What to See
The Heritage Center
Discover the
stories of Murfreesboro’s downtown square and the historic
Rutherford County Courthouse through exhibits, public programming, and guided
tours of the square. Current exhibits include:
The
Time that Changed Everything: Murfreesboro’s Civil War
Era shares personal
accounts of county residents as it traces the sequence of local events during
and after the Civil War and features hands-on components including a writing
desk, a typical soldier’s tent, and school benches, with reproductions of period
diaries, games, and textbooks. This exhibit is sponsored by the Tennessee Civil
War National Heritage Area.
Entering
the Modern Era: Murfreesboro’s Jazz Age explores early
twentieth-century life in Rutherford County, from the growth of local industry
and business in the era of Jim Crow to the burgeoning field of higher education
in town.
Occupied
Murfreesboro tells
how the square became an armed Federal camp during the Civil War highlighting a
series of ca. 1862 photographs of the occupied town square that were discovered
in 2003 and donated to MTSU’s Albert Gore, Sr., Research Center.
Place
Names of Rutherford County uncovers the history and folklore of how our community and its geographic
landmarks earned their names – from Walter Hill to the Stones River.
Community Building Blocks: Downtown Murfreesboro’s Historic
Architecture highlights twelve of the county seat’s architectural landmarks.
From
the Nation’s Capital to Neighborhood Classrooms: Rutherford County Women, Past
and Present pays
homage to the contributions of ten local women from among the thousands of
prominent educators, artists, professionals, housewives, and farmwives who have
made a difference.
Special
Exhibits:
Viewing
History: Celebrating the Scenic Character of Tennessee’s Historic
Places showcases 22
award-winning photographs from the 2007 photo contest sponsored by Scenic
Tennessee and the Tennessee Preservation Trust. Their subject matter ranges
from a black-and-white close-up of an 18th-century waterwheel to an
Art Deco advertisement from the 1950s and spans the state from Memphis to the Smokies. (Closes August 31, 2008)
The Heritage
Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County is a joint venture of the Tennessee
Civil War National Heritage Area and Main Street Murfreesboro / Rutherford County, Inc. Additional sponsors include the City of Murfreesboro, Middle Tennessee State University, Rutherford County, and State Farm Insurance.
The Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area receives funding from the
National Park Service and is administered by the Center for Historic
Preservation at Middle Tennessee State University.
Hours:
Open M-F, 10 a.m.- 3 p.m.; Walking tours available on the hour. Group tours available Monday-Saturday by advance reservation.
Admission:
No admission charged
Location:
225 W. College St., Murfreesboro, TN 37130
Directions:
From I-24, exit 81-B, travel toward Murfreesboro to the Public Square. Go through the Square to the next traffic light at College Street, and turn left. The Heritage Center is located in the second block on the left, at the corner of College and Walnut.
For more information, or for group reservations, please call (615) 217-8013
downtownmurfreesboro.com
