Historical Commission Agenda and Packet 2016 05 04

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and overhead support from the City of Louisville at present is $102,850, it is realistic to assume that a viable operating budget would be in the general range of $165,000 - $175,000, with the balance of revenue coming from the above mentioned sources. This scale is one that the consultant recommends continuing to use in planning for the Museum's growth over time, as it makes possible the range of education and civic programming and services that in turn make the Museum valued by residents, local businesses, and visitors. COLORADO COMPARISONS Three benchmark cities in Colorado have invested significantly in museums as tourism and civic anchors. Golden and Littleton are two municipalities that have utilized new history center buildings as important anchors not only to history campuses, but for tourism and public use. Longmont, while a much larger municipality, has a history museum that is smaller in budget than Littleton's history museum, and serves as a good model for its range of adult and youth programs and its rentals, as well as its changing exhibitions. All three museums are accredited by the AAM: a standard that based on the quality of its collections, Louisville's Historical Museum can also achieve with a new building. (This standard attracts grants and operating support otherwise not available.) The Golden History Museums became a division of the City of Golden's Parks & Recreation Department in 2010. Prior to that, it was operated by a 501c3 Friends organization. However, it had been under contract by the City of Golden beginning in 2008 to operate the history center (a relatively new exhibit building, plus the Astor House Museum and Clear Creak History Park.) As many as 45,000 visitors a year come to the Museums, mostly during the seven summer weeks when the Museum offers living history demonstrations including wood stove cooking and blacksmithing. (These demonstrations have become so valuable in attracting tourists that the City is in 2016 hiring seasonal full time staff to conduct the blacksmithing and wood stove cooking demonstrations.) Throughout the year, over 3,000 local students a year benefit from field trips to the Museum. (The museum serves approximately 120 school groups per year.) Since 2008, the City of Golden has annually provided between $175,000 to $365,000 operating support for staff and overhead, first on contract and then for the Division, or approximately 50% of the total operating budget. The balance has come from education programs, facilities rental, camps, membership, Friends - raised sponsorships and contributions, advertising, grants, and gift shop fees. (In 2014, the total raised by the Friends, through sponsorships, contributions, grants, and the gift shop, was $114,000.) The Museum urges visitors to the City to "begin your Golden adventure by exploring our dynamic exhibits, engaging programs, and amazing collections." The museum grounds include outdoor seating and tables encouraging downtown visitors to stop and relax. Annually changing exhibits encourage repeat visitors — especially residents bringing out -of -town visitors. During the school year, the Museums provide in- school programs as well as field trips to the Museum. The Golden Museums offer a number of different history and science curriculum related summer camps Page 1 9 Louisville Historical Museum Business Plan Recommendations