Gulf Coast Railroad Museum

The Houston Endowment has provided grant funds in the amount of $50,000 to assist the museum in designing strategies that will increase its influence, educational value, and patronage within the greater Houston community. The first step in this process was an exhibit design study undertaken by DG Studios of Houston. The consultants have taken our existing collection and with the help of the Board of Directors suggested specific additions and interpretive strategies to improve the museum's visitor experience. The final report can be accessed by clicking HERE.

Due to the uncertainty surrounding the new locational configuration of the museum, the exhibit design study was kept relatively non-specific with respect to a site layout. Actually this is a relatively easy task since the majority of our museum experience is-and will continue to be- located inside a railcar. The rail cars themselves are the museum. To the extent funding and site footprint allow, the study envisions a visitor center built as a vintage railroad station as a second phase of the expansion.

The new additions to the collection deemed to be most important were (a) a dining car,(b) a passenger locomotive, (c) a business car or a private car. The study identified three primary audiences for the museum: (a) individuals particularly interested in railroading, (2) individuals interesed in the history of Houston and the Texas Gulf Coast, and (3) families just looking for an entertaining attraction. The interpretive improvements suggested by the consultant focus on these three groups.

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