Board tours museum renovations

Current and former city board members got a sneak peak inside the newly renovated Siloam Springs Museum building during a special tour on Tuesday.

Work on the interior of the building is complete and the museum is starting the process of moving its collections back into the space, according to Katie Rennard, museum board president. Current city board members, including several new board members, were invited so they could see the impact of the project. Former board members, who were serving when the project was approved, also were invited so they could see the results of the partnership between the city and the museum, she said.

"This was a special opportunity for us to recognize the partnership we have with the city," Rennard said.

The museum plans to host a public opening in the spring when the moving process is complete, she said.

The museum has inhabited the former church building on North Maxwell Street since 1972. In December 2017, the city board approved using $371,000 from the sale of the Siloam Springs Memorial Hospital to give the building a makeover. Architect Matt Pearson came up with plans to maximize the facility's space.

On the first floor, the makeover included opening the ceiling and exterior walls, adding a system of interchangeable walls in the middle of the building, and the creation of a classroom, a special exhibit room and public restrooms. A second story office space was added above the ceiling and the basement was updated to create storage space for the museum's archives.

The museum building has been closed since May 2018 for renovations, but museum activities in the community, such as Oktoberfest, have continued.

In the coming months, the city will be putting a new sidewalk in front of the building and a historic garden designed by Dawn Denton will be installed along the south wall, Rennard said.

"It's designed on different decades and what people were growing in their flower beds in those years so it's going to be fabulous," she said.

For more information about the museum and updates on museum activities, visit siloamspringsmuseum.com or follow the Siloam Springs Museum on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.