McPherson Museum

The Museum's mission statement:

McPherson Museum and Arts Foundation preserves and presents for public benefit the historical, cultural and artistic heritage of the McPherson community.

Vision Statement

The new Museum building will represent the essence of McPherson, telling the story of the city and the region through unique, meaningful exhibits; reflecting our approaches to challenges, as well as our accomplishments through innovative and interactive permanent and temporary exhibit areas; protecting the artifacts, art, and documents in our care; serving as a learning center where information is stored and disseminated; providing educational areas with interactive hands-on stations; and continuing to provide on- and off-site educational, literary and cultural programming.

The vision for the new Museum facility is to help residents and visitors appreciate the role that our local history plays in their lives, work, and community by providing activities and experiences the whole family can enjoy, and to provide a place where each guest will come away with an enhanced sense of having learned something of consequence, of having added something new to his or her experience.

The new one-level Museum will be a highly visible and accessible multi-purpose facility, attractive, inviting, and spacious, committed to serving a variety of audiences in many spaces: Resource/Research Center, Family Adventure Center (including the popular train model displays and interactives), meeting rooms, McPherson Exhibit Hall, Theatre, Feature Exhibit Hall, and Art Gallery. A booth in the research room will invite guests to record their stories and take home a digital copy, while the archive maintains a copy for posterity. With so much to do and see, the Museum will be a destination place for local residents and tourists, a must-see stop, a place to be educated and entertained.

Behind the scenes, the Museum will maintain artifacts in state-of-the-art storage facilities, including facilities for large artifacts, small items, textiles, and archival items. Modern, museum-aligned HVAC systems will assure that artifacts and guests are kept at the appropriate temperatures and humidity. A small meeting room, laundry facility, shop for creating new feature exhibits, workrooms and offices will supply the needed spaces on-site for staff, board members, and volunteers to be able to accomplish the needed work.

All possible guests, be they in-community, county, state, or out-of-state visitors, will benefit from the ability to be able to find the Museum easily, access parking, safely traverse the parking lot regardless of physical ability, safely access the facility regardless of physical ability, safely view meaningful exhibits, socialize, comfortably listen to lectures, or partake in other educational offerings. In addition, future community residents and other guests will benefit from the fact that our artifacts will remain in good condition for a longer period of time, making them available to be appreciated for generations to come.

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