As the Ames Historical Society, in Ames, Iowa, planned to begin a major capital campaign to construct a new addition, they needed a conceptual design package that would give donors an idea of what their updated permanent exhibit gallery could look like. Edwards Creative met with the Ames Historical Society’s museum team to identify key themes, people, places, and topics of Ames’ history that would be important to showcase in their new permanent gallery.
Soon, nine themed exhibit areas were identified and we laid out the exhibit that would be appropriate for visitor flow.Visitors would begin their experience by being directed past a large portrait of one of Ames’ founders. They would then learn about the early and geographical history of Ames and Iowa in a chronological fashion.
The largest exhibit in the gallery features a full-size replica of a the Dinkey Train Engine. The Dinkey Train plays a vital role in Ames’ early history when students from the college needed access to the downtown area of Ames. The train brought people and ideas together which contributed to the success of Ames as a university town and hub of business and industry. In addition to the engine replica, a miniature depot will serve as a timeline detailing the history of Ames.
Visitors would be guided through the rest of the gallery to learn about Ames’ aviation history – complete with ¼-scale model airplanes, entertainment history – displayed as a vintage Chautauqua-style tent, journalism history – utilizing a photography dark-room door, history of various businesses, and the theater and opera house histories.
In addition to static exhibits, digital interactive elements were proposed in the space. A ‘selfie’ photo op station, utilizing a vintage camera, would be incorporated in the entertainment exhibit. A touchscreen interactive detailing the history of Ames’ floods over the years, showing the destruction caused during each flood would be included. In addition, a number of audio push-buttons would be incorporated throughout the space.
The conceptual design package that was created for the Ames Historical Society included a number of sketches, floor plans, and descriptive text that detailed Edwards Creatives’ vision of the space.