A Meeting of the Museums

Museum directors from across Carbon County recently met at the Hanna Basin Museum to share thoughts and ideas about working together.

Museum director Tim Nicklas from The Grand Encampment, Mike Armstrong from Hanna Basin, Sharon Biamon from Medicine Bow, Tina Hill from Rawlins Penitentiary, Dana Davis from Saratoga and Lela Emmons from Savory met at the Hanna Basin Museum met on May 13.

Elk Mountain's director was out of town and could not attend. The Carbon County Museum director did not attend.

Lynda Johnson with Grand Encampment was also present 

As the group got together, ideas were thrown out to get more visitors.

Biamon said stickers were popular.  

Emmons remembered there was a program where a passport could be filled with stickers from the museums around the state. A full passport would win a gift.

"We used to have a book like a passport that we would stamp," Nicklas said. "We still have the stamp."

"That could be resurrected with all the museums participating," Emmons said. "The first step would be to advertise the museums in the county and get locals and visitors interested in getting stamps from all of us."

Davis told the directors she was planning an event at the Platte Valley Community Center in the fall which would center around model trains.

"I went to one in Wisconsin and honestly I didn't expect much, but it was great and very well attended," Davis recounted. "We have a rich railroad culture here so I thought it would be interesting to have a small train show here and tie in history. I am doing it on November 19 and I have found out there are a lot of model train enthusiasts throughout the state and also in Colorado."

Several of the directors were interested in joining the event.

"I have a train robber that is featured at our museum," Hill said. 

"I am going to be advertising soon for it, but I wanted to see if any of the museums wanted to join before I put it out there," Davis said. "Working together makes a lot of sense."

Another area the directors said all the museums could pool their knowledge was making the different grants available as they are discovered.

"To find information on different grants is very time consuming," Davis said. "What I suggest is if a grant looks good for a museum, then it should be sent out by email for all the museums to see."

"The film we just did cost us $16,000. We could not have done it without a grant," Nicklas said. "It was a cultural resource grant that paid for it."

Johnson said the film was 12 minutes long and it covers the museum and its history. It is shown on a 60 inch screen in the main building.

"In the winter, the film is really nice to show, because we don't have the buildings open, but it shows visitors what they can't see," Nicklas said. "It works."   

Davis suggested one big fundraiser for all the museums.

"I know all the businesses get hit up for different fundraisers, so if we could get together and do one big one, then we don't put the stress on businesses so strongly," Davis said. "I have heard this from some businesses already and I have only been on the job for four months."   

 Hill said her museum charging keeps the doors open. During Covid in 2020, the Penitentiary had 10,000 visitors. In 2021 the number was 12,000.

"We are lucky we can charge for our guided tours, because if we didn't, we would not be able to stay open," Hill said. "We are grateful for the support we get from the county and the visitors council but museums struggle on what they are allocated."

Nicklas said museums have the potential to be a driving force of visitors spending money if they are encouraged to visit several instead of just one.

"You can't just look at what is generated by one municipality for tax dollars, because our visitors coming to GEM are not staying in Encampment, they are staying in Saratoga or Rawlins," Nicklas said. "There is a big picture when considering what museums bring to the table for tourism."

"That is why I think if we could promote ourselves as a region it would be beneficial," Emmons said. "If we did the passport and pool our resources to go into different media markets, and have a highlight of each museum, it could become, I can not only go here, but I can go here too."

The directors concurred with Hill that although Carbon County offered tremendous outdoor activities, there were visitors coming through the county that didn't want or have time to go down the river or go snowmobiling.

"There is an elderly population that has the discretionary spending that are looking for a chance to stop at museums and take in the culture," Hill said. "I know when my family traveled across the country, we always stopped at museums."

"Our outdoor activities for tourism could be enhanced by our cultural institutions," Nicklas said. "People come for the outdoors, but also wonder what else can I do while I am here or what can my wife or husband do. Then there are the kids. Quite a lot of families want their kids to see the culture of what our museums have to offer."

The directors agreed signage indicating where some of the museums are located was a battle to get funded.

"Elk Mountain and Hanna Basin are off the beaten track and it has been really hard to get proper signage saying where they are located," Armstrong said. "I have been trying to get a sign in Hanna Basin for almost three years. The town has been great about helping and I think we are making progress, but it has been three years. It is hard to feel that you are being taken seriously as a destination when it takes this long."

Nicklas said he was glad the directors had come together like this.

"I came here because I think we all need to collaborate together," Nicklas said. "There are various ways we can do so, but we aren't going to figure it out in one meeting. I also wanted to see what we can offer each other in ways we can benefit. For instance, I am good at creating displays and would be willing to do a little workshop. I am sure everybody here has an idea where I can benefit. Also this is a good time for us to share what we are doing particularly."

 Hill said she was on the board of Colorado and Wyoming Associations of Museums and she is the Wyoming state rep.

"I have always wanted to talk with you guys and I feel bad we don't talk to each other more," Hill said. "I feel really bad, the Carbon County Museum is only three blocks away from the Pen and we hardly ever talk to each other. There are nine of us and even though we are spread out, we need to talk to each other more."

Davis said she agreed with Hill and Nicklas and hoped the meeting would foster all the museums, telling visitors to see as many of the museums as possible while coming to Carbon County. She offered to help the museums with graphic art projects and websites.

"Together we can be stronger," Davis said. "It just makes sense."

Biamon concurred.

"We should just help each other where we can," Biamon said. "We are all stretched on what we can do individually, so it is great to work together to make it a better experience for our visitors."

Emmons and Armstrong pointed out that coming from small towns without hotels or only one, it was often hard to get the needed attention of some Carbon County boards that helped fund museums. The northern county museums felt this situation acutely. All three museums have directors that are part-time which makes it that much more difficult to fundraise and be aware of all the grants. 

"I really appreciate us all meeting together," Armstrong said. "It helped me a lot."

The directors agreed to meet quarterly and do it at the different museums.

Once the meeting broke up Armstrong took the directors on a tour of the Hanna Basin Museum's three buildings.

The next meeting is scheduled to be held at the Little Snake River Museum.