Help us understand YOUR American experience.

So, we imagine you are probably thinking: Why is the Smithsonian interested in my story? Well, if it happened in small-town America, we are interested in your story. Our goal is to create an archive of stories that show the excitement, diversity, and creativity that exemplify life in America’s rural communities. One of our programmatic commitments is developing collections and programs to help the public better understand the experience of living in America. Even if it seems mundane to you, these stories fascinate us all!

As this website develops, imagine hundreds of stories, photos, and videos provided by people from all over the nation. The items stored here will give people who call rural America home a place to show everyone what makes each community unique and quintessentially American.