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ELKINS -- The West Virginia Railroad Museum is opening for the season, hosting a new exhibit and offering a special Free Admission Day this week.
The new exhibit, "Coal and the Railroad," follows the development of the coal and railroad industries in the Mountain State, showing its impact on local and national history.
This exhibit also includes interpretive panels from the Friends of Blackwater rail trail in Thomas, which tell the story of the coal, coke and railroad industrial complex built by Henry Gassaway Davis.
The Free Admission Day will be offered Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The museum is open Thursdays through Sundays, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. There is normally a small admission price for visitors over 12 years old, but not this Friday.
The museum is located on the second floor of the Darden Mill in Elkins, on the corner of First Street and Railroad Avenue.
The mission of the West Virginia Railroad Museum is to preserve, interpret and educate others about the railroad heritage of West Virginia.
"This mission will be accomplished through the collection, preservation and interpretation of significant locomotives, rolling stock, artifacts, photographs and memorabilia directly related to railroads and railroading in West Virginia," the museum's website states.
"In addition to static exhibits, select pieces of equipment in the collection are restored and operated throughout the year to demonstrate steam, gasoline, and diesel technology and provide visitors with a first-hand experience of our railroad history through the sights, sounds, and sensations of a train ride."
The museum is designed to "stimulate economic tourism development by promoting the essence and spirit of West Virginia's railroad heritage through educational programs including operations, safety and interpretation of historic railroad equipment, structures, engineering and trackage."
Anyone wanting to help in that work may consider becoming a member or a volunteer, Visit the website at www.wvrailmuseum.com to learn more, or ask for more information when you visit the museum.