After the remarks, the Visitor Center was opened with a ribbon cutting. Guests filled the new facility to explore exhibits and more.
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More than 785 community members, leaders, railroad enthusiasts and museum supporters gathered Saturday, Sept. 19, to celebrate the grand opening of the Nevada State Railroad Museum, Boulder City’s $25 million Visitor Center, lining up ahead of the ceremony to be among the first to experience the new facility.
The grand opening marked a major milestone for the Nevada Division of Museums and History as its first museum opening in 20 years, while also celebrating the Nevada State Railroad Museum, Boulder City’s 35th anniversary.
The event included remarks from Dan Thielen, Nevada Division of Museums and History administrator; Nevada Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony; U.S. Rep. Dina Titus; Christopher MacMahon, Ph.D., Nevada State Railroad Museum director; and Aiden Jenkins, a young railroad enthusiast who spoke about what trains mean to him and represented the next generation carrying Nevada’s railroad forward.
After the remarks, the Visitor Center was opened with a ribbon cutting. Guests filled the new facility to explore exhibits and interactive experiences, visit the museum store and enjoy train rides departing from the shaded passenger platform.
Also in attendance: Vinson Guthreau, Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources director; Boulder City Mayor Joe Hardy; Boulder City Chamber of Commerce CEO Jill Lagen; Brenda Scolari, Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs director; Friends of the Nevada Southern Railway; and museum representatives, supporters and dozens of volunteers.
The 9,000-square-foot Visitor Center is the museum’s first official visitor center in its 35-year history and includes 3,800 square feet of exhibit space exploring Nevada’s railroad history and technology. The facility also features hands-on exhibits, a museum store, research archive and reading room, multipurpose space, projection map theater, new programming and shaded passenger platform.
The $25 million project was made possible through a Conserve Nevada bond provided by the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The Visitor Center is located at 1000 Boulder City Parkway in Boulder City. For more information, call (702) 486-5952 and visit BoulderRailroadMuseum.org.
