Spark! Places of Innovation

Smithsonian Museums on Main Street’s Spark! Places of Innovation comes to the Soulé Steam Museum, and you’re invited to experience the creativity and ingenuity that shape communities across America—including right here in Meridian.

Inspired by an exhibition from the Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation, Spark! Places of Innovation explores how people, places, and circumstances inspire innovation in rural communities. Through engaging exhibits, photographs, artifacts, videos, digital stories, and interactive experiences, visitors will discover the unique stories of problem-solvers, creators, and visionaries from towns across the nation.

The exhibition also highlights Meridian’s own legacy of innovation. From the groundbreaking steam-powered machinery of Soulé Steam Feed Works to today’s entrepreneurs, artists, and community leaders, Spark! showcases how innovation continues to drive progress in science, technology, the arts, and everyday life.

Spark! Places of Innovation is presented in Meridian through a partnership between Smithsonian Museums on Main Street, the Mississippi Humanities Council, and the Soulé Steam Museum.