The American Museum of Straw Art shall exist to foster an understanding of the straw arts in all of its complexities, through various exhibitions of its cultural significance, folklore, history, technique, and shall, therefore, act as an agent of research, preservation and education to insure the survival and continuation of this artistic medium. The museum shall further acquire international examples of straw art that are in keeping with these values. Culture shall remain a key ingredient of the collection and the museum shall create, on a continuing basis, programs that show the straw arts in the context of the peoples who created them.

In 1984 at a conference on the straw arts a concept was born to create a center to preserve and promote the history, technique and folklore of straw craft. By the end of that year it was decided that a museum should be eventually established to create an exhibition space to showcase the straw arts. Additionally, it would house a library of information and research into the history, culture and folklore connected with some aspects of this art medium.

The museum facilities in Long Beach were at first a humble endeavor created through the direct efforts of volunteers and the Board of Directions responsible for the management of the museum. Housed in the historic Bradley building at 7th and Pine the original detail encompassed a collection viewed in four rooms with an additional room for administrative and archival storage.

By 1995 an additional section of the museum was added that was to showcase the culture of the various straw arts. In the original exhibition rooms the five major categories of straw were exhibited in separate sections according to their kind. The culture wing showcased exhibitions from around the world and allowed a view of the duplicity of categories within each culture.

Housed within the wing was a large classroom facility that was to host the programs that began to increase after the museum opened. The Board of Directors had always asserted the concept that this museum was to be both an art and cultural display of the straw arts. This new facility was to play an important part in increasing the space for the "Festival Days" at the museum, which were to showcase a particular culture and its seasonal customs.

In addition to the new facilities and exhibition space in the culture wing the museum saw the final establishment of both a library and research center housed in one of the sections of the original boundaries of the museum.