Tennessee Agricultural Museum: a visit to the pioneering past
They were the technological marvels of their day: the 1895 Jumbo steam engine, cranking out all of 12 horsepower, and the McCormick reaper, patented in 1834, which helped mechanized the back-breaking work of harvesting grain.
Such tools of Tennessee's pioneer past are all but gone — but not forgotten. You can still see these revolutionary farm tools and more at the Tennessee Agricultural Museum in Nashville.
Housed in a former horse barn, the museum boasts an extensive collection of home and farm artifacts from the 19th and early 20th centuries, including wagons, textiles, a woodworking collection and buggies, along with the steam engine and reaper.
Log cabins, a small farm house, gardens and a natural trail also dot the property, once part of the Brentwood Hall estate of financier Rogers Caldwell. Visitors can walk the Forest Discovery Trail, pausing at 12 stops along the way to learn about pioneer living.
The self-guided museum tour is free and open to the public from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday-Friday. Reservations are required for large groups, and there is a small fee for demonstrations and educational programs. The museum is accessible to disabled persons, and parking is available on site.
The museum also hosts a number of special events and activities to introduce visitors to the old-time way of life. The annual Music and Molasses Arts and Crafts Festival in October draws thousands with attractions such as live Bluegrass music, storytellers, cloggers and buggy rides.
For information on the museum's special events, click here.
Posted by Leah M. Caudle
