If you haven’t made it up to the Rossland Museum this year, there isn’t much time left. The museum will close for the season on Sunday (Sept. 18).
This year hasn’t been the busiest for the museum and the reason for that can be put mostly on the absence of the mine tour
“With the mine tour not running, it’s been slow,” Joyce Austin, manager at the museum, said, adding that though the mine tour isn’t operating right now, they do offer a guided sight tour.”
The mine tour is closed due to work being done on the property.
“Teck owns the tunnel and the lease for the tunnel is held by the city,” she said.
“They’re redoing their heritage property. So the city is negotiating with Teck to reopen the tunnel.”
Ausitn hopes that next the mine tour will be back on its feet.
She said that, though the tunnel being closed directly affects the museum, tourism was lower generally this year.
This year, the museum acquired some new items.
“We have a new Red Mountain chair lift display on the upper grounds,” she said. “We’ve done some display changes in the museum itself. We’re working on new displays for next year.”
These new displays includes a heritage garden display on the upper grounds.
“It will be set up like a heritage garden would have been at the turn of the century,” she said. “Mostly shrub, flowers, herbs, no vegetables or produce or anything.”
They will also be doing a farming and gardening display in the museum for 2012.
“We’re hoping to be open a bit during the winter, we’re not sure of the dates yet,” she she said, adding that the museum will be open for the long weekend in May.
“That’s usually when we open for the season.”