Customs House Museum and Cultural Center

Our visit to the museum was wonderful. I wanted to see the art installation of Caney Hummon and was absolutely thrilled to view them in person. I was moved to tears by his incredible work. We hadn't visited in almost 20 years, so it was nice to see all of the changes.

There is a free parking lot for museum visitors on south side of museum; on hill. This is a great museum and I love that it has specialized areas for children and their families. They have a family art studio and area where the kids can explore the city by learning about different trades; plumbing, electricity, market etc. These areas are simply wonderful and if I lived in Clarksville I would bring my great nephews, frequently. I didn’t know Wilma Rudolph was from Clarksville and Pat Summit. They have a great gallery dedicated to individuals in sports etc. I absolutely love the ‘Fly Girls’ exhibit (Oct 13 - Jan 25, 2024) I had never heard of this group and felt so proud to see so many female pilots. These women are/were so inspiring and many lived long lives. I’m it sadly at least 2 dozen were killed while flying. I left wanting to know more about this organization and the women!! They pushed forward through the discrimination by men. Smh So sad that we live in a society where all are created equal but a few feeble minds decide they will create barriers for those who do not look like them!! There is also an old log home on display after you pass through area that house old fire trucks. I absolutely love this and like that the wife of a family member donated house to museum. There is also modern art on display plus an areas with model trains and track. The train runs at certain times so if you’d like to see the trains going around track check on website for times. I highly recommend visiting this museum!

We took our out of town family to this museum to give them more insight on Clarksville history and culture. We loved it! Sierra at the front desk was very kind and helpful. She was patient with my family and all of the questions that they had. We had a wonderful experience and will be back. :-)

Very cool museum with tons of things from locally and globally to look at. Very clean, and very friendly staff. The bottom level is full of stuff to keep your little ones entertained for hours. $12 per adult is not too bad of a price. Will return soon with the kids.

A very cute and educational museum for Clarksville a nice place to take the family

A general interest museum, The Customs House Museum included pictures, paintings, trains, a tradition fire engine, and do much more. Of special note is the John Sharpe exhibit of photorealist paintings, the birds paintings, and of course the model train room - truly impressive. The was a children's play and explore area and a lovely gift shop. Definitely, it's worth a stop if you are in Clarksville, Tennessee.

The museum has a very kid-friendly area. Our boys are 5 and 8 and enjoy the play areas down stairs (especially the bubble cave). The model trains are also a big hit with the family. The train yard even changes with the seasons. If you visit now (Sept), there are new Halloween setups that you can operate with buttons.

A great place to spend a few hours. Kids will love the model trains and they have two large play areas. The artwork is amazing and the history is really interesting. When we visited there was a baseball exhibit and a wedding dress display. There is also a cafe and gift shop.

The most iconic building in Clarksville, TN, has over 125 years of documented history. The well-designed architecture even withstood an F3 tornado in January 1999. It transformed from a Federal Post Office to the Department of Electricity, and now a beautiful museum to showcase Clarksville's rich culture and history for all ages to enjoy. We enjoyed a group of self-guided and museum-guided tours that included story time, a craft activity, a scavenger hunt, and a plethora of hands-on educational fun. The kids enjoyed the interactive model trains exhibit, Explorer's Landing, and Art Studio. Check out their website membership, group rates, special events, and ways to donate to this beautiful museum. It's truly worth a visit. Highly Recommend!!!

Usually I like to tie up my reviews with a nice ending of how my visit to a place was. For this review, I am cutting the foreplay to tell you how this review ends, so you will be compelled to read more or to skip this review entirely. Keep reading: In a nutshell, this is the place to go to learn everything you need to know about Clarksville, Tennessee. The museum is very clean. The staff is courteous and very professional. The art from the temporary exhibits was profound, sensational, and brought me to another time and world beyond Clarksville. If you are looking for this, please read the rest of my review. ******************** The Customs House Museum has been on my to go list since I moved here. The Museum is open to the public with free admission all day from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. as part of their monthly Second Saturday Free Admission Day. It was the perfect rainy Saturday, and it was easy finding the museum.I found an empty parking space and headed off to the wrong direction. Turned around and found the place instantly. Megan at the front desk gave me a map to the museum. She even showed me a photograph of the music store Jimi Hendrix went to when he was a soldier in Fort Campbell. I wandered slowly to each room in the museum. The most fascinating exhibits were: 15 Over 50: A Women's History Month Exhibition March 7, 2019 - June 9, 2019 March 7 - June 9 Kimbrough Gallery This exhibition features 15 contemporary women artists from across the country all over age 50. Works include photography, painting, and sculpture done in a variety of styles. Johan Hagaman was my favorite artist. I found her statement very profound. It stood out more than the art she created to represent it. JOHAN HAGAMAN | SCULPTOR ARTIST STATEMENT: Passing clouds. Poetry. Climbing vines. Current events. I am a collector of often unrelated and ambiguous images and ideas - not looking for anything in particular, but noticing patterns; and I try to process what it means -- how we have been shaped, and what is seeking to emerge--by making something formal. Being covered in vines, leaves, birds - a metaphor that has become a dominant theme in my work for some time - is both about paying attention and also about how what we are paying attention to determines how we shape our world, and are shaped by and tied to it in a circle of reciprocity. - Johan Hagaman This statement was the most mind provoking Item in the museum to me. It still reverberates in my head. She put into words and art the idea of how we create our REALITY and design our world. She shows this by having vines, leaves, and birds emerging from her sculptures of people. ********* MIKE ANDREWS: A NEW VISION: Crouch Gallery - A local teacher & sculptor working in wood and limestone brings his new pieces to the Crouch Gallery. Included in the show are Andrew's figurative pieces, abstract benches, and wall-mounted forms. His work is simple, elegant, and compelled me. It reminded me of the time I touched gigantic expensive vases made of stone or clay that held skeletal remains of the dead. It was a burial reserved for the very wealthy. Absolutely mesmerizing how a sculpture or vase can evoke zen, calm, and a magical zing. ******* My third and final favorite: BECOMING CLARKSVILLE: HONORING LEGACIES OF LEADERSHIP Explore Clarksville's history in Becoming Clarksville: Honoring Legacies of Leadership. Find out how local agriculture, industry, education, culture, government, medicine, military, and transportation have all contributed to the city of today, and learn about the leaders who have shaped our history. The exhibit also includes engaging computer interactives and a film area. Very impressed with this historical exhibit and the film area. I watched all the films and read everything displayed about Fort Campbell. I plan to go back to the Custom Museum again and revisit this area again. I wanted to read everything about Clarksville, yet my time was limited. ************ In a nutshell, this is the place to go to learn everything you need to know about Clarksville. The museum is very clean. The staff is courteous and very professional. The art from the temporary exhibits was profound, sensational, and brought me to another time and world beyond Clarksville. Thank you for reading this review. 7:07 AM time to have a brand new day.

Very interestingly charming museum With so much history in Clarksville. This place is for all ages, with that being said everyone will enjoy themselves. The bubble room was hilarious, that experience can only be explained with smiles and giggles. This is a must see.

I am a fan of this building.. It is closed on Sunday mornings and the exterior of the building is so so so gorgeous..very gothic victorian architecture..I can't wait to go back when it is opened so I can go all over the building.. Gorgeous Building....

Wow, there are a lot of pretty grumpy reviews here, but we were pleased with our visits. Dream Girl and I came up to Clarksville for the Thursday night opening of an art exhibit, "Fifteen Over Fifty". These are women artists of a certain age and a friend of ours was an exhibitor. The paintings are well-displayed. The wine and nibbles were good, too. There was, of course, no charge for this event. We came back the next day and paid the admission - $7 each - and spent quite a bit of time there. We enjoyed the exhibit about the tornado; we had forgotten how much destruction it caused, but a tour of that display quickly reminded us. Dream Girl has several pieces of art by Mike Andrews so we really liked the exhibit of his wood and limestone carvings. We saw the other displays including the toy train layout. It's large and only runs on Sunday afternoons. The cabin reminds me of my grandparents old house in Dickson County; it's an accurate depiction of 19th Century life in the country. I saw complaints about the kiddy portions of the museum, but we didn't go there. There were children there but were not a bother at all. I think it's great to get kids going to a museum when they're young. The two staff members that we interacted with were polite and helpful. We enjoyed the gift shop and a few dollars were spent there. I liked that various artists had items for sale that were reasonably priced. I know many of them and their larger works are expensive! The Customs House itself is quite a building and we were glad to see it was able to be restored after the tornado. Clarksville is a small city and this museum a good place to learn about it. I hope they continue to collect the artifacts that tell the story of the city.

Very attractive building. Love architecture. Very historical and it is worth stopping.

If you're looking for something to do in Clarksville, Customs House is worth a visit. It's the second largest general interest museum in Tennessee, a fact that makes me cry a little inside considering how small it is. Still, they have great permanent and rotating exhibitions. Customs House has a gallery dedicated to Clarksville history. You can learn about the tobacco trade, see the first motorized fire truck, and learn about 19th c. household tools. The ethereal exhibit Dream Forest is running through September 27th. It's an installation by local artist Alan LeQuire, who sculpted the Athena inside the Parthenon. Check it out. 5 dollars for adults, 2 for students, 1 for children.

Fantastic museum for the littles! Our 18 month old had a blast here. There are plenty of age appropriate activities for toddlers and wide open play areas for space to explore. Cheap yearly pass. We will be visiting here often!

Judging from the reviews online, I wasn't exactly sure of what we were getting ourselves into by going to this place, but we decided to check it out anyway. This museum is inside the old post office and features tons of artifacts from Clarksville's early days. Inside the museum, you can see videos, photos, and knick-knacks from Clarksville's history. The lower level is all for kids and kids at heart! There's a puppet show area, building blocks, Lincoln logs, and the coolest bubble exhibit ever! They also have an extensive model train set up where you can push a button and turn on the lights in the shops or make the airplane's propellers spin. On certain days and times, you can also see them run the trains!

This is an awesome place to take children!! The entire basement is great to let the children okay. On rainy or boring days the kids can still use up their energy. The family membership is a great deal! It has been worth our money as I bring friends here often as my guests. Be sure to check out the gift shop especially if you have children! They have nice toys by good brands, and lots of artwork. It's s wonderful gem in a small seemingly commercial town!

The recently renovated kids area is awesome! There's a play grocery store, bubble room, train exhibit, puppets, art room, and more.

A great place to visit on a rainy day in Clarksville; but not sure I'd pay admission. The 2nd Saturday of every month is Free Admission day, and this is when I'd suggest anyone visit. Half of the museum is strange, doesn't fit the city, and seems out of place...the thing you want to see here is the Clarksville History wing. It's very well done, and will give newcomers to Clarksville a great picture of the history this town plays in TN and the surrounding areas. There is a child's museum in the basement, which may be fun for toddlers. My kids are older, and weren't interested in the least...

This was my favorite place in Clarksville. I have enjoyed going to The Custom's Museum for 4 years. Have seen great Exhibits, and liked the gift shop. I believe l have rated it before as a 5. The Museum is great to visit. Except I would avoid purchasing jewelry at the The Custom's Gift Shop. Hopefully they will review what happened to me on November 25, 2017. After looking at the exhibit's, I went into the gift shop. I bought bracelet that was made by an Artist. It was on sale. But three days later a wire unraveled from one of the charms. Then the charm fell off, it was not attached right. I had to return the bracelet, gave them my receipt, and contact info. They said that it would be repaired by the Artist. I will not make that mistake again. Always ask for your money back. They did not give me a receipt but they had mine. My debit purchase went through on November 27, 2017. ***December 12, 2017, l called about my repair. It was almost the week before Christmas...what is going on?...l wanted my money back. Then l was told the bracelet had to be mailed to the artist. She was not local. I took a leap of faith, ok, send it to the Artist even if she has other orders to fill. But if it had been me, l would have made the repair a priority to save face. l hoped to have it back for Christmas. ***December 27, 17. Now I want my money back. Then l was told by the manager that her boss had to approve it. The catch---her boss would be on holiday for a week. I think that the manager should have the same authority as her boss. This does not happen in the retail world. ***January 16, 2018. Still up in the air about what was happening. I posted a review on Facebook. ++January 17, the manager emailed me. She said she had sent me an email on January 5 that she had the bracelet. Did I want it or a refund? But I did not get the email from January 5, or a phone call. Today, Jan. 20, I received a refund check but without an apology. **Update on January 20, I sent a message and received a note today from Custom's Museum. They apologized for the inconvenience. That is all I wanted and I suggested that a review be made so that hopefully it would not happen again. So the case that started on Nov 25 2017 will close on Jan 22 -when I deposit my refund check.

Our family have been museum members for a few years now and it's always been consistently subpar but it serves its purpose. This place is more of a children's play place than a museum. I've held my comments to myself but I no longer feel the need to do so after our last few visits. It began with them being unable to keep the heat on in the winter and ended with the rotund woman they have placed at the front desk. My initial encounter with her was as pleasent as a prostate exam. She was rude to myself and other patrons and seemed to be under the impression she worked at an actual museum and not a place where children urinate in the bubble cave. I took issue with it, and like all issues there, they were ignored and discarded. We come back again to find our jovial walrus at the front desk and again she was rude and liked to play her little games. We've been members for a few years and never bring our card and have been told we were fine as long as we knew our member number. Not good enough for Duddley Do Right! Once she recognized me she delighted in sending me through the most foolish process to give her a post it note. Really? You can't even vacuum this "museum" on a consistent basis and you are worrying about my card? Maybe concerning yourself with how you treat people would be a better use of your time! Also not having your buddies harrass me over a Facebook review would be a nice idea as well. Like most of Clarksville this place succeeds only in failure. Dont bother and go to Nashville.

Beautiful building, but I was sadly unimpressed. Not as "cool" as I expected. The people were nice and the price was decent though. The "bubble cave" was kinda gross...there was no place to wash hands unless you went all the way back to the bathroom. The kid stuff is all in the bottom basement level, and frankly it was a little creepy and cold down there. I expected more out of the civil war display. It was all a bit boring.

This is a great stopping place for anyone looking for something to do! They also have free days (Sunday I believe). The exhibits are fun and interesting, and the workers are so friendly. There is also a fun surprise in the gift shop too :)

My toddler loves this museum! There's a whole floor devoted to kids and free play. There are puzzles, a grocery store, magnetics, a train table, physics activities with golf balls and a bubble room. On any given morning it's a pretty busy place filled with kids which has given it a little run-down feel. Check the train schedule before you go. They have a huge model train room that's very cool. The changing exhibits are usually pretty interesting.

My daughter (6) loved the Bubble Cave! Worth a visit, great exhibit about kids' health right now (March 2013). Beautiful gift shop and FREE parking.

The Customs House Museum & Cultural Center is a wonderful place to experience local art, history, science, and culture. The temporary exhibits rotate regularly, so there is always something new to see. With a variety of historical exhibits, an art studio, interactive play areas, model trains, and art galleries, there is something to entertain and engage everyone. The gift shop has books, artwork, toys, and local merchandise that make perfect souvenirs or gifts. Just be sure to check the schedule if you want to see the trains running. Great place to learn and have fun!

For a town the size of Clarksville, I was pleasantly surprised with this little museum. The children's area kept my 4 year old daughter busy for hours. The trains and the little market were a huge hit! A family membership for military is only $30, which will pay for itself in only a few visits. I expect we'll use it a whole lot more than that! The more we come here, the more we enjoy it!

This is a great place for both adults and children. My kids (2) loved the play areas and crafting.

Very old building and a lot of the exhibits were closed when we visited. Also the staff was rude & not helpful at all. Don't recommend this place at all. There are many better places to visit around Clarksville such all the bars with awesome drink specials.