My wife and I recently visited the Ellis County Museum in Waxahachie. It’s an impressive museum showcasing the county’s history through engaging exhibits, informative displays, unique artifacts, and historic photos. I particularly liked the Interurban and railroad exhibit, and it was fascinating to learn more about the local architecture and notable citizens. They have some remarkable items displayed, and it’s certainly worth a visit if you’re in the area. We enjoyed our time there, staying for about an hour or so.

Nonetheless, it will probably be a while before we return. That’s puzzling—and should be concerning to organizations everywhere—because we like local history and visiting museums, we have family ties to Waxahachie, and we’re there on a fairly regular basis. We should be members there, or at least strong supporters. Yet, this was our first time visiting the museum, and they’ve been open since 1975.

This is a common occurrence for local history museums, one that is frustrating and doesn’t bode well for their future. We also frequently get first-time visitors at the Fielder Museum in Arlington, where I volunteer. These are people who have lived in Arlington for years, have driven by the museum countless times, and never came inside. When they do finally visit, they’re often amazed at what we have displayed: “I had no idea you had this many things here!” “What a wonderful museum!” “So much history!” “This is a gem.” (Those are actual testimonials.) They admit they’ve often wondered about the museum, yet evidently, not enough wonderment to visit. I suppose it’s possible that we’re hiding in plain sight, but we make a strong effort to get the word out.

As hard as it is to get first-time visitors—and it is challenging without a doubt—it’s even tougher to get repeat visitors. Unless you have frequent rotating exhibits, which most small museums don’t, it’s one of those things that once you’ve seen it, well, you’ve basically seen it. The permanent collection, along with storage and administration, often takes up the majority of a small museum’s space. That doesn’t leave much room for new exhibits, leaving less to entice repeat visits. “Stagnant” is not a word you want people to use in describing your space. And museums should be more than a storage unit.

Not only is a museum without visitors a lonely place, it’s unsustainable. Most small museums are likely treading water just to stay afloat and every visitor makes a difference.

While planning our trip to the Ellis County Museum, I playfully remarked to my wife, “It’ll be good to check out the competition.” She asked if I thought they were actual competitors to the Fielder Museum. “Absolutely,” I replied in a more serious tone. Even though we’re essentially on the same team with similar goals and missions, we compete with them (and other museums) for visitors, volunteers, and funding. Museums also face other competition—entertainment, leisure activities, social media, smartphones, and countless others all vie with people’s attention and resources.

While there is camaraderie, local history museums also face challenges, constraints, and competition, the fiercest of which is time. The consequences are dire if attendance drops too low or vital funding gets cut. Without support, these institutions will eventually become relics, just like the artifacts they exhibit. Visit your local history museum soon before it’s too late. Don’t let local history become history.

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Blog post by Jason S. Sullivan, 08-15-25