Clarksville, TN – The Customs House Museum and Cultural Center is located in Historic Downtown Clarksville, Tennessee. 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 include Alison Fullerton: FLY GIRLS, Women in the Military, American Moments: The Art of Don Olea, Noel Night & First Thursday Art Walk, Sundays at 3:00: 101st in the Battle of the Bulge: 80th Anniversary, Storytime & Craft: On the Run with Gingerbread Man, The Snowflake Special Experience.
Customs House Museum Exhibits
Lisa Gleim: KEEPERS OF THE ANIMALS
Through January 1st | Orgain & Bruner Galleries
Winner of the American Watercolor Association Exhibition Peoples’ Choice Award held at the Customs House Museum in 2021, Lisa is a Georgia artist working in oil and pastel. The theme of this exhibition relates to Native American lore.
Holiday Glitz: From the Museum Collection
Through January 2nd | Museum Lobby
Enjoy a little sparkle from years gone by in this Holiday-themed exhibit. The exhibition includes dresses and accessories from the late 1800s through the 1940s belonging to women and men of Montgomery County.
Michael Griffin: A Wandering Palette
Through January 5th | Crouch Gallery
Michael Griffin is a native and resident of Nashville, TN, where he produces landscape oil paintings from his home state and from his travels to the American West and South Carolina’s Lowcountry.
Jill Mayo: Art Houses
Through January 8th | Harvill Gallery
Papercraft artist, Jill Mayo, shares her 3-dimensional constructed houses, all of which are reflective of the work of famous artists.
Alison Fullerton: FLY GIRLS
Through – January 25th | Kimbrough Gallery A
Nashville artist Alison Fullerton creates encaustic wax portraits of the Women Air Force Service Pilots, known as the WASPs. She worked with digital artist Lisa Reed Preston to enhance the images of the pilots from Texas Women’s University WASP archives.
Women in the Military
Through January 25th | Kimbrough Gallery B
This exhibit shares stories, photos, and artifacts from the Customs House Museum’s collection.
American Moments: The Art of Don Olea
Through January 26th | Jostens Gallery
In American Moments, Don Olea narrates moments of the U.S. military through his watercolors, to honor and tell the stories of those who came before him serving with honor and distinction. As an Airborne Infantry veteran, Olea’s realism in his creative work serves the historical military art genre and shares the story to fellow veterans, family members and all art patrons who view the exhibition at the Customs House Museum.
Water/Ways
Through February 9th | Memory Lane
Water/Ways explores the relationship between people and water. It explores the centrality of water in our lives including its effect on the environment and climate, its practical role in agriculture and economic planning, and its impact on culture and spirituality.
It was inspired by an exhibition organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York (www.amnh.org), and the Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Paul (www.smm.org), in collaboration with Great Lakes Science Center, Cleveland; The Field Museum, Chicago; Instituto Sangari, Sao Paulo, Brazil; National Museum of Australia, Canberra; Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Canada; San Diego Natural History Museum; and Science Centre Singapore with PUB Singapore.
Museum Events
Noel Night & First Thursday Art Walk
December 5th | 5:00pm – 8:00pm | Free to the public
As you know, the Customs House Museum offers free admission during First Thursday Art Walk from 5:00pm–8:00pm. For this festive evening, enjoy extra fun and exclusive discounts in The Museum Store with Noel Night! Kick off your holiday shopping with unique gifts from small businesses and local artists, including handmade pottery, jewelry, art, books, home décor, and more. Enjoy free admission, holiday treats, and a special craft for kids—you might even spot a guest from the North Pole! Receive 15% off your entire purchase, with museum members enjoying 25% off.
Museum Programs
Sundays at 3:00: 101st in the Battle of the Bulge: 80th Anniversary
December 1st | 3:00pm | Turner Auditorium | Free to the public; does not include museum admission
This December for Sundays at 3:00, we welcome 1st Lt. Devon Williford, the 101st Airborne’s Division Historian. In honor of the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, he will share the details of the battle and the significance of the Screaming Eagles’ role in defending Bastogne.
Register today at customshousemuseum.org/events.
Homeschool Fieldtrip Day
December 3rd | All ages, with adult
Free for Customs House Museum members; $3.00 per student and $5.00 per adult for nonmembers
The first Tuesday of each month, local homeschool families are invited to experience a day of exploration and learning. For more information, contact Curator of Education Stephanie Stafford at stephanie@customshousemuseum.org
Storytime & Craft: On the Run with Gingerbread Man
December 5th | 1:30 pm | All ages, with adult
Free with membership or paid admission | Family Art Studio
Join us for a sweet and festive Storytime & Craft! We’ll dive into the classic tale of The Gingerbread Man by Beatrice Rodriguez and follow his holiday adventure in The Gingerbread Man Loose at Christmas by Laura Murray. After storytime, kids can decorate their very own life-size gingerbread person to take home—perfect for adding some holiday cheer to the season!
*All parents are expected to participate with and supervise their children.
History on the Rocks @ Strawberry Alley
A Listen & Learn Happy Hour
December 12th | 5:30pm – 7:00pm
Join us downtown at Strawberry Alley for a special history happy hour with Second & Commerce magazine to celebrate our winter issue. Free and open to the public. Chat with contributing writers, enjoy drink specials, and more!
Sunday Studio: Painting with Sarah Spillers
December 15th | 2:00pm – 4:00pm | Third Sunday of each month | Ages 16+
Free, with registration required; does not include Customs House Museum admission.
Teaming up with APSU’s Community School of the Arts, we present Sunday Studio—a workshop series for adults. This December, join us as we paint magical snow globes in time for the holiday season.
This workshop is FREE and all materials are included. Register today at customshousemuseum.org.
The Snowflake Special Experience
December 14th, 10:30am | Ages 3-12, with adult
$8.00 ticket, $5.00 for members; tickets are for children only, adults do not need a ticket
All aboard the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center’s Snowflake Special Experience! Put on your pajamas for a magical day of watching the model trains run, reading holiday stories, working with others to build a train city and making a craft to take home. Each ticket holder will receive a keepsake sleigh bell, and the train conductor says to expect a visit from Santa for photo opportunities! Parents and other family members are invited, but only children with tickets will receive the keepsake.
Tickets must be purchased in advance and space is limited. Tickets can be purchased at customshousemuseum.org , in-store or by phone. To purchase tickets by phone, please call The Museum Store at 931.648.5780 ext. 2039. Tickets are non-refundable. Museum admission is not included in the program price.
Storytime & Craft: The Perfect Tree
December 19th | 1:30pm | All ages, with adult
Free with membership or paid admission | Family Art Studio
Celebrate the holiday season with a cozy Storytime & Craft! We’ll read A Wish to be a Christmas Tree by Colleen Monroe, a heartwarming story of a tree hoping for a special holiday moment, and The Last Christmas Tree by Stephen Krensky, where a little tree finds its perfect home just in time for Christmas. After storytime, kids can create colorful, block-style winter trees to take home and display.
*All parents are expected to participate with and supervise their children.
Family Art Saturday: Winter Tree Wonderland
December 28th | 10:00am – 12:00pm & 2:00pm – 4:00pm | Ages 3+, with adult
Free with membership or paid admission | Family Art Studio
Celebrate the winter season with a fun, hands-on winter craft! This Family Art Saturday, we’ll be making beautiful winter trees using stamp painting techniques. Kids and families can create unique, textured designs as they stamp paint their own wintry tree masterpiece—perfect for decorating during the holidays. All ages are welcome, and materials are provided.
*All parents are expected to participate with and supervise their children.
F&M Bank Huff & Puff Express Model Trains
Exhibit open daily | Trains run Sundays 1:00pm – 4:00pm, Wednesdays 10:00am – 12:00pm, Fridays 10:00am – 12:00pm and the last Saturday of each month 1:00pm – 4:00pm
Celebrate the upcoming Christmas season with our model train exhibit, as it takes you on a magical adventure through the holiday! Our model train exhibit is open daily, and themes change every season – so stick around, because you never know what they’ll have in store next.
The Museum Store
15% off (25% off for Museum Members)
Get ready to celebrate the holiday season with this amazing December sale! Whether you’re looking for unique gifts, souvenirs or something special for yourself, find perfect items all at a great discount of 15% off and 25% off for Museum Members.
Offer expires December 31st, 2024. No other discounts apply.
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 interest museum with over 35,000 square feet of exhibit space and houses hands-on activities and special events. Membership and admission information can be found at customshousemuseum.org.
Regular museum hours are 10:00am to 5:00pm Tuesday through Saturday and 1:00pm to 5:00pm on Sundays. Adult admission is $12.00 (18-64). Senior Citizens (65+), Adult Military, CMCSS Teachers, and College Students are $9.00. Children ages 3 to 17 are $5.00, and children 2 years or younger 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
