On Friday, September 9th, The Historic Village in Ocean View celebrated the grand opening and ribbon cutting of the new Coastal Towns Museum located at 40 West Ave, Ocean View, DE.  The event also marked the debut of the new Smithsonian Exhibit, Crossroads, Change in Rural America that is on display at the Hall’s Store Visitor and Education Center (39 Central Ave.)from now until November 12th. Fellow Chamber Members, as well as community members, friends, and family, came out to show their support.

The Coastal Towns Museum features displays of Southeast Sussex County towns (Fenwick Island, Selbyville, South Bethany, Bethany Beach, Millville, Frankford, and Ocean View). The displays tell the story of the region, a place where seafarers, farmers, teachers, and entrepreneurs, work and live alongside tourists and families who have been here for centuries.

The new Smithsonian Exhibit Crossroads: Change in Rural America celebrates local history and this country’s rural roots. The exhibit offers people in small towns across America a chance to look at their histories and highlights the changes that affected their fortunes over the past century. It discusses what happened when America’s rural population became a minority of the country’s population and the ripple effects that occurred.

“Crossroads allows us to reflect on Southeast Sussex County’s history, and present-day status, and fosters much excitement to explore what the future may hold for our communities,” said Dr. Kimberly Grimes, local coordinator. “We want to have conversations about what makes our communities unique and what makes them similar to other areas.”

Funding for the Crossroads exhibit has been provided by a grant from Delaware Humanities Forum, a state program of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Crossroads: Change in Rural America is part of the Museum on Main Street, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and State Humanities Councils across the country. Parking is available at 32 West Ave.

To find out more about the Historic Village in Ocean View, visit the hvov.com.