Carol Durham, curator of the Marion County Historical Society Museum, presented her vision for the museum to the Board of Supervisors Monday.
The museum, which is located in one part of a former train depot, is now expanding to include the entire building, she said. She presented a slide show of things that are in the works, including the Marion County Vietnam Veteran Exhibit that will open Nov. 1.
The added space, Durham said, would allow more room to have special exhibits and also for storage.
Her goal, she told the board, is to have three special exhibits a year. The historical society recently received approval to host the Smithsonian Exhibit “Crossroads,” which will be sometime next year, and she is also working on a railroad exhibit for the upcoming year.
Another vision she presented was creating a 28-foot mural displaying the history of Marion County.
“Most people do not have an idea of how much history is right here in our county,” she said. “Our city is the fourth-oldest city in the state.”
Durham has been working and developing ideas that utilize every inch of the building including the windows. The windows will be covered with different scenes to further enhance each of the displays. One of the things she is hoping to get, she said to the board, is a real caboose.
Becoming more interactive is also something she is trying for, to make it more interesting for children. Along those lines she is considering placing a sandbox behind the building and burying arrowheads to allow children to dig for them. She said a lot of times when it is interactive the children will be more interested in learning.
Board President Terry Broome said he is very excited about the direction of the museum.
