County Museum Seeks to Expand Into Cedar Park

The Williamson County Museum wants people to knows exactly what it is.

Established nearly 20 years ago to give residents a chance to learn about the history of the county, confusion about the museum is prompting it to explore expansion opportunities in cities such as Cedar Park and Round Rock.

Because of the museum’s Georgetown location, people often think the museum is just for that city, but in reality it’s for everyone in the county. To combat this misconception, Executive Director Mickie Ross wants to bring the museum to different countywide locations, reported Community Impact Newspaper.

““That was my initial goal when I became director, to eventually have a Williamson Museum affiliate or building or store-front in every community,” she told the newspaper. “But we are very much seen as just a Georgetown museum, and that creates a lot of difficulty.”

The museum is now in talks with the cities of Cedar Park and Round Rock. Ross expects that she will be able to find an expansion location in Round Rock in the next few years and plans to display historic facts about the county in every Williamson County city in the next five years, Ross told Community Impact.

Ross also has a backer in County Commissioner Valerie Covey, who has encouraged her to see if cities will help the museum expand.

“Hopefully there will be some discussion with those cities to participate financially with employees and space,” Covey told Community Impact.

One of the largest obstacles in expansion is the museum’s staff. The museum currently only has one full-time employee who is helped by two people who work part-time. If the museum expands, every new location would need to be staffed, which would be a large cost.

“As a county museum the story belongs to everyone in Williamson County,” Ross said. “We have a fascinating history here, and we are just looking for more ways to share that story.”