Wakarusa River Valley
Heritage Museum
716 N 1190 Rd, Lawrence, KS 66047 In Bloomington Park on the west side of Clinton Lake
This is the architect's outdoor rendering of the expansion planned for the Wakarusa River Valley Heritage Museum.
Honoring Our Past,
Building Our Future
Over thirty-six years ago, the Wakarusa River Valley Heritage Museum opened its doors in what was the original milk barn of the J.C. Steele property on the banks of Clinton Lake. In a space of about 700 square feet, the museum managed to share a small but important portion of local history saved from families who were uprooted from the building of Clinton Dam.
Its only expansion in 2012 doubled the museum's space, but now it faces an even greater need to become an accessible facility with walkways, entrances and restrooms that are ADA compliant. The current exhibit space and collections storage area is also inadequate for the number of artifacts and memorabilia that it has and continues to acquire. In addition, the museum's evolution now includes guided tours and presentations, kids' days, small meetings and social events that all require a larger footprint.
This main floor architect rendition shows key improvements for an accessible restroom, a research library, a catering kitchen, a reconfigured reception/office space, an extended exhibit footprint, a presentation and meeting area, an outdoor patio facing scenic Clinton Lake and a retractable canopy over the existing courtyard. (The lower level will include an extended area for collections with appropriate cabinetry and shelving for archiving/preserving.)
The much needed building expansion is a large undertaking for the Clinton Lake Historical Society, but with your help, we can do it! Every dollar amount, no matter how large or small, will help toward making the building accessible to all while preserving and sharing the Wakarusa Valley history for generations to come.