The short answer
- Up to 5 pages, designed for you
- Words drafted for you
- SEO built in from day one
- 10 revision rounds
- Hosting and HTTPS (the padlock)
- Backups and weekly checks
- A/B testing and small edits
- Cancel anytime
Your free 5-page website
Opening hours, address, admission and the story of your place in a few lines.
What is on display, tours, group visits and accessibility notes.
How to request a record, photo or family history help, and what you hold.
Talks, walking tours, school visits and annual events with dates.
Membership, docent roles, donations and a contact form.
What people want from a local history site
Visitors fall into two camps. Some plan a visit and need hours and admission. Others are researchers, students or descendants asking whether you hold a name, a photo or a deed.
- Post hours, address, parking and admission on the homepage.
- Say clearly if you are open by appointment only.
- Explain what is in your archive and how to ask for help.
- Tell school and tour groups how to book.
Short, plain descriptions of your holdings help people decide whether to write in.
What you get free, and what the $30 covers
The build is free for historical societies and museums. It is the same build as our Launch Website, which normally costs $399 one-time: up to 5 pages, designed for you, words drafted from a short consultation, mobile-friendly layout and 10 revision rounds.
The only cost is Website Care at $30/month. It covers hosting, HTTPS (the padlock in the browser), backups, weekly checks, A/B testing and small edits. Recurring plans can be canceled anytime.
Event sign-ups, membership forms and donations can use tools you already have. We add buttons and links to them, and we do not promise any specific integration.
If you need more than 5 pages, we quote it before any work starts. A Monthly SEO add-on from $50/month adds new pages each month, but it is never required.
How people find your collection on Google and in AI assistants
Each site includes clear page titles and descriptions, headings that match searches, structured data (schema), an XML sitemap, fast mobile pages, and your address and hours written the same way everywhere.
Local history searches include:
- historical society near me open today
- history of our town before 1900
- how to research a family who lived here
- free walking tour this weekend
When your pages answer those questions in plain words, AI assistants have something real to quote. No ranking is promised. Our SEO services page covers the optional add-on.
Apply for your free website
Tell us about your group. A real person reviews it and gets back to you, usually within one business day.
Must-haves and pitfalls for history sites
Rights and privacy deserve care. Confirm you own or may share each photo, and think twice before publishing details about living people.
- Credit donors and photographers the way they ask.
- Do not post a full item catalog if no one will keep it updated.
- Write dates and place names the same way on every page.
- Keep volunteer-only notes out of public view.
Volunteers keep these groups running, and we have a page on volunteer sign-up for historical societies.
How to get started
- Fill in the short form on this page.
- A real person reviews it and confirms you are a nonprofit or community group.
- We hold a consultation about your hours, your holdings and your volunteer roles.
- We write the draft site.
- You review it and ask for changes, up to 10 rounds.
- You launch. Small eligible projects can go live in as little as 48 hours.
We work with real people in English and Spanish (se habla espanol). See how it works for the full picture, or browse the free nonprofit websites hub.
More free nonprofit websites
The website build is free for nonprofits, houses of worship and community groups. Website Care at $30/month is required and can be canceled anytime. Sites larger than 5 pages are quoted before any work starts. Updated October 17, 2026.