KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
The Baranov Museum will reopen its doors to the public Friday after nearly three months of upgrades and preservation work.
KMXT’s Erik Wander has more.
The museum will be open all day Friday, with staff conducting tours for visiting librarians in town for the Alaska Library Association conference. But museum director Katie Oliver said the marquee event is an open house Friday evening featuring refreshments, door prizes and free admission.
— (Oliver 1 10 sec. "We’ll actually be open … big open house in the evening.")
Oliver said the event will be an opportunity for museum visitors to take a look behind the scenes of a national historic landmark.
— (Oliver 2 35 sec. "We’ll be giving tours … new upgrades of the building.")
Oliver said that people won’t be able to see the results of the much of the work done over the past couple of months, because of the nature of electrical upgrades, but she said museum patrons will get a glimpse of the 19th century Alutiiq spruce root basket, for which it recently received a preservation grant, a new lighting system and more.
— (Oliver 3 32 sec. "Much of what’s been done … new carpets upstairs.")
The Baranov Museum is the oldest building in the state of Alaska and the earliest documented log structure on the west coast of the United States. A federal historic preservation grant provided the opportunity for the Kodiak Historical Society to upgrade the 200-year-old building’s electrical and fire suppression systems, Work has been going on since Christmas. Friday evening’s open house will be held from 6 to 8 p.m.
I’m Erik Wander.
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