Notes from Town Square: The county museum in GR

When is the last time you visited the great little museum we have right in the heart of our downtown?

Well, if it’s been a while, I suggest that you check it out because they’ve recently expanded their gift shop and have some terrific new items like charming children’s books, toys, unique gift cards, jewelry and much more.

The Sweetwater County Historical Museum was established in 1967 and was housed in the basement of the Sweetwater County Courthouse until 2001, when it moved into the historic post office downtown. The Post office building was built in 1930 and was renovated for the museum. The first gift shop opened when they moved on to Main Street.

Brie Blasi, executive director, said the gift shop has history books, rocks, fossils, and other historically relevant yet fun and educational items. The museum also has items made from local artisans and even some enamelware. Blasi said in the future they are looking forward to building a retro-toy collection.

That doesn’t just mean the old toys the baby boomers played with either, retro now includes things from the 70s and 80s too. That sounds fun!

Brie told me that she always wanted to work for a museum because she loves history, and because she grew up in Green River, many of the exhibits are connected to her childhood. After many years away at school and working in other museums around the country Brie returned to Green River to take the position of curator in 2012. Being a curator involves doing research and providing content for the exhibits, which she really enjoys. Now that she is the executive director, and since they have such a small staff, Brie still takes on some of the curator duties but is looking forward to hiring a full-time curator in the coming weeks.

Once the curator is on board, the museum will be creating new, original exhibits, some exhibits will even be off-site. Although the museum is located in Green River, Brie pointed out that it is the Sweetwater County Historical Museum which means they serve the entire county. For instance the New Studio exhibit will be on display at both Western Wyoming Community College campuses in Rock Springs and Green River; and will also be displayed at the community center in Granger. Superior is also working on expanding some of their exhibits.

She said the museum is always looking for ways to better serve the community and that they strive to be a place for civic engagement as well as public education and a place where people can feel closer to their own history. The museum is currently preparing for a history fair for all of the third graders in our school district. It will be an interactive learning experience and will cover the history of Sweetwater County and government and will include a historic walking tour. The gift store is another way the museum contributes to the community. Their lovely shop, with all of its unique products, definitely fills a shopping niche here, and is a wonderful contribution to the character of downtown Green River.