About Us
Our Mission
As a community-inspired museum, we create memorable learning experiences through the joy of play in hands-on exhibits and programs
Our Core Values
1. Validate play at the primary learning mechanism.
2. Create positive family experiences.
3. Provide a safe, accessible, and inclusive environment.
4. Nurture partnerships within the community.
5. Challenge children ages 2 to 10 to explore music, fine art, movement, science, and social skills.
6. Follow best practices of the children's museum field.
2. Create positive family experiences.
3. Provide a safe, accessible, and inclusive environment.
4. Nurture partnerships within the community.
5. Challenge children ages 2 to 10 to explore music, fine art, movement, science, and social skills.
6. Follow best practices of the children's museum field.
Cookeville Children's Museum is a 501(c)(3) organization with a nonprofit charter in the state of Tennessee.
Cookeville Children's Museum is a full member of the Association of Children's Museums, the professional service organization that endeavors to expand the capacity and further the vision of children's museums in the United States and abroad.
Cookeville Children's Museum is a full member of the Association of Children's Museums, the professional service organization that endeavors to expand the capacity and further the vision of children's museums in the United States and abroad.
Our Board of Directors:
Tom Timmerman, Chair
Dr. Tom Timmerman is an Associate Professor of Business Management at Tennessee Tech and the past president of the Upper Cumberland Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management. He received a bachelor's degree in psychology from Furman University and a doctoral degree in organizational behavior from the A. B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University. In 2006 he won TTU's Outstanding Faculty Award in Teaching. Tom lives in Cookeville with his wife, Bethany, and three Cookeville Children's Museum patrons, TJ (11), Sarah (8), and Catherine (6).
Michelle Zellner, Vice-Chair
Michelle Zellner is the Director of The Imaging Center at Cookeville Regional Medical Center. She is a graduate of the University of Central Florida with a degree in Radiologic Science. Michelle has lived in the Upper Cumberland region for 26 years. She and her 9 year old son moved to Cookeville in 2008.
Susan O'Connor, Secretary
Susan has lived in Cookeville for 30 years. She and her husband Brian moved here from Illinois in 1977, when Brian started teaching in the Math Dept. at TTU. Their two children Kevin and Carolyn were born and raised here. Susan is newly retired from Tennessee's Early Intervention System, where she worked for over 15 years with families whose infants/toddlers had special needs.
Travis Giffey, Treasurer
Travis is a partner and financial advisor with Compass Advisory Group. He is a 1998 graduate of North Dakota State University with a BS degree in Agricultural Engineering. He is also a graduate of Tennessee Technological University with a MS degree in Mechanical Engineering. Travis has been a resident of Cookeville for over 10 years, is married with three children and attends The River Community Church.
Members-at-Large
Vern Crabtree Vern is a member of the Putnam County School Board and works in admissions at Cookeville Regional Medical Center.
Craig Fickling Craig is an attorney and resides in Cookeville with his wife, Melanie Madewell, and son, Lee (6).
Lee Jones
Lee is a husband, and a father of twin boys. He is a graduate of Tennessee Tech University and has a B.S. Degree in Marketing and a Masters Degree in Business Administration. He is currently the Director of Sales and Marketing for Research Electronics International.
Nina Lunn
Nina, a retired Licensed Clinical Social Worker, stays active with many community projects, including Habitat for Humanity and the Bryan Symphony Orchestra. She has lived in Cookeville for over 35 years.
Mike Rohr
Mike is a retired Licensed Psychologist and former chair and professor in the Department of Psychology and Counseling at TTU. He is an active member of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church. He is the father of four adult children and “Opa” to six grandchildren—the youngest four being enthusiastic participants at the Cookeville Children’s Museum. He has lived in Cookeville for 40 years.
Dr. Tom Timmerman is an Associate Professor of Business Management at Tennessee Tech and the past president of the Upper Cumberland Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management. He received a bachelor's degree in psychology from Furman University and a doctoral degree in organizational behavior from the A. B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University. In 2006 he won TTU's Outstanding Faculty Award in Teaching. Tom lives in Cookeville with his wife, Bethany, and three Cookeville Children's Museum patrons, TJ (11), Sarah (8), and Catherine (6).
Michelle Zellner, Vice-Chair
Michelle Zellner is the Director of The Imaging Center at Cookeville Regional Medical Center. She is a graduate of the University of Central Florida with a degree in Radiologic Science. Michelle has lived in the Upper Cumberland region for 26 years. She and her 9 year old son moved to Cookeville in 2008.
Susan O'Connor, Secretary
Susan has lived in Cookeville for 30 years. She and her husband Brian moved here from Illinois in 1977, when Brian started teaching in the Math Dept. at TTU. Their two children Kevin and Carolyn were born and raised here. Susan is newly retired from Tennessee's Early Intervention System, where she worked for over 15 years with families whose infants/toddlers had special needs.
Travis Giffey, Treasurer
Travis is a partner and financial advisor with Compass Advisory Group. He is a 1998 graduate of North Dakota State University with a BS degree in Agricultural Engineering. He is also a graduate of Tennessee Technological University with a MS degree in Mechanical Engineering. Travis has been a resident of Cookeville for over 10 years, is married with three children and attends The River Community Church.
Members-at-Large
Vern Crabtree Vern is a member of the Putnam County School Board and works in admissions at Cookeville Regional Medical Center.
Craig Fickling Craig is an attorney and resides in Cookeville with his wife, Melanie Madewell, and son, Lee (6).
Lee Jones
Lee is a husband, and a father of twin boys. He is a graduate of Tennessee Tech University and has a B.S. Degree in Marketing and a Masters Degree in Business Administration. He is currently the Director of Sales and Marketing for Research Electronics International.
Nina Lunn
Nina, a retired Licensed Clinical Social Worker, stays active with many community projects, including Habitat for Humanity and the Bryan Symphony Orchestra. She has lived in Cookeville for over 35 years.
Mike Rohr
Mike is a retired Licensed Psychologist and former chair and professor in the Department of Psychology and Counseling at TTU. He is an active member of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church. He is the father of four adult children and “Opa” to six grandchildren—the youngest four being enthusiastic participants at the Cookeville Children’s Museum. He has lived in Cookeville for 40 years.
Our Timeline:
November 2004: Community-minded citizens begin meeting with the goal of opening an interactive children’s museum in Cookeville in the near future.
January 2005: A museum steering committee is formed.
March 2005: The museum steering committee hosts the “You Imagine It” student art contest, which invited children in grades K-8 to envision and draw a museum exhibit. Nearly 400 entries were received. Art entries are judged by Walter Derryberry, Barb Good, Mitch White, and Nina Lunn.
April 2005: The museum steering committee hosts the First Annual Children's Discovery Day on April 9, in Dogwood Park in downtown Cookeville. This free “museum for a day” was attended by approximately 2,000 people from around the Upper Cumberland region.
May 2005: A charter membership drive is launched, raising nearly $2,000 and 60 members.
September 2005: The museum’s first board of directors is elected by the charter members on September 10, 2005.
November 2005: The board of directors initiates a capital campaign called The Founders Drive.
December 2005: The board of directors approves a site for the future museum at 46 S. Cedar Avenue on Cookeville's Westside.
January 2006: Museum receives two Founders Contributions. Plans begin for 2nd Annual Children’s Discovery Day.
February 2006: Phase Two of the capital campaign commences with a fundraising appeal to business and corporations in the Upper Cumberland region.
April 8, 2006: 2nd Annual Children's Discovery Day is held in Dogwood Park.
August 2006: Plans to rent building at 46 S. Cedar are put on hold.
September 2006: Museum board members begin speaking with city leaders about the museum's lack of a site and the city's possible involvement in the museum's future. A petition drive is launched at Fall Fun Fest in downtown Cookeville.
October 2006: More than 900 Cookeville and Putnam County residents sign the museum's petition.
November 2, 2006: Board members Susan Capron, Cynthia Wilson, and Brad Sells make a formal presentation of the petition signatures to the Cookeville City Council at the council meeting, and request the city's assistance in locating/providing a site for the future museum.
February 2007: A possible site is identified for the museum at 36 W. 2nd Street on Cookeville's Westside.
March 2007: The Board of directors authorizes a three-year lease of the building at 36 W. 2nd Street.
April 2007: Remodeling of the building begins, and the exhibits committee begins exhibit planning.
May 2007: The Board of directors present "The Mystery of the Railroad Rendezvous Robbery," at Cookeville's spring railroad festival on Cookeville's Westside. This CSI themed hands on exhibit proves very popular with children attending the festival. Look for this CSI Cookeville exhibit in the future museum!
September 2007: Susan Capron is hired as the museum's first executive director. The board of directors present science activities at Stations of Imagination during Cookeville's annual Fall Fun Fest.
November 29, 2007: Sneak Peek Night for sponsors, donors, and the media!
December 1, 2007: Grand Opening!!
January 2005: A museum steering committee is formed.
March 2005: The museum steering committee hosts the “You Imagine It” student art contest, which invited children in grades K-8 to envision and draw a museum exhibit. Nearly 400 entries were received. Art entries are judged by Walter Derryberry, Barb Good, Mitch White, and Nina Lunn.
April 2005: The museum steering committee hosts the First Annual Children's Discovery Day on April 9, in Dogwood Park in downtown Cookeville. This free “museum for a day” was attended by approximately 2,000 people from around the Upper Cumberland region.
May 2005: A charter membership drive is launched, raising nearly $2,000 and 60 members.
September 2005: The museum’s first board of directors is elected by the charter members on September 10, 2005.
November 2005: The board of directors initiates a capital campaign called The Founders Drive.
December 2005: The board of directors approves a site for the future museum at 46 S. Cedar Avenue on Cookeville's Westside.
January 2006: Museum receives two Founders Contributions. Plans begin for 2nd Annual Children’s Discovery Day.
February 2006: Phase Two of the capital campaign commences with a fundraising appeal to business and corporations in the Upper Cumberland region.
April 8, 2006: 2nd Annual Children's Discovery Day is held in Dogwood Park.
August 2006: Plans to rent building at 46 S. Cedar are put on hold.
September 2006: Museum board members begin speaking with city leaders about the museum's lack of a site and the city's possible involvement in the museum's future. A petition drive is launched at Fall Fun Fest in downtown Cookeville.
October 2006: More than 900 Cookeville and Putnam County residents sign the museum's petition.
November 2, 2006: Board members Susan Capron, Cynthia Wilson, and Brad Sells make a formal presentation of the petition signatures to the Cookeville City Council at the council meeting, and request the city's assistance in locating/providing a site for the future museum.
February 2007: A possible site is identified for the museum at 36 W. 2nd Street on Cookeville's Westside.
March 2007: The Board of directors authorizes a three-year lease of the building at 36 W. 2nd Street.
April 2007: Remodeling of the building begins, and the exhibits committee begins exhibit planning.
May 2007: The Board of directors present "The Mystery of the Railroad Rendezvous Robbery," at Cookeville's spring railroad festival on Cookeville's Westside. This CSI themed hands on exhibit proves very popular with children attending the festival. Look for this CSI Cookeville exhibit in the future museum!
September 2007: Susan Capron is hired as the museum's first executive director. The board of directors present science activities at Stations of Imagination during Cookeville's annual Fall Fun Fest.
November 29, 2007: Sneak Peek Night for sponsors, donors, and the media!
December 1, 2007: Grand Opening!!