The Tennessee State Museum oversees a massive collection of over 100,000 objects tracing the history of the state from the Paleoindian Era to the present. The Museum has embarked on an ambitious plan to create a new building with more space for its collections and with 21st-century exhibit techniques that will make these collections meaningful to contemporary audiences. BRC Imagination Arts joined forces with the Museum’s project team and architect to develop a master plan and exhibit concepts that will make the new Museum a world-class visitor destination.
BRC’s concept welcomes visitors on a self-guided journey of discovery through a series of immersive history trails radiating off a central events plaza. On each of these trails, “you-are-there” theatrical vignettes will form the backdrop to rotating displays of objects from the Museum’s collection, “knee-high” exhibits for young children and live “artifact encounters” hosted by docents and costumed performers. A centralized, multiuse theater will anchor the visitor experience with a signature media and effects presentation honoring the political leaders, creative visionaries and everyday heroes who shaped Tennessee.
BRC’s concept welcomes visitors on a self-guided journey of discovery through a series of immersive history trails radiating off a central events plaza. On each of these trails, “you-are-there” theatrical vignettes will form the backdrop to rotating displays of objects from the Museum’s collection, “knee-high” exhibits for young children and live “artifact encounters” hosted by docents and costumed performers. A centralized, multiuse theater will anchor the visitor experience with a signature media and effects presentation honoring the political leaders, creative visionaries and everyday heroes who shaped Tennessee.

