Below you will find press releases for grants we have received.
Stay tuned here for updates!
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COAL CREEK MINERS MUSEUM AWARDED A CAPITAL MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENTS GRANT FROM THE TENNESSEE STATE MUSEUM
GRANT WILL BE USED FOR ADA-COMPLIANT RESTROOM AND FOUNDATION BRICK ARCHWAYS
Coal Creek Miners Museum is a recipient of a $42,063 grant for Capital Maintenance and Improvements from the State of Tennessee as administered through the Tennessee State Museum. The grant award will be used to remodel the downstairs bathroom to make it ADA compliant, as well as build new brick archways to support the museum’s foundation.
The Tennessee General Assembly made available $5 million in funding from the 2025-2026 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 maintenance and improvements.”
In the third year of the grant program, it remains a highly competitive process. In total, the Tennessee State Museum received 178 applications, totaling $12,031,874 in requests. The Museum has made full or partial awards to 99 museums across the state, representing 45 counties. In the three years the Museum has administered the grant program, it has served museums in 73 counties across the state. A complete list of 2025-26 grantees, counties and amounts is posted at TNMuseum.org/grants.
“The Tennessee Capital Improvement Grants continue to support and strengthen the infrastructure of institutions preserving our state and local history and culture,” said Ashley Howell, Tennessee State Museum Executive Director. “We are honored to help support the commitment of those institutions to better serve their communities and visitors through collection care and visitor accessibility these last three years. We are inspired by the dedication of their staff and volunteers. None of it would be possible, of course, without the State of Tennessee’s unwavering support for Tennessee history.”
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, 2026.
About Tennessee State Museum
Celebrating its 88th Anniversary in 2025, 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.
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COAL CREEK MINERS MUSEUM AWARDED A CAPITAL MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENTS GRANT FROM THE TENNESSEE STATE MUSEUM
GRANT WILL BE USED FOR FOUNDATION REPAIR, WINDOW REPLACEMENT, AND DOOR REPLACEMENT
Coal Creek Miners Museum is a recipient of a $73,484 grant for Capital Maintenance and Improvements from the State of Tennessee as administered through the Tennessee State Museum. The grant award will be used to repair our museum’s foundation, as well as replace all windows and doors with UV-protected, eco-friendly glass.
The Tennessee General Assembly made available $5 million in funding from the 2024-2025 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 maintenance and improvements.”
It was a highly competitive process. In total, the Tennessee State Museum received 157 applications, totaling $10.5M in funding requests for the $5M appropriation. As of this release, the Museum has made full or partial awards to 83 museums across the state, representing 46 counties.
“In our second year facilitating this funding, we continue to be inspired by the incredible work being done throughout the state by our strong network of Tennessee museums and historic sites,” said Ashley Howell, Tennessee State Museum Executive Director. “This grant is an extension of our mission to preserve of the history, art, and culture of Tennessee by supporting the efforts of local, regional, and state institutions. We again thank the Tennessee General Assembly for their support 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, 2025.
About Tennessee State Museum
Celebrating its 87th Anniversary in 2024, the Tennessee State Museum, located on the corner of Rosa L Parks Blvd. and Jefferson Street at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, is home to 13,000 years of Tennessee art and history. 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.