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1. Wanda G. Sobieski, president and founder of the Suffrage Coalition, gets her first look at an architectural model of the future Women’s Suffrage Museum. The museum, Sobieski’s life’s work, is expected to be the world’s largest museum dedicated to women’s suffrage.
2. Members of the team working to bring the Women’s Suffrage Museum to life pose with Sobieski, from left: Robert Fleming, principal, CEO and owner of Idletime Network Inc.; Bruce Robinson, founder and president of BDR Design; and John Schaefer, creative conceptual designer, master planner and architect with Shepherds Mountain Architecture.
3. An overhead detail view of the architectural model of the Women’s Suffrage Museum.
4. A rendering shows the front facades of the future Women’s Suffrage Museum at 706 and 708 S. Gay St.
More information on supporting the project is available at SuffrageCoalition.org.
The Suffrage Coalition has completed Phase one of its effort to establish the Women’s Suffrage Museum, securing ownership of the building at 706 S. Gay St. Phase two is underway, with the goal of acquiring the adjacent property at 708 S. Gay St. Together, the buildings will house the future museum in downtown Knoxville.
Knoxville holds a singular place in U.S. history as the site where Tennessee became the decisive “Perfect 36” state to ratify the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote. Organizers say the museum will honor that legacy while connecting it to modern conversations about democracy and civic engagement.
Scheduled to open in 2028, the Women’s Suffrage Museum will preserve and display more than 1,000 artifacts related to the suffrage movement, offer educational exhibits and public programs, and highlight Tennessee’s pivotal role in securing women’s voting rights.
Coalition leaders say the museum is intended to be more than a historical site, serving as a space to inspire future generations to advance equality and civic participation.