Kelly Klobucher | Museum Executive | Cultural Tourism Strategist | Non-Profit Leader

A Muse and The Backyard Tourist Blogs

Museums: A Love Story
Museums Drive the Economy in Pontiac, IL
Artists as Architects of Social Justice

Membership Programs That Work

By Kelly Klobucher Membership programs remain one of the most reliable sources of unrestricted revenue for museums. Yet many organizations still treat memberships as annual fundraising campaigns rather than relationship-building programs. The AAM 2025 National Snapshot reports that four out of five museums operate membership programs, with many seeing stable or increasing participation. Sell Belonging…

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Museum Advocacy Matters Now More Than Ever

By Kelly Klobucher Museums have always told America’s story. Today, they are also finding themselves at the center of it. Across the country, museum leaders are navigating one of the most challenging moments in decades. Financial pressures that began during the pandemic continue to linger. Attendance has not fully recovered for many institutions. Philanthropic dollars…

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Social Media

A Life Worth Remembering ✨ https://www.instagram.com/p/DccORp4lGZw/ Are museum membership programs due for a rethink? If museums don't tell our story, who will? August 16, 1977. At the recent Association of Midwest Museums Conference, a few of us got into a discussion about The American Alliance of Museums' National Snapshot of U.S. Museums. This is more than just another report—it's an opportunity to better understand the museums that educate our communities, preserve our history, drive tourism, and contribute billions to the economy. Can museums help rebuild community trust? What if museums stopped trying to compete with influencers... and started thinking like them? Big Boy just passed through Joliet! Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 is the largest and most powerful operating steam locomotive in the world. Originally built in 1941 to haul heavy freight over steep mountain grades, it was painstakingly restored to active service in 2019 and serves as a massive, traveling ambassador of American railroad history.