Museum On Main Street
Created in 1994, Museum on Main Street (MoMS) is a traveling exhibition program of the Smithsonian Institution which aims to engage small-town audiences and revitalize underserved rural communities.
In partnership with the Smithsonian, THC heritage tourism staff will work with the Texas Heritage Trails Program to deliver approximately two years of training and consultation to six host communities, working closely with each community in group and individual settings to develop the local visitor experience for future heritage travelers.
Participating communities will gain project-planning skills, form strategic organizational partnerships, develop local assets, and create visitor experiences that will not only ensure a successful exhibit, but will also create sustainable change in your heritage landscape for years to come.
Important Dates
Host Application Period Opens: February 15, 2025
Applications Due: April 15, 2025
Host Communities Selected: By May 15, 2025
Orientation Workshop: Late June, 2025
Spark! Opens: May 16, 2026
Applications Accepted Until April 15, 2025
As part of the application review committee, your THTP executive director will be the biggest advocate for your application. Their insight into your community is weighed heavily and their familiarity with your organization and community will go a long way to provide important context during our review meetings.
Click here to contact Del Polikretis and the Texas Forest Trail.
Step 2: Review the application and begin thinking about potential partners, venues, etc.
We don’t require you to have figured everything out by the time you apply. However, if we’re deciding between two or more competitive applicants, we may contact you to gain more information about what MoMS would look like in your community, including details about your potential exhibit venue, committed partners, etc. It would likely help your case if you had already begun thinking about these items and started to plant seeds with community members.
Our advice: Begin having conversations about this project with folks in your community, but be clear that this is an application process and there is no guarantee that your community will be selected as a host.
Step 3: Download the application form below:
When complete, email the PDF application and your written answers to THCheritagetourism@thc.texas.gov.
