum Events
First Thursday Art Walk
Jan 6th, 5:00pm–8:00pm
The Museum will have free admission during First Thursday Art Walk Clarksville from 5:00pm–8:00pm.
Lunar New Year’s Kickoff
Jan 15th, 11:00am
Kick off the Lunar New Year with the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center and Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts. Celebrate with drum dancers, Korean history, and traditional food. Be sure to also visit the Celebrating Our Korean Culture exhibit in the Jostens Gallery at the Museum.
Museum Programs
Little Explorers: Winter Wonderland
Jan 7th, 14th & 21st, drop by between 10:30am–12:30pm
Ages 2 – 5, with adult
Free with membership or paid admission | Hudson Classroom
Play in the snow with polar animals, create a blizzard in a jar, throw snowballs at a snowman and make a giant snowflake to take home.
*All parents are expected to participate with and supervise their children. Activities may include items that are a choking hazard.
Discovery Saturday!
Jan 8th & 22nd, drop by between 1:30pm–3:30pm
Kindergarten and above, with adult
Free with membership or paid admission | Family Art Studio
Investigate, create, discover! Kids and adults will enjoy sharing the experiences offered in this “hands-on, minds-on” program that explores a variety of science, art, and exhibit-related topics.
*All parents are expected to participate with and supervise their children.
Family Art Saturday: Meet the Painters
Jan. 29th, drop by between 10:00am–12:00pm & 2:00pm–4:00pm
Ages 3 & above, with adult
Free with membership or paid admission | Family Art Studio
*All parents are expected to participate with and supervise their children.
Museum Discovery Quest
Free with membership or paid admission | Developed for school-age children
Free Take It N’ Make It Activity
Explore Museum exhibits with your family in a creative way with Museum Discovery Quests – entertaining, self-guided “scavenger hunts” that pique kids’ curiosities and captivate their attention. Several different themes are offered, and all of them include a free Take It N’ Make It activity packet for kids to make a fun project at home. Sign up for a Perks Pass to win a free prize from Seasons: The Museum Store after finishing three Quests.
F&M Bank Huff & Puff Express Model Trains
Exhibit open daily | Volunteer Train Crew members run trains
Sundays, 1:00pm–4:00pm and Wednesdays, 10:00am–12:00pm
Enjoy one of the largest model railroad layouts in the region boasting a miniature castle, UFO and scenic landscape. Interact with the miniature world by making automobiles move and helicopters fly. The model train exhibit is open daily and themes change every season.
Seasons: The Museum Store
25% off All Holiday Merchandise
Offer expires January 15th, 2022
Get a head start on next year—stock up and save on holiday gifts, cards, and more! No other discounts apply.
Museum Closure
Explorers Landing
Reopening Jan 2022
The fully renovated Explorers Landing will reopen this month! Stay tuned to the Museum’s website for the announcement of the official grand reopening.
New Year’s Day
The Museum will be closed on Saturday, January 1st for New Year’s Day.
About the Customs House Museum
Located in the heart of historic downtown Clarksville, Tennessee, the Customs House Museum and Cultural Center is the State’s second-largest general museum. The original portion of the building was constructed in 1898 as a U.S. Post Office and Customs House for the flourishing tobacco trade. Incorporating a number of architectural styles, the original structure is one of the most photographed buildings in the region.
With over 35,000 square feet of the region’s best hands-on activities and special events…people of all ages agree – the Customs House Museum is well worth the stop!
The Explorer’s Gallery is packed with fun, learning, and fantasy in Aunt Alice’s Attic, McGregor’s Market and kitchen, and of course – the Bubble Cave! Finally, get “all aboard” to see our fantastic model trains. Our volunteer engineers “ride the rails” every Sunday afternoon from 1:00pm to 5:00pm.
Regular museum hours are 10:00am to 5:00pm Tuesday through Saturday, and 1:00pm to 5:00pm on Sundays. Adult admission is $7.00, Senior Citizens and College ID $5.00, Ages 6 to 18 $3.00, and under six years and Museum members are free.
The Customs House Museum is located at 200 South Second Street. For more information, call 931.648.5780 or visit their website at www.customshousemuseum.org
