Milwaukee Railroad Shops to participate in Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day
5th Annual Museum Day to be held September 26
(Sioux City, IA) - On Saturday, September 26, 2009 the Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District, located in the north Riverside neighborhood of Sioux City, will participate in the fifth annual Museum Day presented by Smithsonian Magazine.
Museum Day is a day when museums and cultural institutions across the country open their doors free of charge to the general public, Smithsonian Magazine readers, and Smithsonian.com visitors. Smithsonian Museum Day is a national celebration of culture, learning, and the dissemination of knowledge. Smithsonian’s Museum Day reflects the spirit of the magazine. Last year, upwards of 200,000 people attended Museum Day, with all 50 states plus Puerto Rico represented by over 900 participating museums. This year, Smithsonian Magazine expects over 1,000 museums to participate in the special day event. The Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District was selected as one of the participating museums.
“We are honored to be part of Smithsonian Magazine’s Museum Day and to have the opportunity to celebrate this event on Saturday, September 26,” said Jon Wagoner, SHRA president. “Our railroad museum project has an ever growing collection of railroad artifacts that are being donated by area residents for future exhibits. Being part of the 2009 Museum Day event helps our organization to increase awareness about the industrial heritage, cultural and educational phases of preserving the Milwaukee Railroad Shops and how the nearly century-old buildings will be utilized to house exhibits and railroad equipment displays.”
The Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District features an excellent collection of historic steam locomotive-era buildings dating from 1917. This historic collection features a restored roundhouse with turntable, machine shop building, carpenter shop, sand drying house, and wood sand tower.
The Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District is home to Sioux City’s Landmark Steam Locomotive, Ironhorse 1355, and a collection of railroad cars and artifacts that represent over 140 years of railroad history in the tri-state area. All most all of the artifacts have been donated by individuals, including former railroad workers and their family members. The Milwaukee Railroad Shops is being developed as an industrial science and history museum focusing on the North American railroad industry.
Visitors to the Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District must present the Smithsonian Magazine’s Admission Card or Coupon for free admission to the Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District. The free admission coupon is downloadable at www.smithsonian.com/museumday. In addition, the free admission coupon is being published twice a week in the Sioux City Journal. Each downloadable card or coupon provides museum access for two people.
Regular Admission to the railroad museum is $4.00 for adults; $3.00 for senior citizens (age 50 and older); $2.00 for children and students (age 6 to 18); and free for children under age 5 accompanied by an adult. A portion of the admission fee that is collected is earmarked for historic preservation work on the buildings, locomotives, rolling stock and artifact that form the railroad museum’s collections and exhibits.
The Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District is located along the Loess Hills National Scenic Byway, State Highway 12, in the north Riverside neighborhood of Sioux City. For more information visit the railroad museums website at MilwaukeeRailroadShops.org or call 712-233-6996.
5th Annual Museum Day to be held September 26
(Sioux City, IA) - On Saturday, September 26, 2009 the Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District, located in the north Riverside neighborhood of Sioux City, will participate in the fifth annual Museum Day presented by Smithsonian Magazine.
Museum Day is a day when museums and cultural institutions across the country open their doors free of charge to the general public, Smithsonian Magazine readers, and Smithsonian.com visitors. Smithsonian Museum Day is a national celebration of culture, learning, and the dissemination of knowledge. Smithsonian’s Museum Day reflects the spirit of the magazine. Last year, upwards of 200,000 people attended Museum Day, with all 50 states plus Puerto Rico represented by over 900 participating museums. This year, Smithsonian Magazine expects over 1,000 museums to participate in the special day event. The Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District was selected as one of the participating museums.
“We are honored to be part of Smithsonian Magazine’s Museum Day and to have the opportunity to celebrate this event on Saturday, September 26,” said Jon Wagoner, SHRA president. “Our railroad museum project has an ever growing collection of railroad artifacts that are being donated by area residents for future exhibits. Being part of the 2009 Museum Day event helps our organization to increase awareness about the industrial heritage, cultural and educational phases of preserving the Milwaukee Railroad Shops and how the nearly century-old buildings will be utilized to house exhibits and railroad equipment displays.”
The Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District features an excellent collection of historic steam locomotive-era buildings dating from 1917. This historic collection features a restored roundhouse with turntable, machine shop building, carpenter shop, sand drying house, and wood sand tower.
The Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District is home to Sioux City’s Landmark Steam Locomotive, Ironhorse 1355, and a collection of railroad cars and artifacts that represent over 140 years of railroad history in the tri-state area. All most all of the artifacts have been donated by individuals, including former railroad workers and their family members. The Milwaukee Railroad Shops is being developed as an industrial science and history museum focusing on the North American railroad industry.
Visitors to the Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District must present the Smithsonian Magazine’s Admission Card or Coupon for free admission to the Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District. The free admission coupon is downloadable at www.smithsonian.com/museumday. In addition, the free admission coupon is being published twice a week in the Sioux City Journal. Each downloadable card or coupon provides museum access for two people.
Regular Admission to the railroad museum is $4.00 for adults; $3.00 for senior citizens (age 50 and older); $2.00 for children and students (age 6 to 18); and free for children under age 5 accompanied by an adult. A portion of the admission fee that is collected is earmarked for historic preservation work on the buildings, locomotives, rolling stock and artifact that form the railroad museum’s collections and exhibits.
The Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District is located along the Loess Hills National Scenic Byway, State Highway 12, in the north Riverside neighborhood of Sioux City. For more information visit the railroad museums website at MilwaukeeRailroadShops.org or call 712-233-6996.
