According to Bob Dollar, the Tyrone Area Historical Society’s president, there’s never been a better time to visit the museum than now because the new 1,800-square-feet addition is open to the public, featuring hundreds of new items.

Some of the items include new memorabilia and photographs about the history of Tyrone’s public schools, military members from the Civil War era to World War II, the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Walter L. Main Circus Train Wreck.

There’s even a new G-gauge model train that runs on wooden tracks hanging from the ceiling above displays. Dollar said he designed and made the tracks himself.

“I actually started it in the winter of ’24,” Dollar said. “It was all wood that I had in my garage, my shop.”

The Tyrone History Museum is located at 850 Pennsylvania Avenue, Tyrone. The museum will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday. Mirror photo by Matt Churella

In total, there are 15,000 items in the museum, Dollar said, noting that figure does not include the numerous documents filed in the museum’s storage room.

Some of the items were in time capsules, such as a copy of the Bugle Blast publication that Dollar said was sent to Black soldiers serving in the military. The museum’s copy is believed to be the oldest in the nation, he said.

The museum was built in 2000 and was originally intended to be a train station. However, Norfolk Southern was not in agreement with the location because it was too close to the existing railroad tracks, according to Andrew Smith, the historical society’s vice president.

The building was given to the borough, which offered it to the historical society — founded in 1990 — to use as a museum, Dollar added.

Although the museum was open briefly for a sneak preview of the new addition in November, Dollar said the museum has been closed since last May. Dollar and Smith said they’re excited to welcome visitors back for another season.

Tyrone Area Historical Society members Bob Dollar (left) and Andrew Smith look at artifacts in the Tyrone History Museum’s new addition Friday. Mirror photo by Matt Churella

The museum will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday. Then it will resume traditional hours from 1 to 4 p.m. every Wednesday and Sunday until mid-November, Dollar said.

Admission to the museum is free, but donations to the historical society are accepted, Dollar said, noting the borough owns the building and pays for its utility costs. The donations help the historical society purchase display cases and storage items, he said.

“We want people to know we’re here,” Dollar said, adding the historical society has 10 board members who are each passionate about saving Tyrone memorabilia.

The society also accepts memberships, with costs ranging from $5 for a student to a $500 life membership. Members receive the society’s newsletter several times a year, Dollar said, noting memberships can be gifted to friends and family members.

Visitors are also able to purchase mugs, shirts, hats, post cards, railroad spike whistles and other merchandise at the museum, which helps the society mail its newsletters and maintain operations, Dollar said.

“The best part of this museum is the people who come through the door,” Dollar said, adding people will be amazed by the museum’s new addition.

For more information about the museum, visit the society’s website, www.tyronehistory.org. People interested in watching a livestream of Tyrone’s train station should check out the Tyrone Area Historical Society’s YouTube channel, Dollar said, noting the museum has cameras that record the Amtrak trains passing by daily.

Mirror Staff Writer Matt Churella is at 814-946-7520.