Discovery center at murfree spring will begin a one-year project to implement three critical objectives towards expanding the museum's reach: conducting market and audience research; creating a…

The Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded Children's Museum Corporation of Rutherford County $816,172 on September 1, 2026, under the Museums for America program (CFDA 45.301) to conduct a one-year project expanding the Discovery Center at Murfree Spring's reach through market and audience research, visitor experience master planning for the museum's second floor, and visitor experience master planning for a new satellite location, Discovery Center at Franklin, which will include a preschool. The museum will establish a staff expansion team, hire a consultant to lead the project, and engage key community stakeholders in market research and master planning through focus groups, listening sessions, surveys, interviews, and pop-up museum spaces in Williamson County. The target beneficiaries are more than 259,227 children from birth to nine years of age and their families, caregivers, and educators. The project will run through August 31, 2027, with performance taking place in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Discovery center at murfree spring will begin a one-year project to implement three critical objectives towards expanding the museum's reach: conducting market and audience research; creating a visitor experience master plan for the second floor of the discovery center; and creating a visitor experience master plan for a new satellite location, discovery center at franklin, which will also include a preschool. The museum will organize a staff expansion team, hire a consultant to lead the project, and identify key community stakeholders to support market research and master planning. These stakeholder groups will shape these plans through a mix of focus groups, listening sessions, surveys, interviews, and POP-up museum spaces in williamson county. The target beneficiaries of the master plan are more than 259,227 children from birth to nine years of age and their families, caregivers, and educators.