Meet Ryan Baker, a history buff and Executive Director of the Sumner County Museum. He is involved in promoting and preserving the history of Sumner County through exhibits, and through outreach programs in the community.
Ryan was born and raised in Sumner County, and attended Gallatin High School. He graduated with a four year degree from MTSU. His wife, Kim Baker, is the CEO of the Gallatin Area Chamber of Commerce. They have 2 children, a 14-year old son named Hayden and a 3-year old daughter named Annlyn. They also have a hound dog named Georgia.
Ryan’s favorite quote is from his late friend John Garrott – “It’s my history, it’s your history, it’s our history.” Whether you are an original Sumner county resident or not, you will love touring the museum. It will give you a deeper appreciation for Sumner County, and you will learn some really fascinating things! Did you know the world’s first recorded airmail was via hot air balloon from Nashville to Gallatin!? Ryan said the museum even has ties all the way back to when people came over from Virginia exploring this area.
Q: What inspired you or led you to your current career?
A: When I initially started college, I thought I wanted to teach History. After some life events happened, that didn’t quite pan out. I eventually ended up going back to school, and graduated from MTSU with a Sports, Recreation and Tourism degree; a new focus that MTSU had at the time. I graduated in 2015. Someone on the Board for the Museum reached out to my wife at the Chamber of Commerce. They said they were looking for a director and wanted to know if she knew anyone who would be interested. I applied, and it was just a natural fit. I have been the director now since March of 2016.
Q: What do you enjoy the most about being the director?
A: I wear a lot of hats, but as a director I enjoy leading tours the most. Especially for elementary school kids, as they seem to be the most interested and engaged.
Q: What other hobbies, passions, involvement or things do you do in your free time?
A: I do a lot of volunteering for the Chamber of Commerce. I really enjoy giving back to the community. If I’m not volunteering or working at the museum, you can often find me Kayak Fishing. There are so many great waterways to explore, including rivers and creeks, all over Middle Tennessee. Fishing is by far my favorite thing to do. I also enjoy anything outdoors including camping and a little hunting. Of course I like watching college football on the weekends, and hope we get that back soon.
Q: What was the happiest time in your adult life?
A: It’s hard to pick just one, but I would probably say it was being there for my son and my daughter’s birth.
Q: What is a challenge that you had to overcome in pursuing your goals or dreams?
A: The moment that sticks out for me was when I went to college, but didn’t finish at first. I even went back a couple times. It was when my son was 6 or 7 years old that I decided I was all in. I wanted to set a great example for him. I was still working full-time, parenting, and coaching a soccer team when I went back to school. I was commuting quite a ways to MTSU, and even took a 20 hour summer semester to reach my goal. It was pretty challenging for sure, and life hasn’t slowed down since. I think there is something about having kids, trying to mold young men and women, and having that connection and relationship. I thought it was important to set a good example.
Q: Where do you see yourself and/or the museum in 3-5 years?
A: Hopefully in 3-5 years this museum will have received a little bit of a face lift. Nothing too crazy, but we want to make some changes and upgrade some of the exhibits. We would like to also have a well oiled machine with the Carriage House being transformed into a culture and arts center. We would like the Carriage House to focus on the diverse cultures here in Sumner County. We would like to see the Garrott House (also known as Stonewall) be utilized as a regularly used event center, and make it a staple of the community. We’re closer with Stonewall than we are with the Carriage House. Now personally, my wife and I just bought a house (our second house) in December. We moved a little further out, but she knows I would eventually like a house on top of a hill somewhere where you can’t see any neighbors. So that is one of our future goals – to have a good 10 acres or so.
Q: What is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
A: I’ve been to Bonnaroo a few times. This is supposed to be my 10th year. We go every year for three or four days with a good group of friends. It’s nice to disconnect from the outside world for a while.
Q: What sets the museum apart from other community resources, or what makes it unique?
A: First of all, we’ve got a lot of great historic sites in Sumner County. I think we have more state owned sites alone, than any other county in Tennessee. We have over 11 historic houses. Sumner County has done a good job with preserving that history. I’ve always thought of the museum as the hub for history in Sumner County, with all these other sites being different spokes that tell different stories or pieces of history. I think you can better grasp Sumner County history as a whole by visiting the museum. It doesn’t have to be the first place you visit, but if you did then you could more easily see how all of the other historical sites would tie in together.
Q: How long does a tour of the museum last?
A: It usually depends on the age group and what they wanted, but it typically lasts about an hour on average. Right now, we regularly take groups of 7, and they get to be the only ones touring the museum for an hour. We can make it a little shorter if desired. There is really enough here that you could give a 3-4 hour tour if you really wanted to.
Q: How far in advance do you have to schedule a tour?
A: If you called me today, I could do it this afternoon. It just depends on how busy we are. However, 2-3 days notice is ideal. You can also check our website and reserve a slot online: (https://sumnercountymuseum.org/).
Q: Who has been the most influential person on your life and why?
A: Overall it would probably be my dad. He instilled a good work ethic in me from a young age. My first job was around 14 years old, and I haven’t been unemployed since. My dad also had me spend a lot of time on different farms growing up, working hay and tabacco. History related – Mr. John Garrott was one of the founders of the Museum and I was fortunate enough to meet him before he passed away a couple of years ago. I’ve also spent a lot of time with our County Historian, Kenneth Thomson, at his home and here at the museum. He is just a wealth of knowledge. He knows more than I will ever know in my life about local history. Anytime I need him I can call him, and he will be here to help me figure out a mystery or give someone else information that they are looking for.
Q: What do you value most and why?
A: Integrity! It is probably the most important value for myself and in others. I believe it is important to do the right thing, even when no one is watching. If more people had this kind of integrity in their daily life, then we would have a much better world. Also, I am a member of the Gallatin Noon Rotary Club and we have a four-way test that we go by:
- Is it the TRUTH?
- Is it FAIR to all concerned?
- Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
- Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
Q: Where do you find your motivation or what inspires you?
A: Everyday from my kids, my wife and family.
Q: What is one thing that you would recommend that would enhance Sumner County?
A: Something that the museum wants to do, is celebrate the diverse cultures in Sumner County. Not only to bring folks of different ethnicities and backgrounds together, but to educate them about those cultures. We want to help people feel more connected, and build a stronger community.
Q: What is your favorite thing about Sumner County?
A: Well, my favorite historic site in Sumner County is Cragfont. My wife and I got married there. We do some cool ghost tours there. It is a really unique place on top of a hill without much else around. I can imagine living there way back when…
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
A: Skydiving for sure, and I’ve never been deep sea fishing. I love the ocean.
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be?
A: This is a bucket list also. I would love to do an Alaskan Cruise. It’s such a beautiful place.
Q: What is your go-to band if you can’t decide what to listen to?
A: Right now, Tyler Childers. He’s kind of a modern day bluegrass artist. He is from Kentucky and his music is about the struggles of growing up in a rural area. I got to see him at the Ryman right before covid hit.
Q: What is your favorite movie?
A: My favorite movie is The Patriot with Mel Gibson; or any good movie related to history. If you like a movie with a good twist, I really liked the Skeleton Key also.
Q: What 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
A: Family, Chaos and Heart.
The Sumner County Museum is currently looking for volunteers to help with a variety of tasks. If interested, visit their website at (https://sumnercountymuseum.org/)
Sumner County Museum
ph. 615-451-3738
183 W Main St, Gallatin, TN 37066
