Can’t get to the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.?

The Smithsonian has come to you.

A traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian is currently showing at Homesteader Museum in Powell. Entitled “Crossroads, Change in Rural America,” the exhibit opened April 7 and will be in place until May 6.

Homesteader Museum is the only museum in northern Wyoming to show the exhibit.

“We were chosen in cooperation with the Wyoming Humanities — Think WY series because we have hosted in the past,” said Brandi Wright, executive director.

The Smithsonian brand comes to small town America through Museum on Main Street, a wing of the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service.

“I find that MoMS exhibits bring so much to small communities,” Wright said.  “Crossroads helps  people to understand change within their communities and brings a sense of identity that people of the Big Horn Basin should be proud of. I feel this exhibit truly highlights what ‘rural’ living is about and the changes over time.”

In a sense, the “Crossroads” exhibit tells a story that mirrors the Powell experience.

“It reflects the perseverance of the people who settled the Shoshone Project with their homesteads, as well as the businesses that have thrived and evolved over the years,” Wright said. “It helps a person to think about the changes within the communities due to the national economy, as well as the  creativity of communities pulling together to survive because they choose to live here.”

Interactive panels and kiosks ask thought-provoking questions about change to help the community understand the future of small towns.

Homesteader Museum will host a Saturday open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 30 to show the “Crossroads” exhibit, in addition to regular weekday hours.