Last updated: 4/28/2012
Stearns, Kentucky
Street Address
1 Henderson Street
Stearns, KY 42647
Mailing Address
Post Office Box 452
Stearns, KY 42647

Hours

April:
Thursday - Saturday
9 AM - 4 PM
May thru October:
Tuesday - Saturday
9 AM - 4 PM
Sunday
11 AM - 4 PM
November:
Thursday - Saturday
11 AM - 4 PM
Closed Thanksgiving Day
December thru March: By appointment only.
Annual Christmas Open House: 2nd Saturday of December 12 pm to 4 pm

Admissions

Admission prices are $5.00 for adults, $4.00 for seniors, $3.00 for children, and no charge for children under 5. McCreary County Residents: FREE on Sundays and Half Price Tuesday thru Saturday. Members are always admitted free.

Staff

Amy Combs
phone:
Description

Located in the heart of historic downtown Stearns, KY the McCreary County Museum is housed in the old Stearns Coal and Lumber Company Corporate headquarters that was built in 1907. The Museum was founded in 1988 and we invite everyone to come and explore two floors of local history.

The first floor is filled with historic documents, objects, and photographs pertaining to McCreary County and the Stearns Coal & Lumber Company. The second floor has a replica bedroom and parlor from the early 1930s. In addition to these exciting exhibits we have tried to show the culture and lifestyle of McCreary Countians over the years with social exhibits that include a replica church room, a sporting exhibit and musical exhibit. Our Museum overlooks the town of Stearns which features the Big South Fork Scenic Railway and local craft and gift shops.

Educational Programs
The McCreary County Museum is proud to offer the following Educational resources

Free Memberships to interested McCreary County teachers. Our hopes are that with easy, regular access to our publications, programs, and exhibits that we can assist local teachers with learning resources outside the classroom.
Treasure Hunts for Preschool through Elementary level students. The treasure hunt is an on-site program that engages the student to look at each exhibit in hopes of finding a selected artifact so they can get the treasure.
A Coloring Book that includes 36 pages of local history including sketches of historic sites and artifacts from McCreary County and the Museum. The book is compiled into a fun and educational coloring book for any child.
Guided or Self-Guided Tours of the McCreary County Museum are available to educators and class groups that wish to take advantage of the Museum as a resource. We also encourage educators to contact us via email info@mccrearymuseum.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by phone at 606-376-5730 to request information for group guided tours. We also have Historic Stearns self guided tour information. Please call today for more information! If you are considering bringing a class but want to come in advance to see our location, call and arrange a FREE one-on-one site visit!
Lesson Plans The Museum is proud to offer the following lesson plans that have been prepared by museum supporters: Arts and Humanities Lesson Plan, The Blue Heron Lesson Plan, Social Studies Lesson Plan, Science Lesson Plans, Classifying Rocks Lesson Plan 1, Classifying Rocks Lesson Plan 2, KY Animal Webquest, KY Plants Webquest, Math Lesson Plan
Library
Genealogy

The Museum maintains a genealogy reference library for those interested in tracing their family. Our family file collection contains over 200 files with birth, death and family related articles searchable by last name when visiting the Museum.

Our research collection also consists of over 15,000 employee records that include photos, work cards, transfers, and social security applications that date from 1902 to the 1970’s from the Stearns Coal and Lumber Company. Copies of these records are available for a small copy fee from the Museum.

We also house census records, land records and family books from McCreary, Wayne, Whitley and Pulaski Counties in Kentucky and Scott County Tennessee.

Members also have special access to online genealogy archives such as obituary's, family files, and newletters. If you are interested in becoming a member please select membership from our main menu. Members also receive free research requests.

Access:
Appointment required: No
Services
Membership

Museum Membership exists to help in raising funds for the general operation of the Museum. The Museum is a division of the McCreary County Heritage Foundation, Inc. a 501(c) 3 non-profit corporation. Becoming a member allows you to feel good about helping preserve our history for generations to come.

Become a Volunteer!

You can be a part of the past, the present, and the future by volunteering at the McCreary County Museum. Volunteers learn about local history and serve our visitors in invaluable ways. Recent volunteers have helped in a number of invaluable ways-everything from assistance at the Fourth of July Festival in Stearns to doing general volunteer work at the Museum. General volunteers become familiar with every volunteer position so that they may fill in where ever needed.

Exhibitions
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MUSEUM CONFERENCES

Georgia Association of Museums 2025 Conference

February 5 - 7, 2025

Milledgeville, Georgia

Georgia Association of Museums 2025 Conference

Wednesday, February 5 - Friday, February 7, 2025

Ina Dillard Russell Library Georgia College & State University

Milledgeville, Georgia

Hosted by: Georgia Association of Museums

The Whole Story Is The Meanin

“For the fiction writer himself the whole story is the meaning, because it is an experience, not an abstraction.”― Flannery O'Connor, Mystery and Manners: Occasional Pros

Join us in Milledgeville, Georgia, for the annual Georgia Association of Museums conference as we explore the profound wisdom of Milledgeville author Flannery O'Connor’s words. In a world where narratives intersect and perspectives diverge, this theme invites proposals that delve into the essence of storytelling within museums and cultural institutions. Our work in the museum field requires us to look at stories from as many angles and perspectives as possible so that we might do our best to tell the “whole story.

Through thought-provoking discussions, interactive workshops, and engaging presentations, we will uncover the layers of meaning embedded within every artifact, exhibition, and historical account. Just as O’Connor masterfully crafted narratives that resonate with universal truths, museums hold the power to illuminate the whole story behind many objects, artworks, and cultural phenomena

We will examine how museums can embrace inclusivity, diversity, and authenticity in their storytelling practices. By acknowledging multiple perspectives and amplifying marginalized voices, we can enrich our understanding of the past and present, fostering empathy and connection within our communities.

Small Museum Association 41st Annual Conference 2025

February 17 - 19, 2025

Gaithersburg, Maryland

Small Museum Association 41st Annual Conference 2025

Monday, February 17 - Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center

Gaithersburg, Maryland

Hosted by: Small Museum Association

The annual SMA conference attracts more than 300 museum professionals, board members, and volunteers from a wide variety of small museums. They attend sessions on topics ranging from collections and education to staffing and board issues.

We offer a large Museum Resource Hall and plenty of informal networking opportunities for you to talk with (and get ideas from!) other small museum professionals and volunteers

Theme for 2025: Make It Happen!!!

Is there an exhibit, program, or fundraiser that you've been talking about doing for years? Do you feel stuck because of procrastination, lack of board support, or insufficient funds? It's time to take action

At SMA 2025, small museum professionals will share their tips and tricks of how they made it happen!

2025 California Association of Museums Conference

February 18 - 22, 2025

San Fransico, California

2025 California Association of Museums Conference

Tuesday, February 18 - Saturday, February 22, 2025

San Fransico, California

Hosted by: California Association of Museums

CAM is hard at work planning for the 2025 conference, set to take place from February 18–22, 2025 in San Francisco. We look forward to highlighting best practices and innovative ideas from California's museum community

The California Association of Museums is excited to continue offering in-person programming for 2025. We will not be requiring proof of COVID vaccination/s, but highly encourage vaccination and boosters. For the health and safety of our colleagues, masks are also encouraged (but not required). Capacity and spaces will be thoughtfully considered in the planning of this event.

For more information, please email programs@calmuseums.org.

Virginia Association of Museum's 2025 Annual Conference!

March 15 - 18, 2025

Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Association of Museum's 2025 Annual Conference!

Saturday, March 15 - Tuesday, March 18, 2025

The Inn at Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia

Hosted by: Virginia Association of Museums

2025 Conference Theme: Looking Back to the Future For the past several years, many museums have been deeply involved in planning programs and events to observe the 250th birthday of the United States of America. While this is certainly an occasion to celebrate, this anniversary also forces us as a society to reckon with ongoing inequities and challenges within the US that go back to its inception. As museums ask their audiences to look to the past to understand the present and shape a better future, perhaps now is a good moment in time for Virginia’s museum community to take pause and look back at its own history. We are excited to see you in Blacksburg in March 2025 as we take a moment in our hectic schedules to take pause and visit our diverse pasts. Let’s uncover and share our histories to build a more resilient Virginia museum community.

2025 Am Assoc for State and Local History Annual Conference

September 10 - 13, 2025

Cincinnati, Ohio

2025 Am Assoc for State and Local History Annual Conference

Wednesday, September 10 - Saturday, September 13, 2025

TBD

Cincinnati, Ohio

Hosted by: American Association for State and Local History

The 2025 AASLH Annual Conference, in partnership with Ohio Local History Alliance, will take place as the history field makes the final preparations to kickoff off the 250th commemoration of the founding of the United States.

The 2025 conference theme, inspired by AASLH’s Making History at 250: The Field Guide for Semiquincentennial, is an opportunity to broadly explore one of the guide’s themes, The American Experiment. For many in the American colonies in 1776, independence from Britain represented a “leap into the dark” into an unknown future

We are excited for you to join us in Cincinnati as we encourage discussion about our democracy and civic institutions and how they can help strengthen understanding, inspire action, and reveal ways that all of us can participate in and shape the ongoing American experiment.

For more information, please call 615-320-3203 or email info@aaslh.org.

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