Established in 1974 by the Czech Heritage Foundation, NCSML is dedicated to preserving the past, celebrating the present, and enabling a culturally meaningful future for all ages and backgrounds. In order to carry out its mission and vision, NCSML has four core functions: Exhibits, Library, Outreach and Innovation, and public space. There are five exhibit spaces onsite, one permanent and 4 rotating (2-3 times per year). NCSML also shares exhibits with other museums/cultural organizations. The library offers world-class archives for research, scholarship and genealogical work, and is currently working to digitize a large portion of its archival material. The Library and its services are free and open to the public. Outreach and Innovation is NCSML’s broadest category of activities, and includes school tours, free online curriculum, joint curricular programs with area high schools, programs/lectures onsite and online, podcasts, Czech and Slovak language courses, and the only Czech cooking school in North America. As a public space, NCSML hosts First Free Saturdays for Students, family-focused free event days, an annual Old World Christmas Market, a Heritage Garden, and is one of the most affordable full-service event rental spaces in the region. In a typical year, NCSML hosts 70,000 individuals, many of whom are not local, making Linn County a destination for visitors statewide, nationwide, and from international locations.
