Museum opens in Old Stoney

The big day has finally arrived. After years of effort to refurbish Old Stoney and bring new life to the historic school building, the Crook County Museum has reopened to the public on the ground floor. Although the grand opening isn’t scheduled till mid-June, to coincide with the opening of the Sundance Square park next door, locals and tourists alike are now invited to browse the collection in its new home.

When the doors were flung open to the community on Monday, it marked the culmination of decades of work to return Old Stoney to its former glory. The gallery space opened around Christmas time on the lower floor, and the offices have hosted tenants for several months, but more time was needed to transport the thousands of artifacts once housed in the basement of the courthouse.

The new space is, of course, more spacious than the old with more access to natural light. Visitors will notice familiar vistas on the museum floor as well as new objects of interest, laid out to create a trail through local history from prehistoric times.

The museum is currently open on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Following Memorial Day, says Museum Director Rocky Courchaine, it will also be open on weekends from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (until Labor Day.)