Ellis County Historical Society updates commission on Victoria Museum restoration, requests grant support

Amanda (Ellis County Historical Society) told the Hays City Commission on Feb. 13 that a multi-year restoration of the Victoria museum building is complete and described new gallery, archive, HVAC and accessibility work completed during the project.

Amanda said the exterior brick restoration and interior renovations were finished at a cost notably lower than an earlier 2016 estimate. She listed new features including a four-pipe HVAC system, an elevator, an ADA restroom and new gallery and archive space. "We did it for 1.1," she said, referencing the final project cost compared with prior estimates.

She described volunteer contributions (more than 1,500 volunteer hours reported for the most recent year), upcoming programs including a third annual trivia fundraiser and a summer display partnership with the Smoky Hill Museum, and plans for cataloging and designing permanent exhibits. Amanda said the group has been fundraising and asked the commission to approve a letter of support for a T-Mobile grant to help build permanent displays. A commissioner responded, "I can't imagine we wouldn't," and the request was accepted for staff follow-up; no formal roll-call vote was recorded on the letter of support during the meeting.

Amanda also said the society plans to keep general admission free for at least the coming year while it develops paid or donation-based options and works to broaden funding sources. Commissioners praised the project and volunteer effort and noted the museum's state-level engagement and fundraising successes.