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Visit the Smithsonian in Florida!

For more than 20 years, Florida Humanities has collaborated with the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum on Main Street program to bring annual traveling exhibitions, educational resources and public programming to small towns and underserved communities across our state.

With its impassioned focus on local history, education and community redevelopment, Museum on Main Street is one of the Smithsonian’s most inspirational and enduring outreach programs.

To mark America 250, three new Smithsonian exhibitions will be on display statewide that celebrate our diverse cultures and peoples by highlighting community history and heritage.

FLORIDA FOOD

January-December 2026

The food on the American table may not define exactly what we are as a nation, but the traditions surrounding our food speak volumes about who we are. Rooted in centuries of borrowing and sharing, food traditions are diverse and constantly evolving. Come explore Florida’s diverse food history and heritage at eight exhibitions on view from the Panhandle to the Keys throughout 2026.

MANY VOICES, ONE NATION

July 2026

To help mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in July 2026, the “Many Voices, One Nation” exhibition program explores the roots and interconnectedness of the many peoples who are woven into our shared cultural heritage. Join us at three exhibitions statewide that celebrate the people, places, and events important to their communities.

AMERICANS

August 2026-June 2027

Based on a major exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, “Americans” explores how deeply intertwined American Indians are in the culture of the United States. Five Florida communities will offer a range of public programs that consider this complicated history through the sharing of local stories about Native American history, culture and identity.

2026-2027 Exhibition Locations

Creating Impact Creating Impact

Creating Impact in Florida 2012-2025

69

exhibition tours in 36 counties since 2012

370,000

exhibition visitors and program attendees

< 30,000

average population size of host communities

$ 418,000

total funding invested by Florida Humanities in local programming

$ 1.4 M

total local funds leveraged to match Florida Humanities' support

Past Museum on Main Street Exhibitions


Journey Stories | 2012–2014
The Way We Worked | 2014–2017
Water/Ways | 2016–2017, 2021-2022
Hometown Teams: How Sports Shape America | 2018
Crossroads: Change in Rural America | 2018–2019
Voices & Votes: Democracy in America | 2024-2025

 

Learn more about Museum on Main Street exhibitions both past and present here.


 

 


"Participating in the Museum on Main Street program and hosting 'Voices anf Votes: Democracy in America' was valued by the Cape Coral community and an ahcievement for our library team...This encouraged library patrons across the country to celebrate Constitution Day and explore the commitment to civic engagement."

- Cape Coral-Lee County Publica Library, 2024 Museum on Main Street exhibition host