Smithsonian Magazine’s Museum Day is returning this year and it’s happening on September 18th. Participating museums and cultural institutions across the country provide free entry to anyone presenting a Museum Day 2021 ticket.

Participating East Tennessee Museums

A total of 8 museums and historic sites located in East Tennessee are participating in Museum Day 2021. They are (in alphabetical order):

Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge – over 20 different child-friendly exhibits about Appalachian living, Oak Ridge’s Secret City, and much more.

Historic Ramsey House in Knoxville- Built in 1797 of pink marble and blue limestone it was considered the finest home in Tennesse in its time.

Historic Westwood in Knoxville- Built in 1890, it is the historic home of artist Adelia Armstrong Lutz and showcases the artistic history of Knoxville.

Knoxville Museum of Art– This museum celebrates the art and artists of East Tennessee and is actually free every day.

Mabry-Hazen House in Knoxville- Houses a multigenerational collection of items from a single family to give visitors a view of 130 years of Knoxville history.

Marble Springs State Historic Site in Knoxville- the last home and farm of John Sevier (Tennessee’s first governor) this site has multiple buildings and nature trails and focuses on Tennessee’s frontier history.

Museum of Appalachia in Clinton- is actually a small pioneer village, complete with animals, homes, schools, and more highlighting the Appalachian way of life.

Museum of East Tennessee History in Knoxville- has both permanent and changing exhibits that show us about more than 300 years of life in East Tennessee.

We want to visit all of these for Travel East Tennessee eventually. It was a tough decision but we finally decided to go to the Museum of Appalachia for Museum Day 2021.

How to get your tickets

These instructions work no matter where in the US you live (or will be on September 18th).

Go to the Smithsonian Magazine’s Museum Day Get a Ticket webpage. You can search for a museum by name, enter your zip code to find places close to you, or choose your state from the list on the left to find a participating museum.

If you click on the name of a museum in your search results it will take you to a page with a brief description of that location. These pages also contain website links and contact information.

You can click on the blue “get a ticket” button on either the search page or the museum details page. After you enter your email and name a page will load where you can download your ticket. You will also be sent an email with a link to the download. It’s just that easy.

Each ticket provides general admission for 2 people.

Some museums will require a printed ticket (it will be indicated on your download) so be sure to get a printed copy if needed. It is limited to one ticket per email and no exchanges can be made after you’ve entered your information.

With the currently rising COVID-19 numbers I suggest checking for changes in hours and current COVID policies before choosing your tickets and before leaving home on the 18th.

Do any of these museums spark your curiosity like Smithsonian Magazine is hoping will happen? Do you plan to visit any of them on Museum Day 2021? Are there any you’ve been to that you would recommend to our other readers? Let us know in the comments.