Why Your Museum Needs a Story People Can Repeat

Jul 17

Most museums have a mission statement, a vision statement, and a strategic plan. But when a visitor leaves your museum and tells a friend about their experience, what do they actually say?

That’s the power of a clear, compelling story.

Your museum’s story is what connects the dots between your work and your visitors’ lives. It’s not a formal statement that lives in a grant proposal. It’s the emotional through-line that shows up in your tours, your signage, your social media, and your conversations at community events.

And most importantly? It’s what people repeat when you’re not in the room.

The Problem with Fuzzy Stories

When your museum’s story isn’t clear, people fill in the blanks, or worse, they forget you altogether. Maybe you’ve heard:

“I thought your museum was only for kids.”
“We didn’t know you had rotating exhibits.”
“I didn’t realize you were open year-round.”

This isn’t a marketing problem—it’s a clarity problem. Marketing can only amplify what’s already there. If your core story isn’t clear, consistent, and repeatable, no amount of social media posts or beautiful brochures will fix that. Visitors remember how you made them feel. If your message is scattered or confusing, they’ll either make assumptions or forget what makes your museum special. Clarity, Consistency, and Confidence are the foundation which good public relations is built.

If your team members give different "elevator pitches," your homepage has competing messages, or your audience keeps missing key parts of what you offer, it’s time to step back and define the story you want to be known for.

A Repeatable Story Creates Connection

The best museum stories are ones that are repeatable. They make people feel something. And they stick.

Your story should be:

Clear enough that anyone on your staff could easily explain it
Emotional enough that a visitor could tell a friend about it
Flexible enough to show up in different places: your website, your welcome script, your media pitches, and your gift shop signage

Here’s what a visitor might say if they know your story:

“It’s the museum that helps you understand the place you live.”
“They’re all about connecting the next generation with our town’s history.”
“It’s where local kids learn about the past through hands-on exhibits and storytelling.”
“That’s the museum with the incredible folk art collection and the friendliest staff.”
“They always have something new, and it feels like they really care about the community.”

When you define your story with intention, you make it easier for visitors, donors, staff, and media to understand what makes your museum meaningful.

Questions to Spark Your Story

Elements of your mission, vision, and values can be a part of your story. The key difference is in the language. A mission statement is usually more serious, structured, and formal. It's designed for grant proposals or strategic plans. Your story, on the other hand, can be more poetic, conversational, and emotionally resonant. It’s meant to stick with visitors and be easy to repeat.

If you’re not sure where to begin, try reflecting on these:

What do we want to be known for in our community?
If a visitor tells a friend about us tomorrow, what do we hope they say?
What stories from our staff, collection, or visitors illustrate what we stand for?

These questions aren’t just about marketing, they’re about identity.

And once you’re clear on that, everything else starts to click.

A Few Of My Favorite Examples

I love the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum’s brand story. Head to their website and watch the one-minute video on the homepage about halfway down.
Baltimore Museum of Art lays out their whole brand for their audience and tells the story behind it. Very cool!
The London Museum does a great job explaining its process in this blog post.