Chester Inn State Historic Site and Museum, Tennessee, United States
4.5 (50 reviews) Friday: 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours Ranking #2 in Jonesborough History Museums
Wonderful historical museum
Located in the heart of downtown Jonesborough, the Chester Inn Museum chronicles the history of Jonesborough from its inception in 1779 to the present. The museum is located on the street level of the oldest commercial building in town. Exhibits include information on the State of Franklin, a diorama of Jonesborough in the 1850s, the history of the Chester Inn, the 1873 cholera epidemic, and much more! Activities for kids include a coloring book and museum scavenger hunt. We have rotating exhibits, so make sure you check back with us often. January - February - open by appointment only March - April - Mon, Fri, Sat 11-6, Sun 1-5 May - Oct - Mon, Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat 11-6, Sun 1-5 Nov - Dec - Mon, Fri, Sat 11-6, Sun 1-5 Join us on the third Thursday of the month at 6:30 P.M. for History Happy Hour!
Address
116 W Main St, Jonesborough, TN 37659-1239
Mobile
Website
http://www.heritageall.org/
Working hours
Monday : 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday :
Wednesday :
Thursday :
Friday : 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday : 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday : 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Current local date and time now
Friday, May 10, 2024, 9:57
User Ratings
4.5 based on (50 reviews)
Reviews
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5Jgvanzandt 5:00 PM Feb 10, 2016
Great Historic Venue
The museum was located in the town’s oldest building right on main street next to the town’s Storytelling Center. It has been restored into a museum, using photos and narratives, dioramas, and videos to chronicle the town’s history. The docents were very helpful and the photographs had were impressive. We were told that three Presidents stayed in the inn, including Andrew Jackson. As we walked by the windows of the museum, they were covered with large, life sized photographs that resembled what you would see looking into the Chester Inn in earlier times. Then when we got inside the window photos showed what the street would have looked like… an interesting concept, and just the beginning of the unique displays. Upstairs there was a recreation of what the inn may have looked like in its day. Care had been taken to get the period colors, wall paper was recreated, and the furnishings where of the period. We were told the displays were restricted because the building is below the flood plane. We made a short walk to the visitors center where the remainder of the artifacts are displayed. This was a great display of fire fighting equipment, guns, and many items from the town’s history. There was also a historic cemetery with grave sites from the 1700’s nearby and the museum docents were helpful in understanding that area as well. If you have any interest in history, this is a great place to visit. They noted that photographers have resided in the town since the mid-1850’s, giving them a huge historic photographic library from which to draw.
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4Statman200 5:00 PM Aug 21, 2022
Learned Alot About the State of Franklin
Went from Johnson City to Jonesborough for lunch and walked up and down Main Street. Spent about 45-minutes doing a self-tour through the Chester Inn Museum and it gave me a much better understanding of what the State of Franklin was all about. The staff there was very friendly and helpful, and the videos and displays were informative. Stop in when you're there. For a very reasonable voluntary donation, it's well worthwhile.
