Frontier Texas celebrated its 20th anniversary in April 2024, and the museum is busy preparing to serve the next generation through a facility and expansion project. The staff and board of directors have spent years planning and waiting for the right time to expand the facilities to better serve the educational goals of the students, to better host community events, and to better attract tourists and the economic prosperity their money brings. That time is now.
In 2008, the Frontier Texas board of directors created a committee to evaluate facility needs to better serve its mission. A detailed list of operational and programmatic objectives was developed and refined by museum staff and the board of directors. The culmination of these ideas drove the planning process for the expansion and renovation project.
The expansion includes a new archival space, a temporary exhibit gallery, enclosing a space for an education center, an administrative wing of offices, a new parking lot designed to double the facility’s parking capacity, and an updated entrance and lobby space. These elements are all designed to enhance the visitor experience and provide a platform for lifelong learning.
The enclosure of the current pavilion will provide a space for the education center. This will allow the community to utilize this rental space for events, lectures, and meetings. This will also allow Frontier Texas to reintroduce additional programming for school-aged groups, to continue to encourage lifelong learners.
The redesigned lobby will have a greater capacity as the Cattle Drive Sculpture has been moved outside. This space will also include new inspirational exhibits through a new video wall and ceiling sculpture.
A new archival space will allow us to safely store historical artifacts, documents, photographs, and other objects. This will allow us to curate new exhibits with these items to feature in the temporary exhibit space on a rotational basis.
The administrative wing of offices will give the Frontier Texas staff greater operational capacity, most of the staff members historically have officed in a space not specifically designed or dedicated as an office.
And finally, the addition of the temporary Exhibit Gallery will allow Frontier Texas to curate rotational exhibits to attract community guests and outside visitors to the museum.
The Frontier Texas staff is happy to report that with the support from the community, generous donors, and with passing of the hotel tax referendum, they have officially met their fundraising goal. “We are overwhelmed by the support the community has shown us during this past year for this expansion and renovation project,” said Jeff Salmon, Executive Director of Frontier Texas. “We are incredibly grateful to the community, donors, and to all who played a role in this capital campaign.”
While construction is taking place at the museum, Frontier Texas is committed to staying open to the public as often as construction allows. Stop by the museum, located at 625 N. 1st St. and check out the renovations that have already been completed.
ABOUT FRONTIER TEXAS:
Frontier Texas is an interactive museum experience, where history comes to life. The museum is located at 625 North First Street in downtown Abilene. Call (325)437-2800 or visit www.frontiertexas.com today for more information.
Contributed By Frontier Texas
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