Volunteers revive Wichita Falls Railroad Museum for reopening

The Wichita Falls Railroad Museum originally opened in 1980 and was moved around until it finally landed in Wichita Falls in the 1990s. This is largely due to the efforts of the Heritage Society. Not long after that, they obtained the notable steam engine that stands out amongst an already impressive collection of engines and cars. However, not even the steam engine was enough to prevent the museum from closing. 

After being closed for four years, the single wooden structure and the various cars were left to rot and accumulate dust until a group of community members came together to breathe life back into the museum. A board was established, led by President Janet (Jan) Saville to save the structures, even if it meant doing all the work themselves. With the help of board members like Patricia (Patty) Christensen, they were able to do the majority of repairs, cleaning, and covering costs themselves. Currently, the board has only six members and the museum is a 501(c)3 nonprofit.

When the board initially began their work, COVID hit, putting a pause on their efforts. They resumed work as quickly as they could once the pandemic ended. Overall, they had to clean up graffiti, address pests, and remove years of grime to even make the place safe enough to do repairs.

“My initial goal whenever this became a thing was I just wanted to make downtown better — to improve the downtown experience. Our downtown is adorable but it’s struggling. It seems things start happening and then things start fading away, so I do believe that this is a family friendly kind of thing that’s going to benefit all of Wichita Falls,” Saville said.

Saville said she believes the time, effort, and money they’ve poured into the museum is worth it because it’s a part of Wichita Falls history. She explained that part of what makes Wichita Falls history intriguing is its ties to cowboy culture and the oil boom, and trains were a large part of that. She pointed out that the number of people who moved to the community during the oil boom was only possible because of trains. She added that Texas played a significant role in U.S. history so any opportunity to preserve that, she believes should be taken. 

Saville is an overall advocate for historic preservation. In addition to her role as Board President, she also owns “Hello Again”, a consignment shop attached to the Littlest Skyscraper. She said that being a business owner downtown and being so invested in the city’s history, she wants the downtown area to be successful and hopes that family-friendly attractions that the community can be proud of, such as the Railroad Museum, can help revive it. Christensen, on the other hand, is new to the Wichita Falls community and is using her role on the board to learn more about its history and immerse herself in the community.

“I want my community to grow and prosper, and history is, of course, a part of that,” Christensen said. “For me, I want to be a part of a city that has that history.”

Having done much of the work to repair the museum’s relics with only a couple small grants to help, the board had to borrow money from the city to cover insurance and electricity costs. Now they’re looking to demonstrate how worthy an investment it was, and begin earning money back. Though several of the cars still need work, which will take time, many of the museum’s attractions have been prepared for public viewing. 

The Railroad Museum will be holding a soft opening June 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to display all the hard work they’ve put in so far. Admission will be $5 for adults, $3 for military members, students, and seniors, $2 for children, and free for children three and under. This will serve as a sneak peek at what the museum has to offer and will feature a tour of the renovated cars, food vendors, and an appearance from the Mayor. The board hopes that this event will remind the community of the museum’s value in preserving Wichita Falls history.

“Are we really ready to open? There’s a lot I’d like to have done before we open, but I don’t think people want to donate money so we can have electricity, but they might want to donate money so we can fix up a rail car. We can’t just ask people to make the donations we need, so we’re gonna have to earn that money,” Saville said.

Saville and Christensen also mentioned several future plans for the museum such as old west reenactments, bean cookoffs, murder mysteries, haunted railcar events, and a Christmas caboose event. They hope to offer much more interactive opportunities so that visitors can feel like they’re stepping into the past. They hope to have actors in costume on site and train-related activities for kids. They will have regular set hours that fit volunteer schedules, but mentioned that they can also accommodate tours when needed.

While the board is excited to start moving forward with these plans, they are in serious need of volunteers to make it happen. Saville said they are in particular need of additional board members, operational volunteers, cleaning volunteers, and volunteers to monitor events. Whether it be someone that’s passionate about history or just devoted to their community, the board is just seeking people who can commit. To learn how to subscribe, donate, or become a board member or volunteer, email the museum at contact@wfrrm.co or visit the website.

“Our history is who we are and if we let our history die then we have no identity. I think it’s important to know how this town was built and who built it, so those that come after us know they have big shoes to fill and preserve it and share it,” Saville concluded.