Tennessee State Museum Received 160 Applications Requesting a Combined $10.4 Million in Funding
(UCBJ) – The Friends of the Cookeville Depot Museum has received a $12,000 Capital Maintenance and Improvements grant from the State of Tennessee, administered through the Tennessee State Museum. The funding will support restoration efforts for the historic Tennessee Central caboose at the Cookeville Depot Museum.
The Tennessee General Assembly allocated $5 million through the 2026-27 Appropriations Act to provide capital maintenance and improvement grants to museums operating as 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations or affiliated with governmental entities.
Now in its fourth year, the grant program remains highly competitive. The Tennessee State Museum received 160 applications requesting a combined $10.4 million in funding.
Of those applications, 102 museums across 49 Tennessee counties received full or partial awards. Over the program’s four-year history, museums in 76 counties have received funding.
“The Tennessee State Museum’s Capital Grant program continues to support the infrastructure of Tennessee museums,” said Ashley Howell, Tennessee State Museum Executive Director. “It is an honor to support the incredible work of our strong network of Tennessee museums. This grant is an extension of how the State of Tennessee can further support their efforts and the preservation of local and state history. We thank the Tennessee General Assembly for their support for Tennessee museums.”
Grant requests ranged from a minimum of $5,000 to a maximum of $100,000. All funded projects must be completed by June 30, 2027.
The Friends of the Depot Museum is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and sharing Cookeville’s railroad history. Through community support and preservation efforts, the organization helps maintain the Cookeville Depot Museum and its historic railroad collections.
A complete list of 2026-27 grant recipients, counties and award amounts is available at TNMuseum.org/grants.
The Tennessee State Museum, located at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park in Nashville, offers free admission and features permanent and temporary exhibitions exploring Tennessee’s history, art and culture.
For more information, visit TNMuseum.org.
Image via the Cookeville Depot.
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