Park City Museum named Utah’s only Smithsonian Affiliate

Park City Museum is now the first and only Smithsonian Affiliate in Utah. Photo: Park City Museum.

PARK CITY, Utah — The Park City Historical Society & Museum has been designated a Smithsonian Affiliate, becoming the only museum in Utah to join the national program.

As a Smithsonian Affiliate, the Park City Museum joins a network of more than 200 museums and cultural institutions nationwide that collaborate with the Smithsonian Institution to share resources, expertise and programming. The affiliation is expected to expand the museum’s ability to bring nationally recognized content and storytelling to Park City and communities across Utah.

“We are pleased to have the Park City Museum as our newest Smithsonian Affiliate – our only Affiliate in the state of Utah,” said Kara Blond, director of the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and Smithsonian Affiliations. “We are grateful to the staff and leadership of our newest collaborator for sharing their expertise with us as we begin this important relationship. The Park City Museum’s deep connections with communities allow people to connect with Smithsonian resources and programs closer to home.”

The designation will also lead to enhanced membership benefits, with updated offerings scheduled to launch later this year. According to the museum, these benefits will reflect the national scope of its Smithsonian Affiliate status and include expanded reciprocal access to other Affiliate institutions, as well as new Smithsonian-developed programs offered both in person and virtually.

“The Park City Historical Society & Museum is honored to become Utah’s only Smithsonian Affiliate partner, opening the door to new educational and professional collaborations for our staff, and providing Smithsonian Affiliate Reciprocal Membership benefits for our members across the national network,” said Randy Scott, past board president.

Museum leaders said the partnership represents the culmination of a long-term strategic planning goal and follows a rigorous application process. The affiliation recognizes years of growth and collaboration focused on preservation, education and community engagement.

“I am incredibly proud of this recognition and the tremendous effort our staff committed to making this Affiliation a reality. Our Board of Trustees realized the significant opportunity we had to represent Utah within the Smithsonian network and prioritized this goal within our current strategic plan. Goal accomplished!” said Morgan Pierce, executive director of the Park City Historical Society.

“Our new collaboration with the Smithsonian is a two-way street, and we look forward to sharing Park City’s collections and expertise nationally, both within the Smithsonian Affiliate network and with our new Smithsonian colleagues,” Pierce said.

“We must also acknowledge this triumph could not have been achieved without the commitment of so many individuals in our forty-plus year history who grew this organization into the community treasure we hold dear today and has now received national acclaim.”

Established in 1981, the Park City Historical Society works to preserve, protect and promote Park City’s history through multiple initiatives. The Park City Museum, located on Main Street in Old Town, chronicles the area’s evolution from a mining town to a world-renowned ski destination and is open daily. The organization also oversees the Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History, which works to preserve historic mining structures, and maintains Glenwood Cemetery, established in 1885 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

More information is available at parkcityhistory.org.