GENERAL INFORMATION

 

	Accessibility
	Accreditation
	Address and Contact Information
	Admission
	Earth Bulletin
	Archaeological Institute of America - East Tennessee Society
	Education Programs
	Hours
	Location, Maps, and Directions
	McClung Museum Associates
	McClung Museum Website Awards
	Mission and Vision
	Museum Building
	Museum Collections
	Museum Shop
	Parking
	Welcome - From the Director

WELCOME - FROM THE DIRECTOR

The McClung Museum is a general museum with collections in anthropology, archaeology, decorative arts, local history, and natural history. The exhibits document ways of life, cultural trends, and technologies from prehistoric times to the present day, and showcase much of Tennessee's past -- its geology, history, art, and culture. The McClung Museum is a special place -- a place of discovery, a place to learn about the world around us.

As a part of the University of Tennessee, the Museum supports and participates in the University's mission to serve the state, region, and nation through scholarship, teaching, artistic creation, professional practice, and public service.

The professionalism and high caliber of the Museum are reflected in its accreditation by the American Association of Museums. In fact, the McClung Museum is one of only 12 museums in Tennessee to be so recognized.

I invite you to visit the Museum and to enjoy the many experiences we offer. As Lewis, a 4th grader, wrote to us: "It is the best museum in the world."

Jeff Chapman
Director

The McClung Museum is accredited by the American Association of Museums.

THE MUSEUM BUILDING

The Frank H. McClung Museum was built with money bequeathed to the University of Tennessee by Judge and Mrs. John Green of Knoxville as a memorial to Mrs. Green's father, Frank H. McClung. The Museum building was officially dedicated on 1 June 1963.

The Museum is an outstanding facility. Approximately one-quarter of the 38,500 square-foot brick building is devoted to exhibits. Remaining space is dedicated to a 267-seat auditorium, laboratories, library, photographic resources, storage, workshop, and offices.

Visitors begin their museum experience in a spacious lobby with walls of handmade brick, and floors of Tennessee quartzite.

The Vine

A fountain of marble and travertine is centered under the domed ceiling and is crowned by The Vine, a bronze statue of a woman dancing, sculpted by American artist Harriet Whitney Frishmuth, circa 1923.

MUSEUM FLOORPLANS

Click on floorplan for larger view.

Main Floor	Ground Floor

MISSION AND VISION

MISSION:

The Frank H. McClung Museum is an important component of The University of Tennessee, and participates in the implementation of the University's mission. The University of Tennessee is committed to the development of individuals and society as a whole through the cultivation and enrichment of the human mind and spirit. This is to be accomplished through teaching, scholarship, artistic creation, public service, and professional practice.

The complementary mission of the Frank H. McClung Museum is to advance understanding and appreciation of the earth and its peoples through the collection, preservation, study, interpretation, and exhibition of objects and data. The Museum is dedicated to the support of the academic programs of The University and to the attraction and education of the broadest spectrum of participants.

VISION:

The vision of the Frank H. McClung Museum is to be one of the premier museums in the Southeast, and to expand the Museum's presence in the University, the community, the state, and the nation. This expanded role is founded on public service, education, and inclusion, grounded in stewardship and scholarship.

MUSEUM COLLECTIONS

The McClung Museum is a general museum with large and diverse collections.

• RESEARCH COLLECTIONS. Scientific excavations and collecting over the past 65+ years have generated the following major research collections:



• Archaeology Research Collections
• Ethnobotanical Research Collection
• Mollusk Research Collection


• EGYPTIAN COLLECTION. The Museum has on permanent exhibition (Ancient Egypt: The Eternal Voice) a collection of some 200 ancient Egyptian artifacts dating from the Predynastic to the Ptolemaic periods; this is supported by a modest collection of 19th and early 20th century photographs, postcards, and stereoviews of Egyptian scenes and sites.



• GENERAL COLLECTION. The General Collection is comprised of a wide variety of objects acquired by gift and bequest to The University of Tennessee. These include:



• An extensive collection of hand-colored bird lithographs by John Gould, John James Audubon, and others
• Ceramic pitchers
• American Civil War, World War I, and World War II related objects
• Tribal art
• Furniture
• Clothing
• Fine arts
• Decorative arts
• Toys
• Photographs
• Tools
• Vertebrate fossils
• Other categories of objects

The Frank H. McClung Museum is the first museum in the country to feature a “Science Bulletin” from the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. “Science Bulletins” is a production of the National Center for Science Literacy, Education and Technology at the American Museum of Natural History and is an effort to communicate current science to a general audience.

“Science Bulletins” currently report on three areas: biodiversity, earth science, and astrophysics. Each Bulletin presents breaking news, compelling data, simulations and visualizations from leading scientific research institutions, as well as in-depth feature stories, told by scientists themselves, that put a face on science. Stories are produced through a collaboration of the American Museum of Natural History’s curatorial and scientific staff and a team of video producers, computer designers, writers, and educators. High-definition video captures a sense of the real world while advanced imaging technologies present powerful visualizations of complex ideas and up-to-date information.

The McClung Museum will initially feature only the “Earth Bulletin” which uses high-end graphics, data displays, and location footage to illustrate what is happening on Earth each week: earthquakes, volcanoes, and climate events. Feature stories provide information and data about climate system, the hydrosphere, tectonic and volcanic activity, and the latest tools in global imaging techniques from NASA and other research institutes.

The high-definition video will be shown at the Museum on a 60 inch plasma screen and will be updated weekly by internet transfer from the American Museum of Natural History. The “Earth Bulletin” will be a part of the new permanent exhibition, “The Geology and Fossil History of Tennessee” which will open in September 2002. Until its installation in the gallery, “Earth Bulletins” can be viewed in the lobby area. “Earth Bulletin” is sponsored by the office of the Provost and the Pilot Corporation.

Learn more at: http://earthbulletin.amnh.org

MUSEUM LOCATION, MAPS, AND DIRECTIONS

The McClung Museum is located at Circle Park, in the heart of the Knoxville campus of the University of Tennessee.

UTK CAMPUS MAP
[larger image]

The McClung Museum is the first building just beyond the University of Tennessee's Knoxville Campus Information Center on Circle Park Drive.

Additional maps and specific directions to the Campus Information Center are provided on the University Website.

MUSEUM ADDRESS and CONTACT INFORMATION

The McClung Museum's address, telephone number, and other means of contact are:

MUSEUM HOURS

The Museum is OPEN:

• Monday through Saturday: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
• Sunday: 1:00 to 5:00 pm

The Museum is CLOSED:

• New Year's Day
• Fourth of July
• Labor Day
• Thanksgiving Day
• Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

ADMISSION

Admission to the McClung Museum is always FREE.

ACCESSIBILITY

The Museum is accessible to persons using wheelchairs.

Accommodations for persons with other disabilities may be requested in advance. Please see the Museum floorplans to familiarize yourself with the location of exhibits, elevators, and restrooms.

PARKING

• During the week, parking passes for Circle Park are available at the Campus Information Center, located just north of the Museum at the entrance to Circle Park (see the above UTK campus map). Visitors should tell the attendant that they are visiting the McClung Museum, and request a 2-hour permit.

• On weekends, parking is available on Circle Park and adjacent parking lots.

EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Various education programs, outreach programs, and guided tours, as well as special events, are scheduled throughout the year for adult and student groups. For program reservations or additional information, please contact the Museum Educator, either by telephone (865) 974-2144 or via e-mail addressed to: woodield@utk.edu.

McCLUNG MUSEUM ASSOCIATES

McClung Museum Associates provide essential financial support for the Museum. By becoming a Museum Associate, you will be supporting the collections, conservation and exhibition programs, research, student internships, and a host of other educational activities serving people of all ages.

ACCREDITATION

The Frank H. McClung Museum is accredited by the American Association of Museums.

ASSOCIATE TAX DEDUCTIBILITY

Due to IRS regulations regarding deductibility of benefits, nonprofit organizations must indicate what portion of a gift is deductible when membership benefits are accepted. If you elect not to accept the benefits offered, you may deduct the full amount of your gift. Simply notify us in writing at the time of your gift and keep a copy for your records.

ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIPS

Associate Members receive the Museum newsletter, free admission to lectures and films, invitations to exhibition openings, notification of special events, and 10% discounts on Museum Shop purchases.

Gifts of $100 or more to the Frank H. McClung Museum qualify you for membership in the University giving clubs and societies.

Please note that pledges to the University may be designated for the Museum.

To become a Museum Associate, please print the following form, fill in the appropriate information, and send it, along with your check, to:

Frank H. McClung Museum
The University of Tennessee
1327 Circle Park Drive
Knoxville, TN 37996-3200

For further information, please call (865) 974-2144.

I want to become an Associate of the McClung Museum at the annual membership level checked below:

NAME:
_________________________________________________________________________
ADDRESS:
_________________________________________________________________________
ADDRESS:
_________________________________________________________________________
CITY/STATE/ZIP:
_________________________________________________________________________
PHONE:
_________________________________________________________________________

MUSEUM SHOP

The Museum Shop offers a selection of educational items related to the exhibits.

McCLUNG MUSEUM WEBSITE AWARDS

	Golden Web Award - 2001-2002 "In recognition of creativity, integrity, and excellence on the Web."
	KinderStart Kid Friendly Site Awarded 11 July 2001
	Civil War in Miniature Historic Civil War Site - 2000
	StudyWeb Academic Excellence Award Awarded 10 October 1999
	Web Site Excellence - Anthropology Awarded 27 July 1997 "For excellence on the WorldWideWeb with a presentation that is an exemplary introduction to the more extensive collections at the Frank H. McClung Museum."

ARCHAEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF AMERICA - EAST TENNESSEE SOCIETY

The McClung Museum is closely affiliated with the Archaeological Institute of America - East Tennessee Society. The Museum provides a venue for the Society's monthly meetings and lectures, hosts the Society's Website, and provides other cooperation and support.

McClung Homepage