Library & Archives Events and Activities
Events and Activities at the Tennessee Library & Archives
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June 1, 2024: Join us for Tennessee's Statehood Day!
Celebrate Tennessee's 228th birthday with us on Saturday, June 1st at TSLA from 10:00a.m. to 2:00p.m. with free family-friendly activities featuring:
- New Exhibits
- Original Tennessee Constitutions
- Live Music
- Historical Interpreters
- Face Painting
- Behind-the Scenes Tours of TSLA (Space limited)
- Outdoor Games
- Keepsake and Wearable Crafts
- Designated Sensory-Friendly Space
- Native Wildflower Seed Planting
- Gem Mining
- Button Making
- Letter Writing
- Passport to Tennessee History
| 10:00a.m. | Festivities Begin |
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| 11:00a.m. | Opening Ceremony Unveiling Tennessee's Original Constitutions on Display | TSLA Lobby |
| 11:30a.m. | Tour of TSLA | Space is limited. Sign up in the Lobby as early as 10:00a.m. |
| 12:30p.m. | Family-Friendly Tour of TSLA and Scavenger Hunt | Space is limited. Sign up in the Lobby as early as 10:00a.m. |
| 1:30p.m. | Tour of TSLA | Space is limited. Sign up in the Lobby as early as 10:00a.m. |
| 2:00p.m. | Festivities Conclude |
TSLA visitors will also have the opportunity to observe the original copies of the Cumberland Compact, the Constitution of the Cherokee Nation, King George III's Proclamation of 1763, and other records documenting the founding and early history of Tennessee.
Parking
Limited parking is available in our garage, accessible from Junior Gilliam Way. Street parking is also available along the east and west perimeters of the Bicentennial Mall State Park.
Accessibility
For questions related to accessibility, please reach out to Maria Sochor ahead of the event via email by clicking here.
Refreshments and Cuisine
During Statehood Day, food trucks will offer items available for purchase on the Bicentennial Mall. The food trucks will be parked on Jackson Street, which is between 6th and 7th Avenues in the park, just south of Jefferson Street.
During your time on the Bicentennial Mall Campus, check out other participating agencies and locations celebrating Statehood Day with special activities and tours:
The Tennessee State Museum will open at 10 a.m. to the public and offer highlight tours, Storytime with reigning Miss Tennessee Brandee Mills, period games on the front lawn, and a cupcake celebration. Highlight Tours will be offered at 10:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Mills will read in the Children’s Gallery at 10:30 a.m. The cupcake celebration, which will include Mills reading the Tennessee State poem, “Oh Tennessee, My Tennessee” by Commander William Porter Lawrence, will begin at noon in the Museum’s Grand Hall. Activities on the lawn will run until 2 p.m.
Park rangers will offer free guided tours of Bicentennial Mall State Park at 9:30 a.m., and 1:00 p.m.
The Tennessee State Capitol will be open to the public on a rare weekend day on Saturday, June 1 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Guided tours provided by Tennessee State Museum staff will be available at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 1 p.m. and p.m. Self-guided tours are also available at any time.
Passport to Tennessee History
The Tennessee State Library & Archives, Tennessee State Museum, Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park and the Tennessee State Capitol invite you to make a history day of it with the Passport to Tennessee History.
Inside the Passport to Tennessee History on Capitol Hill and Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, visitors will find information about four institutions of Tennessee history.
Pick up your free Passport to Tennessee History at the Tennessee State Library & Archives, Tennessee State Museum, Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park Visitor Center or Tennessee State Capitol to begin stamping your passport to Tennessee History. Admission to all four participating locations is free.
Guided Tours of the Library & Archives are available by request, Tuesday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT. Please email ask@tsla.libanswers.com to schedule your group tour.
Tennessee State Library & Archives Family History Day
Tennessee State Library & Archives' free Family History Day event was held on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023.
Each year, Family History Day has something to offer for anyone wanting to research their family history, from beginners to seasoned genealogists.
The featured presentation was “Early Tracks and Trails Across the South,” led by J. Mark Lowe.
During the presentation, attendees learned how to use tools at the Library & Archives to locate pathways created initially by animals and later followed by humans, eventually leading settlers and families throughout the South and beyond. Watch the presentation.
Tennessee State Library & Archives Author Talks
The Library & Archives is pleased to welcome Dr. Mark Cheathem, a professor of history at Cumberland University on Friday, May 24, 2024, from noon until 1:00 p.m. CT. Dr. Cheathem is the author or editor of nine books, including the award-winning books Andrew Jackson, Southerner and The Coming of Democracy: Presidential Campaigning in the Age of Jackson. His most recent publication is Who Is James K. Polk? The Presidential Election of 1844, which was a finalist for the 2023 Tennessee History Book Award. Dr. Cheathem will present “A Ruptured Relationship: James K. Polk and Martin Van Buren.” Click here to register and save your seat!
On Saturday, February 17, 2024, the Library & Archives hosted Andy Peck, author and editor of the Cross Mountain Books’ Pecks of Mossy Creek Series. Mr. Peck shared unpublished writings from his family, the Pecks of Mossy Creek. His message included a deep dive into East Tennessee and the Southeast during Reconstruction and after the Civil War, as told through the eyes of relatives who lived and wrote throughout the 19th century. Click here to watch his presentation.
The Library & Archives welcomed author and columnist Bill Carey on Friday, August 11, 2023. Mr. Carey's talk included untold stories of the 19th century from his new book, True Tales of Tennessee: Earthquake to Railroad, detailing the stories of people and events that have often been overlooked. Watch the presentation.
Legacy of State Parks Lunchtime Speaker Series
Tennessee State Library & Archives is hosting a new lunchtime speaker series as part of The Legacy of Tennessee State Parks exhibit, exploring the history behind one of the best park systems in the country.
This Lunchtime Speaker Series event will be in person and live-streamed on the Library & Archives' Facebook page. Each event takes place from Noon to 1 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own lunch. This series is free to the public. Seating is limited, so please make sure to reserve your spot.
- March 16, 2023 - Early Conservation Efforts in Tennessee led by Tennessee State Parks Cultural Resource Manager Hobart Akin. Watch the presentation.
- March 24, 2023 - The Role of Archival Research in Interpreting the Material Culture of the Port Royal General Store, presented by Amanda McCrary Smith. Watch the presentation.
- April 1, 2023 - Tennessee State Parks Folklife Project presented by Bob Fulcher. Click here to join us in person for the presentation. Watch the presentation.
- April 14, 2023 - Archaeology at Tennessee State Parks, presented by Aaron Deter-Wolf. Watch the presentation.
Lunchtime Speaker Series Commemorating Tennessee’s 225 Years of History
Tennessee State Library & Archives is launching a new lecture series revealing the stories behind significant events in Tennessee’s rich 225-year history. The Lunchtime Speaker Series events will be in-person and live-streamed on the Library & Archives’ Facebook page and the Secretary of State’s YouTube channel. Each event will take place from Noon to 1 p.m. In-person attendees are encouraged to bring their lunch. This series is free to the public. In-person seating is limited.
- Sept. 10, 2021 - A Look Back at Tennessee’s Centennial Celebration in 1896/7 - the story behind world's fair style event in Nashville led by Historian David E. Ewing - Watch the presentation
- Nov. 5, 2021 - Why Tennessee is Known as the Volunteer State - history of the nickname and Tennessee's service in military conflicts led by Lipscomb University Professor Tim Johnson - Watch the presentation
- Feb. 11, 2022 - Tennessee Frontier - How Tennessee’s Land Influenced Where Pioneers Settled by historian and associate professor Aaron Astor – Watch the presentation
- May 6, 2022 - Tennessee and the Fight to Win Women's Right to Vote by journalist and author Elaine Weiss - Watch the presentation
Lunchtime Speaker Event - This Used to Be Nashville
The Library & Archives is pleased to welcome special guest Jim Hoobler for a lunchtime lecture on April 22, 2022, from Noon to 1 p.m. Mr. Hoobler, a local author and longtime State Museum curator, will present a talk entitled "This Used to Be Nashville." - Watch the presentation