DC's Boot Hill & Wichita's Cowtown

[lurker]

Insert Dodge City or Boot Hill wherever you want.

Posted on Tue, Mar. 21, 2006


Study: Invest in Cowtown or sell it
Consultants recommend spending millions to make the museum top-notch.
BY BECCY TANNER
The Wichita Eagle

Old Cowtown Museum needs more money, more staff and a stronger partnership with the county if it is to survive, consultants' study says.

If that is not possible, the museum's historic buildings and artifacts should be sold and the site should be given back to the city of Wichita for other uses, the study recommends.

"Old Cowtown is worthy of a financial investment to strengthen the organization, because Old Cowtown can become a significant historical attraction with a high level of educational and cultural tourism value," an executive summary of the report said.

The museum has struggled to draw enough people and hasn't had enough money to maintain its buildings. The county approved $190,000 in emergency funding in September.

Monday, Sedgwick County and Cowtown staff heard from national consultants hired to examine the museum, its relationship to Wichita and its potential as a regional tourism draw. The consultants all have museum backgrounds.

The report said Cowtown is one of the few outdoor museums that focuses on the American West.

"It has an outstanding collection of historic buildings and artifacts; and, it has deep involvement with a large volunteer force and area public schools," it said.

The consultants suggested that Sedgwick County have sole responsibility for the site. Currently, the city and county share some of the financial responsibility.

The study recommended:

• The county use the Sedgwick County Zoo as a model to reform Cowtown as a public-private partnership.

• More investment in Cowtown, including a bigger annual budget to support more staff and more marketing. Visitors need to come not just once, but repeatedly, to the living history museum.

The museum has 17 year-round employees and hires 15 more during the summer to work as actors and in the gift store and cafe.

Cowtown's 2006 budget is $1.4 million. At a minimum, the study says, the museum should receive an estimated additional $5 million to restore and maintain its buildings, plus a 20 percent increase in annual funding.

To improve visitors' experience, the study says, would require an estimated investment of $12 million, plus an annual operating budget of $2.5 million.

To provide state-of-the-art space for collections would require an estimated $16 million, plus an annual operating budget of $2.7 million.

If the community went with the most expensive option, the museum could see attendance increase from 58,000 last year to 150,000, the study estimated.

• Because Old Cowtown cannot compete with theme parks -- such as "Wild West World" now being built near Park City -- the museum should establish itself as an educational, cultural and historical resource. The study suggested Old Cowtown attract a resident performing arts company or collaborate with an art museum to display works appropriate to the museum.

• The Cowtown board of directors should develop a five-year strategic plan within the next few months defining the direction Cowtown should take.

Jan McKay, executive director at Cowtown, said the board will discuss the study March 27.

"Cowtown is at a crossroads," McKay said. "Cowtown has a beautiful front door with its new visitors center. But we do not have enough funds to keep the facility up.... We might not continue if we don't face hard decisions or take a look at what those recommendations are."

The consultants who did the 140-page study are Adrienne and Steve Horn from Museum Management Consultants Inc. in San Francisco; Robert E. Brais, vice president of ConsultEcon Inc. of Cambridge, Mass.; and Harold Skramstad of Las Cruces, N.M., who was president of the Henry Ford museum's Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Mich.

"A lot of what they are saying is not a big surprise," said Jay Price, a board member of Old Cowtown Museum and director of Wichita State University's public history program.

"It's like a lot of institutions in Wichita where the public is saying we want world-class institutions but we want to do it with a staff of two and some volunteers. That's not realistic."


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Reach Beccy Tanner at (316) 268-6336 or btanner@wichitaeagle.com.





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© 2006 Wichita Eagle and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.kansas.com

[lurker]

Note to Prowler:

As a Charter Member of PITA, not to be confused with PETA, I am flattered with your desire to attain your own PITA membership.

Keep trying; but know these two things:

• Copy text from the printable link for correct spacings.
• Don't forget to go outside before you pee.

[TexKan]

Lurker have you been eating those mushrooms under the tree again???? What the hell are you yappin about?????

[Jolly Rancher]

BTW Lurker, I give up and have to ask: What is PITA?

[lurker]

PainInTheAss

[lurker]

A wake-up call to Boot Hill....?

Cowtown adds more new Old West

Wichita's living history frontier town, about to open its 53rd season, will offer more daily activities and costumed re-enactors.

BY BOB CURTRIGHT
The Wichita Eagle

When you go to Old Cowtown Museum in Sim Park this year, you'll need to look for the new entrance on the east side of the living history frontier park -- just beyond the Wichita Art Museum and brick water plant.

There's a low stone wall on the left with the words Old Cowtown Museum carved into it. Behind it, rising behind landscaped hills around the new parking lot, is the new $2 million visitors center.

Right in front is a large bronze Remington sculpture of galloping horsemen.

Wichita's frontier village, showcasing Wichita as a Wild West town circa 1865-70, opens for its 53rd season Saturday.

Old Cowtown is offering more activities with more costumed re-enactors every day, said Jan McKay, executive director.

"We are layering on different experiences beyond our core historic buildings," she said.

Among them are daily horse and cattle drives thundering through the dusty streets at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., daily free wagon rides from 1 to 3 p.m., stagecoach rides and a daily "High Noon" gunfight.

Facilities manager David Abbot said there will be 10 costumed re-enactors every day with 50 to 60 on weekends and up to 200 for special celebrations.

"Every day, we'll have a working blacksmith, carpenter, print shop and farm. There will also be people at the hunters camp, cowboy encampment and saloon," he said.

Also new this year is Cowtown's own pony named Matt Dillon -- after the famed I think they mean "fictional" Kansas marshal, not the movie star -- for daily kiddie rides.

"We had contracts for horse rides in the past, but it got to be too haphazard. We thought it would be better to have our own pony," McKay said.

Another program will "deputize" the first 2,000 children through the gate with a paid adult admission.

"They'll get a badge good for unlimited free admissions until the park closes for the season. It's a money-saving program for families," McKay said.

Throughout the summer, the park will offer 16 special themed weekends, from "Celebrating the Horse" and its relationship to cowboys and Indians on April 8-9 to "Biscuits, Beans & Barbecue" with demonstrations of frontier cooking on April 22-23.

Others will include a tribute to frontier women, a multicultural festival celebrating frontier diversity and a look at frontier justice compared with today.

The complete schedule is at www.oldcowtown.org.

Earth to Boot Hill.... Earth to Boot Hill.... Do you copy?

[Clueless]

Lurker - Since you have an opinion of what is right and wrong and what could help Boot Hill - why don't you put that to creative use and ask to be on the board of directors. Good ideas take development, why don't you put the effort into making the changes you see are necessary. Anyone can post a message - or create a blog - but you have to admit, fewer actually volunteer to be part of the solution. I think you should consider it seriously.

[lurker]

What do you know about the Boot Hill Board?

[Clueless]

As much as you do probably. I've talked with board members. I know they want good ideas. One tells me how frustrated he is over people complaining but not volunteering to really look inside and help find workable ideas. I think Boot Hill belongs to the people, but if it closes and they sell the collection to somebody, and it becomes a rundown weedy eyesore, we all lose big.

Why don't you call a board member or Boot Hill and volunteer. What can that hurt?

[lurker]

I've been on their website several times and have never seen a link that offers any information about "getting involved" or even a "contact us" option. No list of board members either.

For that matter, their website leaves much to be desired..... No links to any other 'areas of interest' sites... Kansas Historical Society.... Ford County Historical Society.... Dodge City's website.... Convention and Tourism office.... Depot Theatre.... Walk of Fame.... area Lodging.... Shopping.... Industries....

What I'm saying is Boot Hill isolates itself mentally and physically (think: Fence) and even cyber-ly.