Knoxville’s children’s STEM museum unveils exhibit designs for Jacob Building expansion
Muse Knoxville also launched its $50 million "Grow With Me" campaign, aimed at raising funds for the new developments.
Muse Knoxville is gearing up to expand from 10,000 square feet to nearly 57,000 square feet, more than five times its current size. The new development will create opportunities to serve more families, welcome additional school groups, expand educational programming and provide more children with access to meaningful learning experiences.
The museum is currently nestled in Chilhowee Park in East Knoxville, but doesn’t have to move far for its facelift. The new home of Muse Knoxville will be the historic Jacob Building, just across the pond in the same park.
On Thursday, November 5, Muse Knoxville donors, community partners and supporters were invited to walk through the building and see the highly anticipated future layout. The Muse team mapped out the sections for each exhibit to give partners a better spatial idea of the size and scope of the structures.
“We believe that every child deserves the chance to wonder, explore, create, and discover. This next chapter for Muse Knoxville means more room for big ideas, more opportunities for hands-on learning, and more children who can see themselves as the scientists, artists, engineers, and innovators of tomorrow,” said Allison Comer, President and CEO of Muse Knoxville, in a press release.
Muse Knoxville’s current location will remain open and continue welcoming visitors throughout the expansion process. Design work is anticipated to be completed later this year, construction is expected to begin in 2027, and the expanded museum is projected to open in 2028.
Designing the future exhibits
For the past year, the Muse Knoxville team and the exhibit design firm, Luci Creative, have been hosting community gatherings to help develop and brainstorm interactive exhibits for children in the fields of science, energy, technology, engineering, and computing.
Future exhibits include a large, shared play space with a full-size climbing structure, an interactive modular home, a space exhibit – complete with a rocket ship, and a section dedicated to the science of sound.
Partners that have invested in the new and improved Muse Knoxville include: the Boyd Foundation, Bill and Crissy Haslam Foundation, Clayton, Kevin and Chelly Clayton, the State of Tennessee, Arconic Foundation, UT Battelle – Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Bank of America, Tennessee Valley Authority, Siddiqi Charitable Foundation, Tennessee State Museum, Knox County Government, The Bruce Family, Delta Dental of TN, BVI, Management Solutions, LLC and Perk City.
So far, $33 million has been raised for the expansion. Muse Knoxville would like to raise $50 million more, as part of the “Grow With Me” campaign to support the new developments.
Expansion comes at the right time
During fiscal years 2024 through 2026, the Muse Knoxville team reported that nearly 3,000 visitors had to be waitlisted due to capacity limitations. Plus, 10 East Tennessee school districts had to be turned away during the 2025-26 school year.
With the expanded facility, Muse Knoxville anticipates being able to welcome more than 200,000 visitors annually, while also expanding its capacity for school field trips, camps, educational programs, and community experiences.
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