MURFREESBORO, TN (WGNS) - The Rutherford County Chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) are making it easy to step back to 1776 as we celebrate America 250. In fact, the DAR gift brings Ken Burns’ American Revolution to the Linebaugh Library along with an interactive Revolutionary Era Light-Up Exhibit! Admission is free, but you better hurry to downtown Murfreesboro and see it before this coming Wednesday. That’s the last day to tour this exhibit.
The Colonel Hardy Murfree Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution added a meaningful new resource to the Rutherford County Library System this week. During this past Monday’s (6/1/2026) Rutherford County Library System’s board meeting, Regent Valerie Dehoff presented a copy of the companion book and DVD set for Ken Burns’ acclaimed PBS series The American Revolution. The gift is part of a statewide effort by the Tennessee Society DAR, which used a Tennessee America 250 grant to purchase 95 sets—one for every county in the state. Dehoff said she was honored to deliver the materials on behalf of the chapter, noting that they will help preserve and share the stories that shaped the nation’s earliest years. Library staff and board members welcomed the donation with warm appreciation, recognizing its value as the community prepares for America’s 250th anniversary.
That sense of stepping back into early America continues through Wednesday at Linebaugh Public Library, where the American Revolution Experience. The national traveling exhibit, created by the American Battlefield Trust and the National Society DAR, transforms a corner of the library into an immersive walk through 1776. Colorful panels, digital kiosks, artifacts, illustrations, and first‑person accounts invite guests to explore the lives of Patriots, Loyalists, women, Black and Native participants, and international allies. It’s a hands‑on, story‑driven look at the ordinary people whose decisions carried extraordinary weight.
The exhibit runs through June 10 during regular library hours, and families will find plenty to enjoy throughout the week. Linebaugh and local DAR chapters are hosting a patriotic scavenger hunt, colonial games on the patio, and a lively round of Revolutionary Bingo. Several activities also tie into the library’s “Unearth a Story” Summer Reading Program for America 250.
Originally launched online in 2022, the American Revolution Experience has earned national recognition from the Anthem Awards and the Webbys. The traveling version features twelve panels and three kiosks that connect visitors to deeper biographies, maps, and historic sites, with custom illustrations by artist Dale Watson and materials from DAR’s collection helping bring the era to life.
More information about the national tour is available at http://battlefields.org/ontour.
