Williams News Logo
Grand Canyon News Logo

Trusted local news leader for Williams AZ and the Grand Canyon

$19 million needed to construct museum<br><br>

The Arizona State Railroad Museum was a project that came to the forefront Aug. 14 when United States Representative Rick Renzi visited Williams for a town hall forum. Renzi is attempting to secure $19 million from Congress for the future expansion of the Arizona State Railroad Museum in Williams.

The cost to construct the museum is $19 million. Construction cannot begin on the facility until enough funds are available to begin, said Al Richmond, president of the ASRM.

Currently, the ASRM is located at the Grand Canyon Railway depot. Richmond designed the museum in 1989 when GCR came to Williams. Housed in the former lunchroom and dining room of the historic depot, the museum is actually in an “embryo stage,” said Richmond.

The new facility will be fashioned after a design of a historic engine roundhouse. The ASRM 106,500-square foot facility will sit on 15 acres of land that was donated by GCR. The value of the land is $3.3 million, said Richmond.

The new museum will be located adjacent to the GCR where the old roundhouse once sat. Centrally located near historic downtown Williams, the railway and museum will compliment one another. Richmond has worked closely with GCR President David Chambers with both the regional rail service and the museum, he said.

“The museum will slow people down and keep them in northern Arizona longer,” Richmond said.

Although initial feasibility studies reflected an average annual visitation of 200,000, Richmond expects visitation to be closer to 400,000. The average visit to the museum will be three hours long. Estimated revenues that will go directly to the economy are $20 million annually based on 200,000 visitors each year. The museum is expected to create 340 jobs in the tourism industry throughout northern Arizona. The museum itself will employ 30 individuals.

Although it is anticipated that the museum will enjoy a positive cash flow, no individual will profit from the venture. Profits will be spent on improving the ASRM and on providing grants for the support of other Arizona museums and cultural projects, Richmond said.

The ASRM will feature a 500-seat auditorium in addition to several meeting rooms along with education and research rooms.

“We will have a convention center centrally located in our historic district that will draw people to our area,” said Donna Eastman-Cochran, president of the Williams-Grand Canyon Chamber of Commerce.

The museum has been endorsed by all of the chambers of commerce from Kingman to Holbrook. The Prescott Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors visited the Williams Chamber Aug. 15. One purpose of the trip was to learn more about the museum. As a result of that visit, Richmond hopes to add the Prescott Chamber to his list of endorsements.

Richmond has received support from the city of Williams, Coconino County Board of Supervisors, the Arizona Office of Tourism, the Arizona Department of Commerce and many other entities. Support from Senators John McCain and Jon Kyl is needed at this time. Richmond urges everyone to write letters of support to the senators on behalf of the ASRM.

“This museum represents not only the history of railroads, but the people who built them and their culture,” said Richmond. “The Chinese played a significant role in the early days of the railroad and Williams. At one point, the Chinese were a predominate presence here. Now there is not one Chinese family here.”

Museum exhibits will also reflect the presence of the 76 railroads that have been located throughout the state. Educational exhibits will illustrate the culture of those who used the railroad in mining, military, manufacturing, tourism, logging, agriculture and ranching.

Potential displays would feature static displays of a variety of steam and diesel locomotives from the Santa Fe, Burlington Northern, Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Southern Pacific and Union Pacific railroads. Static displays of logging steam motive power and rolling stock along with interpretive displays of Santa Fe Railway and GCR’s impact on Grand Canyon National Park. Fred Harvey Company history including history and artifacts pertaining to the area and art exhibits with emphasis on railroad and national park advertising art could also be featured.

Comparative museums to the ARSM include the Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum, California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento, Calif., Kansas Museum of History in Topeka, Kan. and the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg, Penn.

“This is the most dynamic project we have now on the books,” said Cochran.

Contributions from the community have rolled in during the past five years. The most recent funds from the community include the support Richmond received when he co-hosted a barbecue on July 4. That fund-raiser netted $1,000. The Chamber of Commerce hosted a banquet last March that garnered $1,200.

For more information on the museum or to contribute funds, contact the Arizona State Railroad Museum Foundation at 204 W. Railroad Ave. in Williams or phone Richmond at (928)-523-7209.


Donate Report a Typo Contact