Museums get ready for summer

The museums in northern Carbon County are getting ready for summer visitors. Medicine Bow Museum and Hanna Basin Museum opened on Memorial weekend and Elk Mountain Museum is looking to open June 12.

COVID-19 did effect the openings of Medicine Bow and Hanna Basin, because they could not have the refreshments and crowds that are a part of the summer openings.

Medicine Bow opened, but museum director Sharon Biamon knew it would be quiet. She said there is a new quilt exhibit that she wants to show off. Biamon is also waiting for the Fossil House Museum building to come to her site (See "Still Waiting to Move" on page 8 of June 3 the Saratoga Sun)

"The building being here would make the summer a bit nicer," Biamon said.

Sunshine Solaas, Director of Hanna Basin was glad to see the people that came in on her opening day, but acknowledged most of her visitors were from out of town.

"Our Memorial Day opening is one of our biggest days with the community," Solaas said. "We have drinks and baked goods and families come to see what is new. We couldn't give any food this year and I think people in town are still getting used to being able to go out again. I am hopeful people will start to come as the summer progresses."

The Elk Mountain Museum decided to hold back opening on Memorial Day weekend.

Angie Hobbes, Elk Mountain Museum Director said that she wanted to get some work done inside the building before opening. She is also preparing new exhibits for the museum. Due to the size of the museum, she wanted to get the place ready to adhere to social distancing. She is looking forward to when she is open.

All three northern Carbon County museum directors acknowledge this summer will be a challenge. They hope that as time goes on, people will be more comfortable coming into their places of historical artifacts.

"We are going to hope for the best as the summer goes on," Biamon said. "That is all we can do."