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Historical Society tells Madison County Board museum redesign could bring 10,000 visitors a year
Summary
Representatives of the Madison County Historical Society told the county board the redesigned county museum will be modern, interactive and could attract about 10,000 visitors annually, producing an estimated $400,000–$1 million in local spending, the society said.
Representatives of the Madison County Historical Society addressed the County Board on May 15 to describe plans for a redesigned county museum and the potential local economic impact. Stephen Hansen said the society has created a new professional design with interactive exhibits and has consulted with museum designers including Inland Design and contacts at the St. Louis Art Museum and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum.
Fred Faust, also with the Historical Society, provided the Board with tourism estimates: he said the museum could attract about 10,000 visitors per year and cited Great Rivers and Routes’ estimates that visitors spend an average of $77 per day and overnight visitors $132. Using those figures, Faust said 10,000 visitors would produce a minimum of roughly $400,000 and could generate up to $1 million in annual visitor spending for the area.
Board members received the presentation and placed the society’s materials on file. No county appropriation for the museum was decided at the meeting; society representatives said they expect promotion help from regional tourism groups and plan interactive exhibits to attract school groups and adults.
The Historical Society’s presentation included comparisons to other local museums and referenced professional design work intended to improve accessibility and visitor experience. The society said that since closing the Weir House, it has undertaken a comprehensive redesign and intends to use modern exhibit technology to broaden appeal.
