In order to better serve the Marquette County community and fulfill its Mission, the Museum has decided to undertake a Capital Campaign to finance the purchase and renovation of a new facility in downtown Marquette. This new museum will allow for the continual growth of the collection and provide a place for community gatherings and state-of-the-art exhibits.

Storage and Display - The current facility is filled to capacity and there is no room for future additions. The limited display areas do not allow most of our treasures to be exhibited. In fact, only 15% of the collection is able to be on display at any given time. Large artifacts must be stored off site.

Another important concern regarding long-term storage of artifacts and archival materials is climate control. The current building lacks appropriate mechanicals to ensure our history will be preserved for generations to come. The new facility will have stable relative humidity and temperature controls, as wells as fire protection equipment.

Mounting a major exhibition each year requires space for construction, painting, matting and other preparations. The furnace room in the basement currently serves this purpose. A clean area with a large work-surface, sinks and ventilation are all essential and will be included in the new facility.

Accessibility - The current building is not in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities act of 1990. Both entrances and movement between galleries require climbing stairs and other obstacles. There is no elevator, ramp or restroom which meets current regulations. These are significant barriers to patrons with mobility issues and those with strollers and small children.

Programming - The current building does not have a gathering space large enough to accommodate a lecture, educational program or demonstration. Most of our programming events must be held at venues away from the museum. There is no outdoor, green space for living history demonstrations or other outdoor activities. We do not have a classroom where school groups can take part in hands-on, history projects. Our individual exhibition galleries are so small that we must divide school groups in half in order to accommodate them. The new building addresses all of these concerns.

Parking - The current building does not have its own parking area. On-street parking is minimal and there is no space for tourists RVs or trailers. Many circle the block, then drive away. School buses must drop off students over a block away. The new facility has a parking lot which can accommodate trailer and RVs and there is a school bus drop-off zone within steps of the entrance.

We believe the move to a larger facility will allow the museum to continue providing the programs and services that have been offered in the past and will also allow many more opportunities to serve the community to arise.

New Facility Design - The project consists of purchasing and renovating the former Marq-Tran bus garage at 145 West Spring Street which will create more exhibit space, a fantastic community reception area, increased parking, outdoor exhibits, an amphitheater, children’s classroom and a dome which will project local history images on an LCD screen.

Budget of Probable Costs:

If you are interested in donating to History on the Move! contact Jon Becker at jbecker08@sbcglobal.net or call 906-226-3571.