Homesteads Tower Museum, Tennessee, United States

5Cathy T 5:00 PM Jan 6, 2020

Small but a nice reminder of the past, especially on a rainy day
A friend and I stopped here and at the house annex while our husbands tried to fit in a round of golf before the downpour . The Tower museum is small, but it contains a many items from the past. My friend and I reminisced some as we walked through the museum when we spotted items we had owned as children, or saw things our parents or grand parents had once had. We laughed at a poem about taxes in the gift shop and bought shirts that proclaimed that we "climbed the tower" which for us was quite a feat, especially after all ghe hiking we had been doing. The person working in the gift shop was very patient as she gave my directionally challenged friend directions to the museum house, which was just as nice as the tower, but smaller. Note: cost was very reasonable, around $6:00 for both the tower and the house. If you do both check out the reflection of the bridge in the park you have to drive through to get there ( the park starts with a c, I just can't recall the name right now) ; you could get a nice picture of the bridge and reflection - that is if it isn't pouring rain like it was the day we went.

4Dr_Xaos 5:00 PM Jun 18, 2020

Small but Mighty Museum
My older daughter had done a presentation about Franklin Roosevelt in, so we were interested in seeing the museum(s) about the Homesteads project portion of the New Deal. The tower museum is housed within the original structure that was built back in the 1930s. The building is kept clean and is very well-maintained. The exhibits are displayed in the three main rooms on the ground floor, and the gift shop is located in a fourth room. The Homesteads Tower walk-through starts with a short video that introduces you to Homestreads project and explains much of its historical significance. After the video, you are able to do a self-guided tour through the building. Museum isn't very big and the exhibits aren't extensive, but the quality of displays are very good. They have a good assortment of items from that era, which are organized and labeled to make it easy to see and review. Unique aspect of the museum tour is being able to claim up to the top of the water tower area of the building. The climb to the top isn't very difficult but can be challenging. There are almost a hundred stairs to climb up as you wind around the tower to the top. Stairs are sturdy but not very wide, so some of the spots are a little tougher to get a good footing (especially when climb back down). View is worth the effort, though! In addition to the Tower museum, admission also provides access to one of the houses made during the Homesteads project. You have to drive a few miles to get to the house, but it is really neat to see the building after going through the main museum.