History:
The Churchill County Museum and Archives opened its doors on July 4, 1968. Since that time, visitors have marveled at the generous contributions from area residents that comprise the displays, filling almost 10,000 square feet of exhibit space. The Museum's Annex building, opened in 1989, adds another 4,000 square feet.
The Museum is funded by Churchill County, and the exhibits are supported through donations and funds provided by the Churchill County Museum Association, a private, non-profit support group.
The main purpose of the museum is to establish, operate and maintain a public museum. Our mission is to collect, preserve, exhibit and share those artifacts, photographs and documents that serve to illustrate the story of humans and nature in Churchill County.
The understanding of our heritage is basic to an understanding of the world we live in and gives us a better appreciation of our state and country.
The museum has a triple mission to serve. Currently, over 12,000 people visit the museum each year. Many are from Churchill County, but a large majority visit from all fifty states and many foreign countries. One part of this triple mission is to share our county's history with these visitors.
The second part of our mission is to provide local people, adults and children, with programs that enlighten and teach. Special speakers, children's events (see photo below), Association newsletters, changing exhibits and our yearly book, In Focus, serve the community by explaining Churchill County's past.
The last part of our mission is to ensure that our collections of Churchill County artifacts and archival papers are preserved for the future. This means that the museum must continue to employ trained staff that will store, catalog and maintain our collections properly.
The museum's photographic collection alone contains 40,000 photographs! All have been recorded onto the computer, making them easy to use for research and exhibit purposes. The general public is invited to look through the photographs, and copies of most pictures can be purchased through the museum.
