This year, the annual fall HeritageRail Alliance (HRA) conference was held in Northwest Arkansas, in and around Springdale. While the Arkansas and Missouri Railroad were the main hosts, conference attendees had the chance to visit and learn from several other museums and attractions in the area, including the new U.S. Marshals Museum, Fort Smith Trolley Museum, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Branson Scenic Railway, and the Ozark Mill at Finley Farms.
The HeritageRail Alliance is comprised of tourist railroads and railway museums and fosters unique preservation efforts through education, research, and the free exchange of information among members and working industry professionals. The organization develops and supports best practices in conservation, operation, exhibition, and interpretation. The HRA conferences are an excellent opportunity to network and exchange ideas with others in the tourist railroad and railway museum industry. Beyond the off-site excursions, conferences also feature a slate of plenary presentations and breakout sessions and seminars.
Attendees from the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum this year included Scott Becker (Executive Director and CEO) and Donna Becker, Bruce Wells (Manager of Restoration) and Cindy Wells, and Kristen Fredriksen (Manager of Visitor Experience and HRA board member). Other PTM volunteers who devote their time to multiple organizations were also present, including Ellen and Rod Fishburn, and Nick Ozorak.
The theme of the year was “Beyond the Ride” – many sessions emphasized topics such as AI-driven museum experiences, designing new attractions and even new museums, succession planning, board governance, and youth involvement. PTM’s Scott Becker presented on our new Welcome and Education Center, from the planning stages and a capital campaign to opening the facility and becoming a Certified Autism Center. Kristen Fredriksen, who chairs HRA’s Next Generation Committee, hosted a breakout session focused on the success of PTM’s youth program (also named the Next Generation Committee) and how other museums can engage young volunteers.
The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum was recognized in three different areas during the conference’s closing banquet. Scott Becker received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his dedication to rail preservation and his long history with the HeritageRail Alliance. PTM also received the William J. Purdie Award for Youth Involvement, which celebrates the contributions of its young volunteers and staff. Lastly, the new Welcome & Education Center received The Significant Achievement Award in the Infrastructure category.
PTM is grateful to the HeritageRail Alliance for this rare recognition of three different projects and people at the museum.
Next year’s conference will take place in Durango, Colorado. Multiple people from the same museum can attend, and the Heritage Rail Alliance also offers scholarship opportunities to young people under 40 to encourage participation and help offset the costs of attending the conferences. To learn more about the HeritageRail Alliance, visit their website at https://heritagerail.org.
Check out some photos from the conference below!
