Tennessee – The Tennessee State Museum’s Corridor Gallery on the second level now hosts the temporary exhibit “Welcome Lafayette, Friend of Liberty”. This exhibit, open through June 15, 2025, showcases artifacts related to the Marquis de Lafayette’s 1824-1825 farewell tour of the United States, with a focus on his impact on Tennesseans during his visit.
Lafayette, a French aristocrat and general who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolution, was a symbol of the alliance between France and the United States. He was a trusted officer and a close friend of George Washington. During his 13-month tour of the U.S., he visited Nashville and Clarksville, Tennessee, where his visit was met with great fanfare.
The exhibit features artifacts from the Tennessee State Museum’s collection as well as items from other institutions. Visitors can learn about Lafayette’s arrival in Nashville on May 4, 1825, where he was greeted with church bells, cannon fire, and a jubilant crowd. His stop in Clarksville, a brief 30-minute visit, was also commemorated with a historic marker in 2022 by The Lafayette Trail, a non-profit group.
This exhibit is part of the Lafayette 200 initiative, which celebrates the Bicentennial of Lafayette’s return to America as the “Guest of the Nation.” The initiative includes educational programming across the U.S. and in France, hosted by the American Friends of Lafayette. For more information and images of the artifacts featured in the exhibit, visit TNMuseum.org/Lafayette200.