Museums share $133,000 in state funding
Museum of Appalachia uses grant to makes electric upgrades
Work is underway to install updated electric service lines to the Pioneer Village at the Museum of Appalachia in Norris, using money from a Tennessee State Museum grant fund. (photo:Museum Of Appalachia | Facebook )
The museum, along Andersonville Highway in Norris, was one of four museums in Anderson County to receive grants from the same program in December, totaling $133,000.
On its Facebook page, the Museum of Appalachia said late last week, “We’re honored to announce that we’ve received a capital maintenance and improvements grant … enabling us to install safe, reliable [electric] service throughout our Pioneer Village.”
“This long-needed infrastructure upgrade will strengthen the foundation that supports our historic log cabins, artisan demonstrations, school tours, farm animals, and beloved events like Sheep Shearing Days,” the museum said.
“Reliable power means safer conditions, better preservation of our structures, and the ability to serve our visitors and community more effectively year-round.”
The grant came from a pool of $5 million appropriated for museums by the Tennessee General Assembly in the state’s 2025-26 fiscal year budget.
The other Anderson County recipients were:
• American Museum of Science and Energy, Oak Ridge; $17,000 to support visitor access and ADA accommodations
• Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge, $18,850; to support a plumbing-improvement project.
• Coal Creek Miners Museum, Rocky Top, $42,063; to support building foundation work and ADA accommodations for visitors
More than 170 grant applications were submitted, totaling $12 million in funding requests, according to the Tennessee State Museum.
The state museum made full or partial awards to 99 museums across the state, representing 46 counties.
In the three years of the program, the grants have supported 173 museums in 73 counties across the state.
In 2024, the Museum of Appalachia received a $100,000 grant from the same program, which was used to install an elevator in the museum’s Hall of Fame, a large two-story building at the front of the property along Andersonville Highway, to give disabled visitors access to the second floor.
That building houses thousands of artifacts that are on display for guests, but the second floor is now accessible only by stairwells.
Also in 2024, the Coal Creek Miners Museum received $50,000 to help with its plans to open a second floor of exhibits. That money also was earmarked for an elevator, and to allow the miners museum to add heating and air conditioning, along with ADA-compliant restrooms, to the second floor.
The grants help these museums to upgrade some of their facilities to comply with the 2010 Americans with Disabilities Act.
“The Tennessee State Museum serves the state of Tennessee through history, art, and culture,” said Ashley Howell, the state museum’s executive director. “There is incredible work being done throughout the state by our strong network of Tennessee museums and historic homes.
“This grant [program] is an extension of how we can further support their efforts and the preservation of local and state history,” Howell said. “We thank the Tennessee General Assembly for their support for Tennessee Museums.”
Capital improvement and maintenance grant applications allowed for a minimum request amount of $5,000 and a maximum of $100,000 each.
