By Laurie O’Neill — [email protected]
The Concord Museum is “thrilled” to be nominated as one of the 10 best small-town museums in the country, says Lisa Krassner, the museum’s executive director.
USA Today’s “10Best Readers’ Choice Award” program has nominated 20 museums, from which voters will select the top 10.
Says Krassner, “As a community, we take great pride in our history, and with the 250th right around the corner, this is a perfect time to shine a light on our shared past and invite everyone to learn about Concord’s remarkable story.”
Anyone can vote to support the museum’s nomination until Monday, February 10, at noon. Groups of winners are usually revealed a week after voting ends. Nineteen other museums in states including Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, and Wisconsin, are among the nominees for the best small-town museum. There will also be winners in several other museum categories, such as science and children’s.
A panel of experts nominates in each award category, spotlighting destinations nationwide and worldwide, with winners selected by USA Today’s 10Best editors.

Concord Museum stewards one of the largest and most significant collections of objects directly linked to the events of April 19, 1775. These items include the original lantern used as a signal on the night of Paul Revere’s famous midnight ride, muskets, powder horns, flints, and supplies that provide an hour-by-hour account of that momentous day in history.
For the 250th, Krassner says, these rare objects will be on display “like never before,” and the museum will feature “a new, groundbreaking exhibit” titled “Whose Revolution?” which explores the different meanings of revolution for individuals, families, and communities in the years leading up to the conflict.
Last year, the museum received re-accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums, the highest national recognition available to any museum in the U.S. Only 3% of all museums nationwide hold AAM accreditation.
To vote, visit 10best.usatoday.com/awards/travel/best-small-town-museum-2025/.
