Fort 黑马磁力's B.C. Farm Museum has released preliminary designs for a proposed addition next door to the main exhibition space on 9131 King St.
Plans call for a two-story, 4,900 sq. ft. building, plus basement storage, that would include expanded exhibition space, a multi-purpose space for tours, school trips, meetings, workshops, and exhibit design, as well as additional washroom space and a children's activity area.
The design includes an elevator for improved accessibility.
Grace Muller, a museum board of directors member and recording secretary, said they are running out of room.
"When we say we are full to the rafters and up the wall 鈥� it is literally true," Muller said
"This expansion to the Farm Museum is something we are very excited about."
Muller noted the initial design and content plan, prepared by Site Lines Architecture Ltd., based on input from directors and volunteers, was for fundraising purposes, and construction would require a whole additional set of drawings.
An association brochure with the schematic drawings said the B.C. Farm Museum would "retain its main entrance while enhancing the visitor experience by redistributing and organizing displays across the new building. The improved layout will create a seamless flow between the two buildings, offering guests a more engaging and cohesive museum journey."
In October 2022, the BC Farm Museum Association purchased the property next door at 9119 King Street for $1.4 million, funded equally by donations to the 鈥淗elp Load the Wagon鈥� campaign and a mortgage with Vancity Bank.
Now, the association needs to raise up to $9 million, the estimated cost of constructing the new building.
Founded in 1966, the museum has grown to fill more than 20,000 square feet of exhibit space with more than 5,000 artifacts of historic farming machinery and pioneer life in two buildings. It also boasts a reference library that contains more than 5,000 volumes of books, pamphlets, and manuals.
Currently, the volunteer-run museum at is open for the summer until Sept. 30, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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