Railroad Museum’s economic impact exceeds $2.7 million in 2013

Just a few years ago, who would have envisioned a derelict and blighted old
railroad yard turned junk yard could be a major community attraction? Like the
little engine that could, the Siouxland Historical Railroad Association
continues to show that once blighted, brownfield properties can be renovated
by passion and persistence, and become an economic hub of activity again
through historic preservation work and heritage tourism programs.

Visitors to the Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District in Sioux City spent
over $1.8 million in the local area and supported over 37 jobs in the
community in 2013, according to a new economic impact report issued by the
Siouxland Historical Railroad Association (SHRA). According to the report,
most visitor spending supports jobs in restaurants, convenience stores, gas
stations, and hotels and motels.

Matt Merk, executive director, reported a record 47,374 people visited the
railroad museum – the Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District – in
2013. “We attracted visitors from across the country and around the world”
said Merk in a statement. “Our biggest visitor base is families with
children. Approximately 73 percent of our visitor parties include a child.
It’s not uncommon for us to see intergenerational families of a child,
parent, and grandparent” adds Merk.

The new economic impact report shows cultural heritage tourism and historic
preservation are significant drivers in the local economy. The $1.8 million
generated by visitor spending added over $131,000 in state and local sales tax
revenues. Combined with indirect spending and the volunteer labor needed to
operate the railroad museum, the railroad museum’s total economic impact
exceeded $2.7 million during 2013.

The economic impact study is conducted through data gathered by visitor
surveys and entered into a visitor spending analysis model developed in 2008
by a graduate student at the University of Nebraska – Omaha. The number of
jobs impacted is calculated by using the peer-reviewed Arts & Economic
Prosperity IV input/output model developed by the Americans for the Arts.

The Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District is located adjacent to the Big
Sioux River and Loess Hills National Scenic Byway in Sioux City’s north
Riverside area along Iowa State Highway 12. Built in 1917-1918, the Milwaukee
Railroad Shops Historic District is one of the largest remaining steam
locomotive-servicing facilities in the Midwest. The 31.5-acre site consists of
a roundhouse with turntable, machine/blacksmith shop building, car/carpenter
shop building, sand drying house with wood sand tower, engineer’s tool shed
and a water closet building. This historic site also contains eighteen other
historical remnants, including foundations of the water tower, boiler house
and coaling tower.