Calendar of Events

Sunday, February 23, 2025

McClung Museum: Annual Darwin Day Celebration

Category: Festivals, special events, Free event, History, heritage, Kids, family and Science, nature

Mark your calendars for Sunday, February 23! Charles Darwin is turning 216! Join museum educators and UT scientists at the McClung's annual celebration of Darwin Day, 12:00 - 4:00 PM. Visitors are welcome to engage in family-friendly activity stations exploring themes of deep time, evolution, and adaptation. It will be a party. Come ready to take pictures with a giant Darwin puppet!

Guests may also bring their personal rock collections to be identified by experts.

The event if free but participants must register in advance at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/darwin-day-2025-celebration-at-the-mcclung-tickets
Parking information is also on this link.

McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture, 1327 Circle Park Dr on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. Hours: Tu-Sa 9-5, Sun 12-4. Information: 865-974-2144, https://mcclungmuseum.utk.edu/

Beck Cultural Exchange Center: Black History Month Events

  • February 7, 2025 — February 27, 2025

Category: Festivals, special events, History, heritage, Lecture, panel and Meetup

Celebrate with us!

FRIDAY, FEB. 7 @ BECK - The Indelible Appalachians
5:30PM
Dinner, Documentary & Discussion in partnership with UTK
RSVP at https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=2RNYUX1x3UWeypqhnAnW-doMsPbB2jpLgxTPHLA9EBJUQzJQTlo0TUNIOFA3NjlBMDRUV0g0QllUWCQlQCN0PWcu

Sat Feb 8, 15, 22, 10 AM - 2 PM @ Beck
Tell Your Story - Record Your Oral History

Feb 13 - Nat'l Assoc of Real Estate Brokers
Panel Discussion & snacks at 5:30 PM

Feb 18 at 6 PM at Beck
Hip Hop Forum = Can We Kick It?

Feb 24 at 6:30 PM at Bijou - Leaving Legacy - Living Legacy
Black History Month Feature Program

Feb 26, 5:30 PM at Beck
The Black Church - Sacred Legacy

Feb 27, 10 AM - AARP Black Veterans Scam Jam
Panel discussion with Lunch

For More Information Call Us Today at 865-524-8461 or Visit http://www.beckcenter.net

McClung Museum: Homelands: Connecting to Mounds Through Native Art

Category: Exhibitions, visual art, Fine Crafts, Free event, History, heritage and Kids, family

The McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, announces a new exhibition, “Homelands: Connecting to Mounds Through Native Art,” opening to the public on January 25, 2025. The project sets a new standard for collaborative exhibition practices at the McClung and represents the museum's most significant renovation in more than 20 years.

"‘Homelands’ is a defining moment for the McClung Museum. It’s the largest project we’ve undertaken in over two decades, but its impact goes far beyond its scale,” said Claudio Gómez, Jefferson Chapman Executive Director of the museum. “This exhibition has challenged us to rethink how we collaborate, bringing in new perspectives and allowing us to honor Native voices in ways that are both respectful and forward-thinking.”

“Homelands” showcases contemporary art by 17 Native artists to emphasize the enduring ties between Native Nations and Knox County. As a result of the exhibition, the museum has acquired 22 new works for its permanent collection.

https://news.utk.edu/2025/01/07/mcclung-museum-to-open-exhibition-centering-native-voices-and-contemporary-art/

McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture, 1327 Circle Park Dr on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. Hours: Tu-Sa 9-5, Sun 12-4. Information: 865-974-2144, https://mcclungmuseum.utk.edu/

Knoxville Walking Tours

  • January 1, 2025 — December 31, 2025

Category: Festivals, special events and History, heritage

Storyteller Laura Still helps you live the stories of pioneers, soldiers, outlaws, and even fictional characters who walked these streets before you.

Knoxville has a rich history full of colorful characters and famous, and infamous, figures whose lives have been the inspiration for books, movies, and works of art. Take a stroll through history in beautiful downtown Knoxville while listening to true tales of the heroes, heels, and hardened criminals that are part of the hidden lore of this unique East Tennessee town.

A portion of the proceeds for downtown tours go to help fund the work of the non-profit Knoxville History Project. Many stories are based on the books and stories of award-winning journalist and writer Jack Neely. Knoxville Walking Tours opens a window to Knoxville’s varied past and leads you on a journey through both hard times and high times of a city growing through over two centuries of history.

Tours include:
• Knoxville: The Early Years
• Misbehaving Women
• Civil War
• Gunslingers
• Musical History
• Literary Heritage
• Side Street Shadows Ghost Tours
• Knoxville Botanical Garden
• Old Gray Cemetery
• Side Street Shadows Ghost Tours

Tour on Your Schedule! Rather than posting a calendar, we’re letting you pick the tour and time — subject to availability. Call (865)309-4522 or visit https://knoxvillewalkingtours.com/