All aboard: Visitor center opens

On the same day the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Boulder City celebrated its 35th anniversary, it received a very special gift to honor that milestone.

Saturday, hundreds turned out for the grand opening of the museum’s new 9,000-square-foot visitor center.

Dan Thielen, administrator for the Nevada Division of Museums and History, was one of several guest speakers, which also included Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony, Congresswoman Dina Titus, and Christopher MacMahon, director of the Nevada State Railroad Museum, Boulder City.

“We are absolutely delighted to have you here to celebrate this remarkable milestone,” Thielen said. “There are many people who helped turn this dream into a reality. We believe museums bring beauty, value, stability and heritage to our communities.”

Anthony, who is chair of the Nevada Tourism Commission, has made a point to visit numerous cultural institutions throughout the state, to the point that Thielen joked that he’s earned enough museum points for a tote bag.

“I thought there’d be 10 or 15 people showing up today,” said Anthony. “Obviously trains and railroads are alive and well here in Nevada. This is the opening of a new chapter in how we tell the story of Nevada.

“Our state has always been a place where people come to experience something they cannot find anywhere else. From the bright lights of Las Vegas to the beauty of our rural communities, to our historic sites and museums and arts and cultural attractions, it gives visitors another reason to stay a little longer and gives them a story to take home with them.”

The visitor center includes a variety of exhibits including how railroads helped facilitate mining booms in Nevada, examines the railroads that built Hoover Dam and investigates the top-secret Jackass & Western Railroad that operated at the Nevada Test Site. There’s also a museum store, a bus loading/unloading area, a welcome plaza and a railroad passenger loading area with tracks on either side.

The visitor center project comes with a price tag of $23 million and was paid for by Conserve Nevada Bonds. A future exhibit hall on the property is estimated at approximately $88 million.

Titus, whose district includes Boulder City, praised the efforts of the many who have been discussing the visitor center for years and have now seen it come to fruition.

“This is a project that brings together national money, state efforts, local endeavors and the work of volunteers,” she said. “It truly is one that everybody has cooperated on and will now get to enjoy the benefit of. This railroad museum and visitor center will not just welcome tourists to Boulder City but it will help children learn about the history of our state and the role railroads played throughout that history.”

Much praise was given by the guest speakers to Boulder City Chamber of Commerce CEO Jill Rowland Lagan for the work she’s done to assist in making the visitor center become a reality.

After the ceremony, Rowland Lagan said she appreciated that acknowledgement and added, “This museum represents all the good that comes from a dream, collaboration, determination, patience, and involvement. There were so many hands and hearts that were needed to see this all come to fruition. Now, it is here for all of us and our guests to enjoy as one of Southern Nevada’s premier regional tourism attractions.”

Following the ribbon cutting, and while looking at the various displays, Anthony stopped to talk about Nevada’s ongoing desire to diversify its economy. While gaming will also be the king of the hill, he said outdoor tourism is gaining ground.

“When people think of Nevada, they don’t even think of Nevada, they automatically think of Las Vegas,” he told the Review. “Let’s face it, Las Vegas is the capital of the world when it comes to gaming, entertainment and restaurants and now we’re the sports capital of the world. That is a huge part of our economy. Las Vegas and Nevada are alive and well, but it’s my job as chairman of the Nevada Tourism Commission to try and get people out into the rest of Nevada.”

The following day, MacMahon was asked about his thoughts on how things went at the official opening.

“We had nearly 1,000 guests over the course of the day, which shows just how much the community cares about cultural institutions like ours,” he said. “We wish to thank all those who joined us for the ribbon cutting and we hope the excitement helps advance the next phases of the master plan.”

A previous version of this story misstated the size of the visitor center.