Clarksville, TN – April showers bring May flowers, and beginning May 1st, the Customs House Museum and Cultural Center will be back in “full bloom” as it resumes its Saturday schedule.
The Museum will resume pre-COVID hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10:00am–5:00pm and Sunday 1:00pm-5:00pm and will no longer close for one hour at mid-day during the week.
Per the latest update from the City of Clarksville, cleaning and safety precautions will remain a priority; masks are strongly encouraged but no longer required for visitors at the Museum.
Also, beginning May 1st, the Museum will resume public rentals of spaces within the facility and accept groups larger than ten people. Information on reserving rentals and group visits is on the Museum’s website.
“We would like to thank the community for their patience and willingness to follow Covid precautions so we can safely reopen to the public at our pre-pandemic schedule,” says Executive Director Frank Lott. “We’ve missed seeing our Saturday visitors, and we’re confident that we’ve finally reached the point that we can operate at full schedule.”
In addition to returning to Saturday hours, the Museum is also introducing Fifth Saturday Donation Days. Any month with five Saturdays, on the fifth Saturday any monetary donation to the Museum is your admission. The very first Fifth Saturday Donation Day will be held on May 29th.
The public is invited to enjoy the Museum while directly supporting the Museum’s mission of creating educational programming for children and adults, preserving our historical collection, and supporting our award-winning exhibitions.
Also returning on Wednesday, May 5th, at the Museum is the annual community-wide giving day, The Big Payback. The Museum will host an in-person event, La Gran Payback – a Cinco de Mayo fiesta-inspired fundraiser, on Wednesday, May 5th, from 5:00pm-8:00pm. The event and Museum is open to the public with free admission. Fiesta-style food and music will be featured in the Museum’s courtyard.
This is the sixth year the Museum has participated in the Big Payback, a giving day for Middle Tennessee nonprofits hosted by The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.
“Our goal is to match and hopefully exceed last year’s $7,500 in donations during the Big Payback. Donations support the Museum’s mission, and we hope the community enjoys the Cinco de Mayo festivities and supports the Museum at the same time,” Lott added.
The 24-hour fundraiser begins at 6:00pm on May 5th and runs through May 6th at 6:00pm. Stay tuned to the Museum’s website and Facebook page for more information on the fundraising event.
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
