New grant funding will allow the Old Mill & Swedish Heritage Museum in Lindsborg to fund some major projects. The museum has received a $250,000 state grant.

According to the organization, the Kansas Department of Commerce has selected the Lindsborg Old Mill & Swedish Heritage Museum as one of 18 recipients of a SPRINT tourism grant, out of 228 applications.

The museum will receive a quarter-million-dollar grant through the State Park Revitalization and Investment in Notable Tourism (SPRINT) program, which earmarked $30 million to address the effects the COVID-19 pandemic had on the Kansas tourism economy.

At the museum, the staff is still choosing exactly which projects in the original application will be prioritized to be funded with the $250,000, but improvements in security, safety, accessibility, and preservation of museum buildings are top of the list.

Executive Director Lenora Lynam said there are plenty of projects that need work.

“Our total application was in the millions for a long list of important projects, so we won’t be struggling to put this grant to good use right away – as large and as generous as it is,” Lynam said. “We’re tremendously honored and thankful to be selected for this grant. In making some of the hard choices in front of us now, our goal is to prioritize improving the visitor experience and to preserve our historic treasures.”

Projects may include installation of a new museum security system, adding insulation to the museum’s 1904 World’s Fair Swedish Pavilion, upgrading baseboard heating in the 1898 Smoky Valley Roller Mills building to be more efficient, and improving ADA accessibility to museum attractions.

According to a news release from the Kansas Department of Commerce announcing the grants, visitors to Kansas create a total annual economic benefit of $11.2 billion and employ 85,000 citizens, but levels of tourism still haven’t fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels. In awarding the grants, 90% of the funds went to six recipients, with the remaining 10% (or $3 million) going to another dozen institutions, including the Lindsborg Old Mill.

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly said these grant awards were an important investment.

“A thriving tourism sector is critical for the Kansas economy,” Governor Kelly said. “These grants enhance attractions that draw visitors to the state and showcase what makes Kansas a great place to live, work, and raise a family.”