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Farmington council reviews concept design for 5,000-square-foot Story of Farmington exhibit
Summary
Design team for the Farmington Museum and Visitors Center presented a concept plan that organizes the new 5,000-square-foot exhibit into four seasonal “zones,” aims to highlight local natural and cultural resources, and will continue through community workshops and review before construction documents are started.
Designers for the Farmington Museum and Visitors Center presented councilors with a concept plan for the 5,000-square-foot Story of Farmington exhibit and asked the council to note next steps as the team collects community input. The design team plans a central hub and four themed zones—spring, summer, fall and winter—to present settlement, paleontology, agriculture and arts stories and to push visitors toward regional destinations.
Why it matters: The museum exhibit is intended to serve both residents and visitors, tie into local school curriculum and regional tourism, and act as a “gateway” interpretive hub that helps boost overnight stays and broader visitation across San Juan County.
Designers from Raish & Peck and museum staff said the concept is at 50 percent of phase 1 (concept and interpretive plan). Peter (principal, Raish & Peck) told the council the firm is “in the middle of concept design” and emphasized the renderings shown are illustrative and will evolve with community feedback. Katie (interpretive planner, Raish & Peck) described the interpretive framework as cyclical time: “Every generation that has come to Farmington has arrived with new hopes. They’ve explored with curiosity and courage.”
The team identified primary and secondary target audiences: local adolescents and intergenerational families (roughly ages 10–12) and regional visitors aged about 35–50 who seek outdoor and cultural experiences. Exhibits under consideration include immersive media, fossil loans and rotating object cases; staff said interpretive panels and interactives are being designed so content can be changed periodically to spotlight different families, cultures and artifacts.
Krista Chapman (museum) explained funding to date: Visit Farmington provided $150,000, CTED contributed $70,000, an approved city allocation provided $30,000, and the project received a $100,000 Destination Forward grant, bringing $350,000 secured for design and early work. Chapman said phase 1 costs are about $223,000 and the team is seeking an additional $443,000 to finish construction documents for phases 2 and 3 so the project can be bid for construction. The design team estimated a potential total construction cost in the range of about $2.5 million to $3.5 million, with the council noting that figure is an early estimate.
Councilors and designers discussed authenticity and review: Katie said the team is balancing archival research with oral histories and will have subject-matter experts review content. The team has reached out to the Navajo Nation Museum and the Southern Ute Cultural Center for review of relevant materials. Krista said the museum will program rotating elements and partner with other local sites—Salmon Ruins, Pioneer Village, the Aztec Museum—to create a broader visitation package.
Next steps: The firm will complete a 50 percent phase‑1 package by the end of the month and a 100 percent phase‑1 deliverable in mid-November, then pursue design phases 2 and 3 if additional funding and grant support are secured. The council and staff encouraged public attendance at the scheduled community workshops the same week.
Less critical/contextual note: Designers emphasized making the exhibit useful for repeat visits through rotating objects and interactive sequences; staff also noted the museum’s programming team will tie deeper educational content to the physical exhibit over time.
