The river theme was chosen for our permanent exhibit due to the significance of the Ocoee, Hiwassee and Tennessee Rivers to our region. When you enter the lobby, you will first encounter The River of Time in our floor as it flows from our entrance to the beautiful copper mural of Cleveland at the other end of the lobby. As you follow the river you will see copper footprints engraved with names, as well as names engraved on the Cleveland mural. These are major contributors to the museum’s Capital Campaign. Local artist Larry Epperson designed and executed the River of Time and Cleveland mural.

Glass etched panels that depict our Living History Characters are to the left of the River of Time. The drawings for the characters were done by Cleveland artist Helen Burton and the glass was etched by Dan McKinley of Ringgold, Georgia.

Throughout the Lobby, the architects and artists who worked on the design carefully chose materials that were important to the history of Cleveland and the Ocoee Region including copper and wood which were important raw materials mined and harvested in the region.

It identified these seven distinct eras in story:

• Period One: Mankind and the Land
• Period Two: The Struggle for Settlement
• Period Three: The Quickening Pace
• Period Four: Moving Ahead
• Period Five: A New Century
• Period Six: Cleveland on the World Stage
• Period Seven: The Future Unlimited

The physical representation of this “River of Time” is a key feature of the Museum structure, with major contributors to the capital campaign memorialized as boulders throughout its course.