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Railway Museum hosts biggest exhibit to date

‘Revelstoke is a Railway Town’ opened at the museum on May 1
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The staff at the Revelstoke Railway Museum: Rowan Hargreaves (trustee), Deanna Feuer (Collections Assistant), Karen Matthews (Manager of Administration), Bradley MacLean (Collections Assistant), Jim Cullen (Executive Director), George Hopkins (President, Revelstoke Heritage Railway Society), Laura VanZant (Curator and Deputy Director). (Josh Piercey/Revelstoke Review)

The Railway Museum is putting visitors on an express line to learning through their biggest exhibit to date.

‘Revelstoke is a Railway Town’ tells the story of Revelstoke’s remarkable railway history and the important roots that shaped the community’s culture as we know it.

According to Laura VanZant, curator at the museum, railway museums usually have a heavy focus on the science and technology of the large locomotives, but through this new exhibit she hoped to put a big focus on how the railway shaped the Revelstoke community and the people in it.

“I think a lot of people don’t necessarily realize how directly linked Revelstoke’s current emphasis on tourism is to the railway,” said VanZant.

“This is a great opportunity to explore those roots.”

An antique bell. (Josh Piercey - Revelstoke Review)
An antique bell. (Josh Piercey - Revelstoke Review)

Jim Cullen, Director of the Revelstoke Railway Museum, echoed VanZant’s thoughts on the exhibit, and emphasized the importance of the railway’s effect on the community as a whole and of teaching tourists and community members alike about the relationship Revelstoke has with the railway.

The exhibit takes the viewer on a tour of the railway’s history from the very beginning to what exists presently. Spanning the entire top-floor gallery, the exhibit encapsulates the story through narrative features, profiles of important figures, historical information and physical pieces of history.

Visitors checking out ‘Revelstoke is a Railway Town’ on June 26. (Josh Piercey - Revelstoke Review)
Visitors checking out ‘Revelstoke is a Railway Town’ on June 26. (Josh Piercey - Revelstoke Review)

‘Revelstoke is a Railway Town’ was developed through the museum’s robust collection of stories and with the work of volunteers who helped share the diverse tales of the railway. The exhibit is geared towards a slightly older audience, but the photos and artifacts make it an engaging experience for the whole family.

A conductors hat on display at the Revelstoke Railway Museum. (Josh Piercey - Revelstoke Review)
A conductors hat on display at the Revelstoke Railway Museum. (Josh Piercey - Revelstoke Review)

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@josh_piercey
josh.piercey@revelstokereview.com

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