Milestones. Sometimes we celebrate them with great fanfare. Sometimes with quiet delight. For the Museum, both kinds of milestones happened one day recently.
Train whistles. Trumpets. Remarks by People with Titles. The Northwest Railway Museum celebrated the Grand Opening of the Train Shed September 17 with a happy crowd of members, donors, volunteers and other supporters. It’s a special milestone, because some of the organization’s earliest supporters have envisioned this day for 50 years. The Museum’s most vulnerable large artifacts now have a place of refuge, where the public can soon step inside an illustrated story of how the northwestern United States was settled and civilized.
View a bit of the fanfare here:
Something else happened at the same time we were whooping it up in the Train Shed. With a quiet click, our Facebook page climbed to 1,000 “likes.” No trumpets. No speeches. But a big deal nonetheless.
In one way or another, community has played a role in every milestone the Museum has reached – from the launch of the Railway History Center in 2006. . .to the hosting of Santa Train, Day Out With Thomas and Snoqualmie Railroad Days. . .to awards recognizing Museum Collections, 
personnel, restoration achievements and interpretive efforts. Our tremendous community comprises volunteers, members, donors, heritage and train enthusiasts, families, City partners. . .and now, Facebook users and followers of our blog.
It’s because of you, our online community, that Chapel Car 5 Messenger of Peace received enough votes to earn a large grant in the Partners for Preservation campaign last year. It’s because of you that the Northwest Railway Museum experienced the single most successful day of giving in the Museum’s history during The Seattle Foundation’s one-day GiveBIG campaign in June. With you, we’re achieving entirely new milestones.
So to celebrate 1,000-likes-and-climbing, we’re giving Jessica H., our 1,000th Facebook fan, a free train ride for a party of six. Congratulations, Jessica! The railroad built our community, and our community is building the railway museum. A big thank you to each one of you.
Visit the Northwest Railway Museum on Facebook
Congratulations on the opening of your new train exhibit shed! It's a beautiful facility that we plan to visit on our next trip to the northwest. Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
Thanks, Big Daddy Dave! We'll look forward to welcoming you.
When planning your trip, I recommend you check our special event dates. For example, we usually host Day Out With Thomas in July. We close the entire depot and grounds to the public during this special ticketed family event, and our entire focus is directed toward the event. It would be a coincidence if you happened to come on one of those days since they occur so rarely, but I'd hate for you to get out here and not be able to visit.
All the best,
Phoebe Snow