The history museum MUSE Winston-Salem is offering a glimpse of its new facilities as it prepares to open next year. A brick signing and construction preview took place there Thursday.
MUSE, which stands for Museum of Understanding, Storytelling, and Engagement, sits inside the old U.S. Bankruptcy Court building on Liberty Street, just south of Salem Parkway.
Prior to the hardhat tour, Executive Director Mike Wakeford thanked supporters, including representatives from the Winston-Salem African American Archive, South Ward Council Member Vivián Joiner, and Mayor Allen Joines.
Wakeford said now more than ever, people have an appetite for opportunities to come together in shared spaces and learn from each other.
"Chronicling Winston-Salem's past, well and truthfully, requires that we document the whole story," says Wakeford. "MUSE Winston-Salem will continue to lift up stories from every era and every neighborhood, celebratory stories and difficult ones, stories of soaring achievements and innovations, and stories of struggle."
Once completed, there will be a core exhibition with a history of the city told through digital interactives, signature artifacts — like a 1905 horse-drawn fire engine that once doused flames here — and frequently updated story hubs highlighting notable city natives.
MUSE Winston-Salem is expected to open in mid-2026.