Museum of Appalachia

The Museum of Appalachia sits on 60 pastoral acres in Clinton, Tennessee, where founder John Rice Irwin spent half a century gathering the everyday tools, tools, and stories of Southern Appalachia into a living pioneer village. Some three dozen historic log structures, including cabins, barns, churches, and schools, stand alongside gardens and free-range farm animals behind split-rail fences, and three exhibit buildings house over 250,000 folk-art, musical, and textile artifacts. The Museum became a Smithsonian Affiliate in 2007. That rolling, historic backdrop makes the grounds a distinctive setting for weddings and private events. Couples can choose from several outdoor ceremony and reception sites, among them the Grist Mill Field, the Cantilever Barn Field, and the Hall of Fame Lawn, or move indoors to a barn-style reception hall with a full-prep kitchen and antique serving bars. For smaller, more intimate ceremonies, the Museum's 19th century log chapel offers an authentic alternative to its larger outdoor fields. The venue also hosts corporate meetings, trade shows, and group outings against the same rustic backdrop.