The National Railroad Museum on Sept. 20 will celebrate both 920 Day and the completion of its $17 million Fox River Expansion in a grand opening celebration that includes free train rides, discounted admission, and hands-on activities.
The Fox River Expansion grand opening from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 20, is the culmination of 10 years of planning, study and fundraising to significantly expand the museum’s program, exhibit and operations space at a time when annual student attendance tops 12,000 and total visitors top 100,000 people.
The now-$17 million, 25,000-square-foot expansion along the museum’s east façade is the first phase of that multiphase, multiyear expansion plan. The $15 million original project cost increased to $17 million due to inflation.
Visitors will not only enjoy new exhibits and impressive views of the Fox River, but can learn about where the museum’s future plans, said Jacqueline Frank, National Railroad Museum CEO.
“We’re building this for the community,” Frank said. She later added, “They’ll be the first ones to see the building, the new exhibits.”
Here’s a closer look at what to know about the celebration, what’s included in the expansion, why it’s important and what’s next.
What activities are included in the National Railroad Museum’s 920 Day, Fox River Expansion grand opening celebration?
The $9.20 admission fee will get you a free train ride, tours of the museum’s main exhibit space, the Lenfestey Addition, train rides and education programming during the event. The celebration also will include live music, educational lectures, information booths and demonstrations such as laying track or using a handcar.
Frank said the staff continues to come up with additional immersive experiences, so visitors might get a few surprises when they arrive.
You can find more information on the museum’s Facebook event page.
5 key features of the National Railroad Museum’s new expansion
The components of the Fox River Expansion will fulfill five of the museum’s key needs right now.
What historic exhibits, aka ‘rolling stock,’ will be on display in the Fox River Expansion?
The expansion building’s large exhibit gallery’s four tracks will showcase some of the museum’s most popular and unique pieces of “rolling stock,” as museum staff calls the train engines and cars.
New space will help National Railroad Museum’s financial sustainability
The Fox River Expansion’s main purpose is to create more program and exhibit space for the growing volume of students and visitors it hosts each year. But the weddings, corporate parties, holiday gatherings and community events it hosts also will help fund the museum’s more than $2 million annual operating budget without having to raise admission prices.
“We go out to the community looking for funding to support capital expenses, but we want to be sustainable financially day-to-day,” Frank said. “That funding keeps us operational, helps us keep our ticket prices lower.”
Fox River Expansion the first of 4 phases envisioned for National Railroad Museum over next 20-25 years
The Fox River Expansion offers a hint of a more expansive, engaging museum the staff and board plan to develop over the next 20 to 25 years. The end result would bear little resemblance to the museum you see there now. Here are the next three phases:
Museum staff plan to spend a few years adjusting to the additional space and expected growth that will come with it before taking on any future phases, Frank said.
Contact business reporter Jeff Bollier at (920) 431-8387 or jbollier@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JeffBollier.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Public invited to check out National Railroad Museum’s new Fox River Expansion on 920 Day
Reporting by Jeff Bollier, Green Bay Press-Gazette / Green Bay Press-Gazette
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
