The mission of the WNMU Museum is to advance understanding of the diverse cultural and artist heritages of Southwest New Mexico and celebrate the history of Western New Mexico University through research, collection, exhibition, and interpretation. The WNMU Museum is committed to creating opportunities for visitors to experience authentic and significant objects firsthand in meaningful contexts while enriching the educational mission of Western New Mexico University.

Western New Mexico University is the museum’s parent institution and has served the people of the state of New Mexico and its surrounding areas as a comprehensive, regional, rural, public coeducational university since 1893 and caters to a student body diverse in age, culture, language and ethnic background.

The Town of Silver City, through a professional service agreement, supports all operations that sustain the museum’s mission in order to enhance tourism and local collaborations and partnerships, and to advance and foster the historic and continuing Town of Silver City and Western New Mexico University relationship.