Clarksville, TN – In January 2020, The Customs House Museum & Cultural Center was on a roll with exciting announcements going into a new decade.
The momentum included the hiring of Executive Director Frank Lott, the celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the Boehm Porcelain Collection along with other highly anticipated exhibit openings and several facility improvement projects.
Then the momentum halted, abruptly, with COVID-19 Coronavirus. Now the question is: Can the momentum be regained, not only for the Museum, but for other nonprofits trying to weather the pandemic storm and its devastating financial aftermath?
With the rise of the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic, local businesses and nonprofits all over the country are temporarily closed and riding out the storm. Even though the Museum closed its doors to the public in mid-March, operations at the Museum have not ceased.
Projects are moving forward at a more cautious pace. The Museum is continuing with the facility and exhibit updates including improvements to the Explorers’ Landing children’s area and additional display cases for its world-class Boehm Porcelain collection.
Among those organizations trying to deal with the uncertainty of the pandemic’s effect on charitable giving is the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. Their annual regional charitable giving event is now just around the corner, scheduled to begin at 6 pm on Wednesday, May 6th. The Big Payback is a dedicated day of giving that runs for 24 hours. The Museum is one of scores of nonprofits trying to raise funds vital to continuing their work that directly impacts the communities they serve. The Customs House Museum is participating in The Big Payback for its fifth year.
Once the clock starts ticking, anyone can visit TheBigPayback.org and make donations to the Museum and other participating nonprofits, including school and faith-based organizations, serving the 40 counties of Middle Tennessee.
“The Clarksville-Montgomery County area has always been a caring and giving community and I am confident that we will move past these circumstances and come out even stronger,” says Customs House Museum Executive Director Frank Lott.
“We appreciate what all Middle Tennessee nonprofits do within their communities and hope that people respond by participating in The Big Payback. Even though the situation we are in is financially trying, we hope this event will bring some fun, sunshine and optimism into the picture. Right now, it’s more important than ever to uplift the organizations working hard to make a difference,” Lott stated.
During the past six years of giving days, The Big Payback has made a tremendous impact on the Middle Tennessee community, helping raise nearly $17 million for the area’s nonprofit organizations. This year, the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center aims to have their most successful Big Payback campaign to date. For more information, visit TheBigPayback.org and follow the Museum on Facebook.
About The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee
The Community Foundation exists to promote and facilitate giving in the 40 counties of Middle Tennessee and beyond. It does this by accepting gifts of any size from anyone at any time and by empowering individuals, families, companies, nonprofits, and communities to respond to needs and opportunities that matter. The Community Foundation works with people who have great hearts, whether or not they have great wealth, to craft solutions that reflect their intentions and goals.
For more information, call 615.321.4939 or visit www.cfmt.org.
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 4:00pm.
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
