ONE DOLLAR & A FRESH COAT OF PAINT: Check Out Altoona Historical Society's Museum
historic memorabilia housed within recently renovated building – leased for $1 – reminds locals of city's deep roots
Luc Anthony, photos by Andrea Paulseth |
While the Altoona Historical Society may be purveyors of olden-time memorabilia, its museum has a fresh new coat of paint thanks to recently completed external renovations. The building has housed the organization's materials since 2021 though the building itself dates back to 1972, having initially been used as a recreation center and the second home of the "Fish House" teen center.
Visitors will find memorabilia from the likes of the area's railroads, city schools, and much more. Iverson suggests the museum being on 9th Street – near Altoona City Park and the Cinder City Days parade route – makes for an ideal location.
Board member Vicki Iverson reflected on how the museum came to be – upon arranging a $1 lease with the City of Altoona. “(AHS) had to do some plumbing, repairs, electrical updates... different things that that we had to do to kind of maintain the building,” Iverson said. “The outside of the building was kind of left to the end; that just got done this summer.”
The lease agreement also requires the nonprofit organization to financially cover utilities and the building’s insurance.
City Administrator, Mike Golat, spotlighted those who worked on the latest project. “The Altoona Historical Society is a hard working group of dedicated volunteers that benefits our community by providing residents and visitors a unique opportunity to learn about Altoona's rich history,” Golat said. “The City is very happy to partner with AHS on providing a home for their vast collection of Altoona memorabilia.”
In the future, Iverson hopes for “a new building, even an old building but a bigger building, something that we could display some more things.” In the meantime, its home on 9th Street serves as a physical reminder of the deep history of the community. Iverson said, “When people think about Altoona, or ‘old Altoona,’ they think of this part of Altoona.”
The new museum is located at 506 9th St. W, Altoona. Learn more about the Altoona Historical Society on its official website and keep up with the organization on Facebook.
