Tennessee River Museum
Museum · Savannah ·

Tennessee River Museum

Museum · Savannah ·

Fossils, Native artifacts, Trail of Tears, Civil War, river history

Tennessee River Museum by null
Tennessee River Museum by Photo courtesy of Tennessee Department of Tourist Development
Tennessee River Museum by null
Tennessee River Museum by null
Tennessee River Museum by null
Tennessee River Museum by null
Tennessee River Museum by null
Tennessee River Museum by null
Tennessee River Museum by null
Tennessee River Museum by null
Tennessee River Museum by null
Tennessee River Museum by null
Tennessee River Museum by null
Tennessee River Museum by null
Tennessee River Museum by null
Tennessee River Museum by null
Tennessee River Museum by null
Tennessee River Museum by null
Tennessee River Museum by null
Tennessee River Museum by null
Tennessee River Museum by null
Tennessee River Museum by null
Tennessee River Museum by null
Tennessee River Museum by null
Tennessee River Museum by null
Tennessee River Museum by null
Tennessee River Museum by null
Tennessee River Museum by null
Tennessee River Museum by null
Tennessee River Museum by null
Tennessee River Museum by null
Tennessee River Museum by null
Tennessee River Museum by null
Tennessee River Museum by null
Tennessee River Museum by null
Tennessee River Museum by null

Information

495 Main St, Savannah, TN 38372 Get directions

Information

Static Map

495 Main St, Savannah, TN 38372 Get directions

+1 731 925 2364
tennesseerivermuseum.org
@tnrivermuseum

Features

restroom
parking free street
wheelchair accessible parking lot
wheelchair accessible entrance
wheelchair accessible restroom

Last updated

Oct 26, 2025

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25,132 Postcards · 3,700 Cities

"At the Tennessee River Museum in Savannah, visitors can learn about the surrounding area’s archaeological and paleontological history as well as its role in the settlement of the region and the growth of West Tennessee. Located in the old post office near Savannah’s courthouse, the museum is popular with students, who can visit for free, and anyone seeking info about the Tennessee Valley’s history and culture. Some exhibits feature prehistoric artifacts like fossils and petrified wood as well as Mississippian-era pottery shards, tools, and ceremonial objects, while others tell the story of the Trail of Tears, important Civil War naval battles that occurred nearby, and the Golden Age of steamboats, when river transportation was critical to the growth of trade in the region."

The Best Day Trips from Memphis
Photo courtesy of Tennessee Department of Tourist Development
Tennessee River Museum

Jace C.

Google
Came here since I needed to kill time. Didn’t expect much, but left amazed at the information and great displays. Entry is free.

Mark N.

Google
Nice little museum filled with history of the area

Danayume

Google
The museum had some interesting things I never knew about. Some of the video displays did not work. It's not expensive and I spent about an hour going through the exhibits

Carla B.

Google
I choose to stay In Savannah to avoid a storm up north and so I was wondering around looking for things to see. I love learning about a small towns history and this town did not disappoint. I walked in and Lauren was sitting behind the desk. She was incredibly nice and welcoming as I told her my quick story. I wandered through the museum for about an hour. As I travel I get more and more into history so it was cool to learn about Savannahs, between the people, the river and the battle of Shiloh. After I got to talk to Lauren for a bit and she is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to her town and you can tell how much she loves history. Definitely a must stop in.

Susanna S.

Google
I was very disappointed in amount of glory and recognition General Nathan Bedford Forrest received in so may display cases in the museum. Never mentioning the fact that he was involved in numerous controversial actions, including the Fort Pillow Massacre in 1864, where African American Union soldiers were killed after surrendering. Many historians view it as a war crime. He was also reportedly the first Grand Wizard of the KKK when it formed in the late 1860s, a white supremacist terrorist organization that violently targeted Black Americans and their allies. I did not see any mention any of that in this factual museum. These are not minor footnotes, but defining aspects of his life and legacy. IT IS equally important and historically responsible to acknowledge his involvement in the Fort Pillow Massacre and his leadership role in the early Ku Klux Klan. Institutions should be called to educate the public, not glorify such people.

April M.

Google
It's interesting history about Indians and how they lived during their time. I didn't visit here by my choice. As a motor coach bus Operator, I take people anywhere in the United States

Historical M.

Google
Very friendly staff! Nice stop if you have some time, lots of artifacts on display.

Clarissa C.

Google
So much fun I would take older kids who are into things like that they have a n amazing show of arrowheads and more

D C.

Yelp
A real nice place to start a visit to Savannah. Vicki is a gem. Her knowledge is spot on. A tour is so insightful of the past and Savannah has been around for a real long time. Plenty of Indian information and river knowledge. You won't regret the time spent here

Bill C.

Yelp
My wife and I are vacationing at the Pickwick Landing State Park, TN and decided to visit the museum. It's small, and we didn't have high expectations, but we were pleasantly surprised. It covers the gamut of the river's lifetime, all the way back to pre-historic times when the Mississippi River Valley was an ocean. There are a variety of fossils and brief but well-written and informative placards describing everything. Not too wordy, but just enough to get the point across. The next room shows the development of the native (pre-western) cultures and it's really quite fascinating. Then comes the white man and the genocide (they don't say it quite that way). It even gives fair time to the Trail of Tears, including the fact that the Supreme Court ruled against President Jackson and he just ignored them. Then on to the civil war and the post war economic boom. One thing Wanda and I were surprised by is that this area of the Tennessee River is uniquely rich in fresh water mussels and became the main source of fresh water pearls and "pearl" buttons in the US. They would cut round pieces right out of the shells, polish them and turn them into buttons. It was really cool. It doesn't take too long to tour and is well worth the stop. The staff is friendly and the surrounding Savannah historic district makes for a nice walk afterwards with several nice little restaurants.

Autumn S.

Yelp
Awesome museum! Only $3 entry fee. Take your time looking through all the artifacts. You need about an hour and a half to appreciate it.
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Penny H.

Yelp
If you love the history of a place, this is a great museum to go to. Explains ship building on the Tennessee river. Well thought out and displayed.

Joy C.

Yelp
Even though I was born in selmer tn an have lived in Hardin county all my life I've only visited this place twice, it's so interesting and the lady was really helpful with any questions I had, if you have never been to this place no matter if you live here or not go visit, it's really awesome