Our Mission

The mission of Museum on Main Street is to provide access to the Smithsonian for small-town America. Museum on Main Street engages small-town audiences and brings attention to underserved rural communities.

To build grassroots participation, Museum on Main Street works with state humanities councils and almost 1,800 institutions in rural towns across the nation. For these communities (with a median population of 8,000), the opportunity to work with the Smithsonian is much more than a quality educational experience. Through community programs and creative activities, Museum on Main Street exhibitions and research are a launching point for storytelling and local pride. Constantly evolving digital projects, such as the Stories from Main Street collecting portal and the digital student history initiative, are bringing more of the Smithsonian’s resources to people in small towns across the nation. 

Want to know more about MoMS? Check out this episode of the Museums in Strange Places podcast. Host Hannah Hethmon talks about the mission of Museum on Main Street. You hear from state and local partners all over the country talk about their experiences with the program.