FAIRFIELD $ The L.C. Bates Museum of Natural History and Culture in Hinckley is scheduled to get a $46,053 grant to help the museum meet the needs of the communities it serves.

U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud on Friday announced that the Museums for America Grant was issued by the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences. Museums for America is the largest grant program offered by the Institute, and there were 371 applicants this year, according to Michaud.

L.C. Bates is located at Good Will-Hinckley School and offers many natural history and Maine history programs. The facility also features exhibits on Americana, art, archaeology, minerals, ethnology and other topics.