This exhibition is intended to immerse the American visitor in the Parisian Belle Époque (Beautiful Era). Encompassing the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the period was known for fantasy, excess, and boundless faith in progress through science and technology. Originally presented in 2014 at the Petit Palais in Paris, the exhibition offers a selection of more than three hundred works of art, from paintings, prints, and sculptures to furniture, garments, and souvenirs. These objects, which hail from several City of Paris museums—including the Petit Palais, the Musée Carnavalet, the Palais Galliera, the Musée Bourdelle, and the Maison de Victor Hugo—form a portrait of a vibrant and swiftly changing city.

Enjoy a full schedule of holiday fun this December at the Discovery Center! Explore holidays around the world at the Discovery Center during our 25 Days of Discovery. The series of events kicks off with the Holiday Open House on Saturday, Dec. 2, and wraps up with the biggest pajama party in Murfreesboro on Dec. 30, with lots of hands-on holiday fun in between!

Guests visiting Nashville Zoo during three weekends in December will have an opportunity to step back in time for a traditional Victorian Christmas. The Grassmere Historic Home will offer yuletide tours December 1-2, 8-9, and 15-16. The home will be decorated for the holidays with greenery, ribbon, and vintage decorations that belonged to Margaret and Elise Croft, former residents of the Grassmere property whose family owned the land and home for five generations. The tour not only highlights these items but also explains some Christmas traditions that started during that time period that are still honored today. Tours will start at 10:00 a.m. daily and run on the half hour, with the last tour starting at 3:00 p.m. Tours of the home are included with Zoo admission. To take the tour, guests are asked to meet on the front porch of the historic home where their guide will meet them.