It decided that the state needed a museum to deal with various collections from the state and mementos from World War I. Most of the museum operations moved to the James K. Polk Building in 1981, which it shared with the Tennessee Performing Arts Center through May 2018.
The state found that a museum was essential for handling its collections and World War I memorabilia. Most of the museum's operations were moved to the James K. Polk Building in 1981, where it shared space with the Tennessee Performing Arts Center until May 2018.