As Site Director for the Museum of York County and Main Street Children’s Museum, Sarah Lewis is creating more welcoming, engaging, and accessible spaces for families throughout York County. Through thoughtful leadership, innovative partnerships, and a deep commitment to public service, she is helping ensure that museums remain places where everyone has the opportunity to learn, explore, and connect.

In her role, Sarah oversees operations across multiple sites, supervises a team of 25 staff members, and leads strategic initiatives designed to strengthen the visitor experience and expand access to educational opportunities. Her work ranges from securing grant funding and developing new exhibits to improving outdoor learning spaces and creating policies that remove barriers to museum participation.

One of Sarah’s most significant recent accomplishments began with a vision for a more engaging early learner space at the Museum of York County. In 2024, she led the application and grant-writing process that resulted in a $64,000 award from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Sarah continues to manage the grant and collaborate with the museum’s exhibits and education teams to develop a new experience that will encourage young children and their families to explore the natural world while expanding educational programming for children under age six.

Accessibility has also been a defining focus of Sarah’s leadership. She has championed initiatives ranging from sensory kits and KultureCity certification to the implementation of Museums for All, a program that helps make museum admission more financially accessible. She later expanded that effort to include Nurse-Family Partnership families and their nurses. Most recently, Sarah drafted a policy allowing reduced or waived admission fees for nonprofit organizations serving underserved audiences. Implemented in March 2026, the policy is helping open the museum’s doors to individuals and families who may not otherwise have the opportunity to visit.

Sarah is equally committed to creating engaging learning experiences beyond the museum walls. She has successfully secured funding and overseen projects to enhance the Museum of York County’s educational gardens and grounds. A recent project combines grant funding with an anonymous donation to bring five interactive musical instrument sculptures to the property alongside a new pollinator garden developed in partnership with the South Carolina Wildlife Federation.

Her leadership extends well beyond York County. Sarah is a member of the American Alliance of Museums and served a three-year term on its content advisory committee from 2023 through 2025, working alongside museum professionals from across the country to help select programming for the organization’s annual national conference. She regularly engages with Smithsonian Affiliates and the Association of Children’s Museums, serves as the primary contact for the South Carolina Alliance of Children’s Museums, and has served as a grant reviewer for the Institute of Museum and Library Services since 2025.

Since 2023, Sarah has served as a ChristmasVille team leader for Santa’s Main Street Workshop, a collection of free children’s crafts and activities that brings local nonprofit organizations together along Main Street during the festival. In recognition of her dedication to the festival and the community, Sarah was named one of ChristmasVille’s Volunteers of the Year in 2025.

Whether she is developing a new educational experience, removing barriers to museum access, creating opportunities for families to connect with nature, or volunteering in the community, Sarah’s work is grounded in a belief that learning and cultural experiences should be available to everyone. Through her commitment to service, she is strengthening York County’s cultural institutions while creating opportunities for more people to discover, learn, and belong.