About Us
Located in central Vermont, The Main Street Museum is a small, volunteer run, nonprofit venue and public collection of curiosities. The museum is a repository of artifacts - each one significant. Each one tells some kind of story about human beings and the complex, sometimes baffling universe of which we are a part.
The aim of the museum is the study of an accumulation of small details, cultivating among both specialists, and among the general public, a sense of wonder at the big questions that arise when we study and categorize objects and our reactions to them. We believe that our relationships with objects are more complex than usually acknowledged—indeed sometimes far more complex.
The Main Street Museum is also a gathering place and venue for people and performances that might not find a round hole in a square peg universe. The Main Stage at the Museum features a newly restored player piano and the sound and lights are maintained by charming volunteers. We highlight local musicians, authors and artists. Our deck looks over the (usually) agreeable waters of the White River and our bonfire site; the scene of our sing-alongs, Hootenanny's, Pan-Slavic Festival and Annual Tree Burn .
Funding for the Main Street Museum is primarily from your individual donations and the fees we collect when people rent the Museum for events.
It is our goal to NEVER have to charge for people to view the Museum. We have been and always will be a 'by donation' for visiting the exhibits. (People who rent the Museum for events may charge at the door). COVID has been hard on so many arts organizations. We would like to thank the Vermont Arts Council and the Vermont Humanities Council for a $5000 CARES Act Cultural Relief Grant that got us through 2020.
Animals
In regard to our taxidermy; The Main Street Museum is home to hundreds of items of taxidermy. The Museum did not commission the killing or stuffing or needle stabbing of ANY LIVE ANIMALS or INSECTS. All items on display were rescued from junk yards, science museum discards or yes, you guessed it....roadkill.
Pets are permitted at the Museum. Please keep them leashed and under your control at all times.
We have a resident dog, our World Famous Rat Terrier, Strelka (pictured here with her late sister, Belka and her food person). Chances are she will greet you...very vocally. Pet with caution...
Humans
The Main Street Museum has a long-standing commitment to promoting equal treatment and opportunities for all, without regard to race, sex, ethnicity, citizen status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other basis, as dictated by common morality and respect.
At the Museum, We have a decades-long history of dissecting White privilege, as it pertains to our cultural history - as it effectuates a racism that is Systemic.
Colonialism, exploitation, oppressions, and brutalities have historically been legitimized by museums. It would be impossible for us to create the types of displays wee exhibits here without acknowledging this.
Black Lives Matter here. A Chilean expression tells us, "Sin el respeto, no tenemos nada" - "Without respect we have nothing." We Strive to honor this ideal, as we honor our visitors.
We support our LGBTQ+ Community. We recognize the full civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender/intersectional people, queer people and everyone living with HIV.
We partner with HIV/HCV Resource Center to provide condoms, Narcan & other harm reduction products that are readily available for free at the MSM.
We believe all lives are valuable. If you or someone you are with at the MSM thinks they are overdosing, please do not hesitate to find a volunteer. We Do Not Judge.
Volunteers
Want to VOLUNTEER? We have so many fun & exciting projects going all the time. Lots of opportunity to learn, help and fulfill those pesky mandatory hours. Email us at info@mainstreetmuseum.org
Land
The Main Street MUSEUM stands in honor of the first inhabitants & our ancestors. We acknowledge the land on which The Museum stands is the original homeland of the Abenaki people & the painful history of genocide & forced removal from this territory. We honor the generations of stewards, & we pay our respects to the many diverse Indigenous peoples still connected to this land.
The White River by Paul Sample
