MoMS History
It all began in 1991 when thirteen state humanities councils, in coordination with SITES, received a grant from the Smithsonian's Special Exhibition Fund and conducted a survey of nearly one hundred small, remote cultural institutions. This landmark survey assessed the programmatic and exhibition preferences of rural museums, historical organizations and libraries and provided the basis for state humanities councils' ongoing collaboration with SITES that eventually developed into Museum on Main Street. The survey verified that residents of America's small towns experience severe geographic, economic and cultural isolation. These small but vibrant facilities located in rural areas often serve as community centers, well positioned to offer exciting public programs, yet are restricted from doing so by limited budgets and insufficient staff.

These small museums are routinely excluded from traveling exhibition programs because they cannot accommodate large structural components, complex installations, and expensive shipping and participation fees. Relying on the results of the survey of small museums, Smithsonian designers developed a new exhibit format that earned a Presidential Design Award for Excellence not only because it delivers high-quality content in a compact package, but also because it is tailored so precisely to the specific needs of resource-poor museums.

Museum on Main Street exhibitions have traveled to nearly 700 towns with populations of 500 to 20,000 in 42 states and territories. (Click here to see a map of past MoMS communities.) They have inspired heightened awareness of local history. Exciting collaborations begin between museums, educational organizations, and local businesses. Entire communities get involved unleashing a tidal wave of public programs and educational activities. The success of Museum on Main Street is evidenced not only in the broad scope of public programs in host communities, but in how the project served as a catalyst in fostering lasting institutional advancements and ambitious capital improvements. With ongoing federal support, Museum on Main Street will continue to showcase local heritage in untold numbers of under-served communities across the country.

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