“The East Tennessee Historical Society (ETHS) values the well-being of its members, patrons and visitors from East Tennessee and throughout the world, and we are committed to do our part to keep our communities safe from the spread of the CoronaVirus (COVID-19),” said Executive Director Cherel Henderson.
“In accordance with the guidance from the CDC, Governor Lee, Knox County Mayor Jacobs, and Knoxville City Mayor Kincannon, we are announcing today that the Museum of East Tennessee History, located in the East Tennessee History Center at 601 S. Gay St. in downtown Knoxville, will be closed as of Thursday, March 19, 2020, through Friday, April 3, 2020. We will continue to monitor the situation and re-evaluate as needed going forward.”
All ETHS public programming – Brown Bags, lectures, genealogy classes, teacher workshops, and student museum tours- have been postponed for dates to be determined when it is deemed to be safe for public gatherings. The ETHS Annual Meeting and Awards scheduled for May 5, 2020, has been cancelled and will be rescheduled for later in the summer.
Our Education staff is creating a Facebook page with online curriculum resources for students, parents and teachers that they can access to assist with their online coursework. That page can be accessed at http://www.eastTNhistory.org or on the ETHS Facebook page.
In addition the auditorium located in the History Center will be closed for usage by outside groups from March 15-May 9, 2020. ETHS staff are currently contacting all parties who had bookings to use the auditorium during that time period to let them know that it will not be available. ETHS staff will continue to work with groups for future scheduling.
The Knox County Library’s McClung Collection and the Knox County Archives located in the East Tennessee History Center currently remain open as of this date, however, services are limited. No public programming, computer or microfilm usage is available; however, staff will continue to be available to assist patrons. More information is available on the Knox County Library’s website
During this time ETHS staff will be working behind the scenes with rescheduling and planning new programs, exhibitions, and events, and will continue to be available by phone or email, at www.eastTNhistory.org and via our e-news for members, patrons and the general public.
About the East Tennessee Historical Society:
Established in 1834, the East Tennessee Historical Society is widely acknowledged as one of the most active history organizations in the state and enjoys a national reputation for excellence in programming and education. For 186 years the East Tennessee Historical Society has been helping East Tennesseans hold on to our unique heritage—recording the events, collecting the artifacts, and saving the stories that comprise the history we all share.
