Ribbon Cutting: Mountain Lake Park Historical Association's Ticket Office Museum

The Mountain Lake Park Historical Association is officially reopening the Ticket Office Museum located squarely in the Historic District of Mountain Lake Park. To celebrate the facelift and new exhibition, a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce and The Mayor and Town Council of Mountain Lake Park will take place on Tuesday, August 8, from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM to thank all those who contributed to the renovation and to invite the public to celebrate as well. The museum was reopened in time for the Victorian Chautauqua weekend festival on July 8th & 9th, welcoming over 600 visitors.

The renovation project was made possible through a grant from Mountain Maryland Gateway To The West Heritage Area and Maryland Heritage Areas Authority, funds from The Mayor and Town Council of Mountain Lake Park and Mountain Lake Park Historical Association, and in-kind and cash gifts fromA.D. Naylor & Co., Fitzwater Furniture, Railey Design, The Robinson & Franc Families, Mountain Top Glass & Mirror, Karen Wooddell, Elizabeth & Jeff Gilbert, Mike Hood & Carolyn Henderson,  and Laura & Mark Stutzman. Community Partners Ruth Enlow Library provided research assistance and podcasting training for the audio tours; Garrett County Historical Society provided valuable research and photographs; and Our Town Theatre and St. Mark’s Lutheran Church provided tables for organizing the collection of artifacts during the 6-month period.

Karen Wooddell and Elizabeth Rees Gilbert curated the collection and exhibition. Laura and Mark Stutzman, owners of Eloqui, Inc., undertook the design and installation, and Sallie Stuart assisted in research for new information and authenticated the previous content of the museum. The team worked tirelessly for six months to review the existing collection and stitch together a timeline of the town’s history that would translate into a visual smorgasbord for curious visitors and residents. Docents and Volunteers for the museum project helped to research, write, and produce the two audio tours. They warmly welcomed Victorian Chautauqua visitors, and they will staff the museum most Saturdays through November 11. The schedule for museum openings and Mountain Lake Park Trolley tours will be placed on the www.mlpha.org website.

The ribbon-cutting is open to the public and is an opportunity to see and learn about the history of Mountain Lake Park dating back to 1881. The in-depth display includes historic photographs, documents, books, newspaper reprints, and other cultural artifacts. An original postcard collection, information panels, wall graphics, audio tours for youth and adults, and an interactive monitor with additional information about the town and its people also comprise the collection and its interpretation. While supplies last, there are custom-made collectibles and books for sale that help support the museum.