Spring Break has traditionally been a time for rest and relaxation from the cold winter months and the third-nine weeks of school. Some students head to a warmer climate like the beach, and some head to the mountains.
However, not every student is able to escape the confines of Clarksville. Yet, students can still experience a “Staycation” while being stuck at home.
Over the next week, The Coyote Caller will profile places here in town where students can “staycate.” Today’s profile is the Custom House and Cultural Museum.
The Custom House and Cultural Museum is located at 200 South 2nd Street, opposite the corner of the original courthouse downtown. Originally a Federal post office and customs house, the building was built in 1898 to handle the large volume of foreign mail resulting from the city’s position as a tobacco trading center.
In 1972 the building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. It became the Clarksville-Montgomery County Historical Museum in 1983 and then the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center in 1996.
The museum part of the building contains exhibits. Currently on exhibit are “A Woman’s Room.” According to the museum’s description, “From hairpins to high heels and anything in-between, check out this selection of artifacts from the Museum collections pertaining to women’s fashion.” The exhibit runs through April 16.
Also on display is “Art of the Horse,” featuring “a variety of 2D and 3D works of art inspired by the equine. Artists include Jill Soukup, Mary Ross Bushholz, Sandy McDaniel, Rox Corbett, Anni Crouter and more.” This exhibition runs through April 9.
Finally, “Marie de Souza: From Dreams” runs through March 19. The exhibit, “using the world’s most iconic animals as the raw form, Maria D’Souza combines design, color and dimension to create beaded skull works that stylistically range from western to contemporary.”
Permanent exhibitions include Explorer’s Landing: Exploring Our Town, Postmaster’s Office, Powers Family Log Home, Becoming Clarksville: Honoring Legacies of Leadership, Challenge & Champions Sports Gallery, and the Lucy Dunwody Boehm Porcelain Collection. There’s also a model train exhibit with one of the area’s largest model railroads.
The museum also contains 22,000 artifacts, photographs, documents and art works in its collection. View some of the featured objects here.
The Custom House and Cultural Museum has a museum store as well, with pottery, stained glass, woodwork, prints, books and exhibit-related items.
The hours are 10 A.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. The museum is closed on Mondays and major holidays.
Admission for high school students under 17 is only $5 and free for children 2 and under. For adults 18-64, admission is $12, but only $9 for adult military, college students and CMCSS teachers. Memberships are available for purchase.
