Tyrone Historical Society Museum President Bob Dollar looks among the railroad artifacts to be moved to the expansion.
Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski
TYRONE — A long-sought addition to the Tyrone History Museum is underway, promising an expanded space to display its collection of over 14,000 artifacts.
According to Tyrone Historical Society President Bob Dollar, who also serves on the Tyrone Borough Council, the extra 700 square feet that will be added to the current building on Pennsylvania Avenue in Tyrone will represent a substantial upgrade to the facility.
Council approved the initial plan to use $218,000 of enrichment fund capital from the 15-turbine wind farm on borough property about four years ago, Dollar said, but planning hurdles delayed the final project approval to April 2025.
Construction, done by Maines Construction & Design LLC, began in early June, and is set for completion on Sept. 1 if everything goes according to plan, he said.
Dollar said he intends to use every single inch to display more artifacts that are currently sitting in storage.
Andy Alley (left) and Rich Phillips of Maines Construction and Design, Tyrone, work on the Tyrone Historical Society Museum expansion on Wednesday.
Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski
Roughly half of the current space is devoted to storing the collection, much of which has not been on public display in years.
Currently, the museum displays mostly railroad and military items, but Dollar hopes to show an expanded selection of materials, including artifacts from day-to-day life in historic Tyrone.
In March, Dollar built a suspended model train track that hangs around the interior perimeter of the museum, which is one of the ways he has worked to improve the museum during his seven-year tenure.
The museum is a point of pride for local residents and elected officials, according to Borough Council Vice President David Snyder, so the council is happy to support the ongoing construction project.
Like many of its Blair County neighbors, Tyrone has benefited from close ties to the rail industry for generations, Snyder said.
Tyrone Historical Society Museum president Bob Dollar looks among the railroad artifacts stuck on shelves that are set to be hung in the hallway at the museum’s expansion.
Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski
That beneficial relationship continues through to the current day.
The museum draws hundreds of rail fans to Tyrone annually, Snyder said, bringing an influx of much-needed tourist spending to its downtown businesses.
An expanded museum is likely to increase attendance and cash flow, which is “phenomenal news for us,” he said.
“It’s a lifeline for Tyrone,” Snyder said, adding that he hopes the upgraded museum will put the town on more peoples’ radar.
Rail fans are a vibrant subculture in the region, he said, so council is considering a number of ways to invest in rail-themed experiences in the borough over the coming years.
The Tyrone Historical Society Museum is undergoing expansion by Maines Construction and Design of Tyrone.
Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski
“This is phase one,” Snyder said.
Mirror Staff Writer Conner Goetz is at 814-946-7535.
Tyrone Historical Society Museum President Bob Dollar looks among the railroad artifacts stuck on shelves that are to be hung in the hallway at the expansion.
Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski
Tyrone Historical Society Museum President Bob Dollar looks among the railroad artifacts to be moved to the expansion.
Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski
