NASHVILLE, Tenn. – State Rep. Rusty Grills, R-Newbern, announced $63,080 in grant funding was awarded for museum improvements in Dyer and Obion Counties.
The funds are part of a $5 million appropriation approved by the General Assembly in the 2024-25 state budget for Tennessee State Museum Capital Maintenance and Improvement program.
“Discovery Park of America and the Dyer County Historical Society have helped millions of people learn about Northwest Tennessee’s rich history throughout the years,” Grills said in a statement. “I’m so thankful for organizations like these that continue to preserve our region’s history and display it for everyone to enjoy. Thank you to the Tennessee State Museum for helping them make important improvements.”
Local grant recipients include:
- Discovery Park of America, Inc.: $57,480
- Dyer County Historical Society: $5,600
Discovery Park of America is a ‘state-of-the-art’ 100,000 square-foot museum that showcases ten exhibit galleries focused on topics like science, space, technology, the military, natural history, regional history and more.
The Dyer County Museum, operated by the Dyer County Historical Society, is home to hundreds of artifacts from the area. The museum’s mission is to preserve and promote the area’s rich history, according to their website.
These organizations can use the grants for projects like building or land improvements, roof repairs, HVAC projects and accessibility updates.
There were over 150 grant applications in 2024, totaling $10.5 million in funding requests, according to the Tennessee State Museum.
As of this release, the Museum has made full or partial awards to 83 museums across the state, representing 46 counties. In the two years the Museum has administered the grant program, it has served 68 counties in the state.
For a full list of grantees, counties and amounts, visit https://tnmuseum.org/grants.
Rusty Grills represents District 77 which includes Dyer, Lake and part of Obion Counties.
