New Museum Is Worth A Touch
by John Silver, Mitchell News-Journal
October, 2003

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Travelers of the Blue Ridge Parkway poured into the North Carolina Mineral Museum this week to get a sneak peek of the new interactive rock and mineral exhibit.

Blue Ridge Parkway Assistant Manager Phil Noblitt said the exhibit, which will not be formally introduced until Oct. 29, is designed with students in mind.

We hope teachers will take advantage of education out-reach, he said. We want kids to have an appreciation for where they live.

The new exhibit arrives after about three years of planning and replaces designs dating back to 1956.

The exhibit showcases the story of mountain building and the economic history of mining in the region.

Walls are filled with information, glass cases enclose a variety of rocks and minerals, and many features involve viewer participation.

Noblitt estimates the total cost of the exhibit at about $850,000. The Parkway received about $300,000 in grants from the North Carolina Department of Transportation in partnership with Mitchell County. The exhibit received $415,000 in federal funding and the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation coordinated and assisted in other funds, such as a 20 percent match in funding.

Noblitt said the renovations didnt stop with the exhibition.

Weve updated the restrooms, the information area and the heating system, he said.

To say the place has been updated is an understatement.

The Parkway went to professional geologists, academic commissions and the park staff for assistance in planning. The exhibits design came from a firm in Washington, D.C. and pieces of the exhibit traveled from Anniston, AL.

We wanted our visitors to have a much better facility, he said. The old exhibits had gotten to be an embarrassment.

The foundation will also participate in fundraising to keep the museum updated for the future. Noblitt hopes interest in the exhibit will spill over into the greater community.
If the museum attracts more travelers, maybe people would go and visit more of the area, he said.

The museum is open to the public and will have a formal dedication on Wednesday, Oct. 29.