A One-of-a-Kind Partnership That Serves Utah's Rural Museums

Museum on Main Street is a partnership of the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), the Federation of State Humanities Councils, and state humanities councils nationwide. Museum on Main Street combines the prestige of Smithsonian exhibitions, the program expertise of state humanities councils, and the remarkable volunteerism and unique histories of small rural towns. One-fifth of all Americans live in rural areas and one-half of all U.S. museums are located in small, rural towns. Though rural museums demonstrate uncanny enthusiasm for local heritage, they have the fewest opportunities for funding or technical assistance of any segment in the museum field. Museum on Main Street provides these institutions with access to otherwise scarce resources and assists them in making lasting improvements that advance their institution's ambitions.