94°F
weather icon Clear

Design for new train museum unveiled

Updated November 3, 2022 - 12:18 pm

Boulder City residents are getting a preview of what the expanded Nevada State Railroad Museum will look like after the state Division of Museums and History unveiled its three-phase plan for a new visitor center, linear park and railroad exhibit display area.

Working in conjunction with State Public Works, LGA Architecture provided renderings of the museum’s expansion.

“We will finally have a building for people to visit,” said museum Director Christopher MacMahon, who said he was looking forward to the expansion.

The new building will have a consolidated area for ticket sales, a museum store, a theater, a multipurpose room that can hold 50 people, passenger loading and unloading and a solid educational space.

“Education is at the heart of our mission,” MacMahon said.

The first phase of the expansion project will be constructing a new visitor center at the corner of Boulder City Parkway and Buchanan Boulevard. A new passenger loading platform for the museum’s interpretive excursion trains will be constructed adjacent to the visitor’s center with access to standard and narrow gauge tracks. Guest parking is included in this construction phase, along with an unloading zone for school buses and group tours.

The city of Boulder City, in conjunction with the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada, will construct an access road with additional parking that will connect the visitor center to Yucca Street and provide access to businesses near the museum.

“The expansion is more than just about the museum, it’s about the way railroads really connect communities together,” MacMahon said. “We are using this as a way to connect to the local community as well.”

The second phase of the museum’s expansion project will be the development of a linear park that runs the length of the museum campus along the lower level adjacent to the new access road. This park will incorporate the museum’s current live-stream interpretative railroad and will add an outdoor amphitheater, a railroad-themed children’s playground, leisure areas and additional restroom facilities.

This phase will also see the construction of the Boulder City Railroad Trail that will connect to the River Mountains Loop Trail near Veterans Memorial Parkway.

“The goal is to create a regional area for all the hikers, bikers and people coming to do outdoor recreation to have,” MacMahon said.

The final phase of the museum expansion will see the construction of an exhibit hall on the east side of the campus adjacent to the visitor center and passenger loading platform. The exhibit hall will contain a standard gauge and narrow gauge track for the indoor display of historic pieces within the museum’s collection.

“We are excited about the addition of an archival storage space which will include a reading room for guests and scholars to review the material,” MacMahon said.

“This gives us the ability to be a truly functional museum in the way that we need to be,” he added. “It will allow us to bring in curatorial staff and educational staff in a way that we can’t currently do.”

The project is slated to be funded through the sale of conservation bonds. The final authorization comes from the Legislature during its next session in February.

“If that authorization comes, we anticipate construction starting sometime in 2024 and opening to the public in early 2026,” MacMahon said.

Contact reporter Anisa Buttar at abuttar@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9401.

MOST READ
LISTEN TO THE TOP FIVE HERE
THE LATEST
Search for Central Market tenant continues

It’s been just short of two months since of a trio of friends, who are also longtime local property and business owners, made an announcement that piqued the interest of many in Boulder City.

About 83% of students feel safe at BC schools

Councilwoman Sherri Jorgensen was full of praise regarding a recent all-schools event at the high school.

Local aid groups get fed grant funding

The city has approved disbursement of almost $255,000 in federally-supplied community development block grant (CDBG) funds to three local entities: the Senior Center, Emergency Aid and Lend A Hand.

Planning commission approves Tract 350 variance request

Toll Brothers bettered their record in front of the planning commission to 2-1 last month when the developer got approval for a variance request related to the width of lots in Tract 350.

Kicking Off the New Year

Boulder City High School held its traditional back-to-school assembly this past Friday. School spirit and enthusiasm filled the gym as classes competed against one another to hold the coveted Spirit Stick. Aside from games, members of the fall sports teams performed to songs.

BC Electric’s Medo makes accusations about e-bike/scooter law

While the great majority of public comment surrounding the issues of unsafe usage — often by juveniles — of e-bikes and electric scooters was firmly on the side of the city “doing something,” not everyone is onboard.

So where does that RDA money come from?

It wasn’t all about donuts or whether super bright pink is an appropriate color for a building in the historic district. In addition to donuts it was about, well, dollars.

King to participate in essay contest

Last week, it was announced that fourth graders throughout the state are invited to participate in an essay contest, with the winner receiving the honor of lighting the 2025 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree in Washington, D.C.

Really better buy that helmet

With a couple of significant amendments, the city council voted unanimously to pass an ordinance regulating the use of e-bikes and e-scooters in Boulder City. The ordinance passed unanimously Tuesday and will take effect on Sept. 18.