originally posted on 11/6/2020
Photo: Hunter Novotny/Larson International. View full-sized image.
Over the past decade, small groups of ACE members have visited the National Roller Coaster Museum and Archives (NRCMA) storage facility in Plainview, Texas. Over time, the facility tripled in size. The first building was made possible by ACE donations. Once filled, donations from Gary and Linda Hays of Cliff’s Amusement Park and the Knoebel family prompted two more buildings which also contained a climate-controlled room that currently houses major collections of blueprints and other archival material. In all, those three warehouse rooms, plus the archival room totaled 7,480 square feet. ACEers who have seen it have enjoyed the vast array of coaster vehicles, signs and models that have been preserved.
As great as those efforts have been, progress on an epic new expansion is eclipsing those original steps.
Numerous coaster vehicles currently in the NRCMA warehouses will be moved into the new museum space.
Photo: Tim Baldwin. View full-sized image.
Photo: Tim Baldwin. View full-sized image.
“As something that started only four years ago with a fundraising drive to honor former museum board member Mark Moore, it's exciting to see the building expansion as it comes to fruition,” said Jerry Willard, ACE past president and NRCMA treasurer. “Donations have allowed the museum to purchase materials and services to erect the building and construct the interiors, while volunteers have provided most of the labor for free, so limited dollars can stretch further and accomplish more.”
And a lot has been accomplished already. Attached to those three buildings is what is termed a “connector” building. In reality, it serves as an entrance to the museum, a lobby area, a welcome theater, restrooms, utilities and entrance portals to the new museum and warehouses. This building adds 1,620 square feet of new space.
A new reception area features wonderful details from the lighting fixture above the bar to the bar itself, which was created by RMC from repurposed Mean Streak wood.
Photo: Gary Slade. View full-sized image.
Parts from a Ben Schiff kiddie coaster are embedded into the wood below the acrylic surface.
Photo: Hunter Novotny/Larson International. View full-sized image.
A bar/reception space is sure to be a hit with coaster fans. The entrance is a barn door created from Texas Cyclone wood, as well as rollers from Tilt-a-Whirl wheels. Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) created the bar from reclaimed Mean Streak wood, and underneath the acrylic top, onlookers will see coaster parts from a Ben Schiff kiddie coaster from Fun Spot (Kissimmee, Florida) embedded into the wood. Hanging over the bar is a custom-designed lighting fixture from RMC made specifically for the NRCMA. The lighting fixture is backlit with LED so that colors can change. Lights recessed in Colossus wood within the chandelier shine down on the reception area. Signage within the room will note the specific Easter eggs within the room.
One of the portals is a barn door created from Texas Cyclone wood and Tilt-a-Whirl cars.
Photo: Gary Slade. View full-sized image.
The main museum is huge. With its wide-open space, it offers 8,400 square feet of new exhibit space, which is all climate controlled. In addition, a raised mezzanine adds another 2,400 square feet, making for a total of more than 10,000 square feet of exhibit space and more than 12,400 square feet that was not in place before the expansion began. Once completed, the entire facility will be close to 20,000 square feet of usable space.
Wildcat cars from Lake Compounce are seen being transported.
Photo: Gary Slade. View full-sized image.
In addition to preserving cars, models, blueprints, signage and more, the National Roller Coaster Museum is a treasure trove of Easter eggs for enthusiasts such as members of ACE. The mezzanine is constructed from repurposed wood from Gwazi. A section of track from Big Bad Wolf serves as the spine support to the staircase leading to the mezzanine. The steps are actual ledgers from Mean Streak.
The three original warehouse buildings have a ceiling height of 17 feet. Because the new museum room has a roof of 30 feet, the mezzanine and tall displays are possible. A Von Roll skyride car will be suspended in the air once finished.
The mezzanine offers a different view of the Hersheypark train.
Photo: Gary Slade. View full-sized image.
Credit for the huge success and forward momentum goes in large part to Larson International. With land donated by the ride manufacturer, as well as the labor involved, the admittedly out-of-the-way location of Plainview has seen preservation efforts make incredible strides that couldn’t happen elsewhere.
Larson President Jeff Novotny is a board member of the NRCMA and has supported the museum efforts for a long time. His son Hunter, an engineer at Larson and vice president of sales, is overseeing the construction process.
“The museum is really beginning to come to life,” said Hunter Novotny. “We're beginning to transition from a building construction project to the stages of filling the building with meaningful artifacts and décor.”
Displays and exhibits about ride manufacturers and a roller coaster timeline that was originally created for the IAAPA Expo in 2013 will be updated and have their own educational spots within the facility.
An updated version of this historical timeline originally created for the 2013 IAAPA Expo is currently in production.
Photo: Tim Baldwin. View full-sized image.
Several industry companies have also come on board: Baynum Painting was involved with the polished, painted concrete throughout the new additions. Amuse Rides has recently refurbished sections of Texas Cyclone track to be made structurally sound enough to be moved and placed inside the museum. Great Coasters International, Inc. is building a section of track for Idlewild’s Rollo Coaster train to be displayed with flair. Ride Entertainment, Rocky Mountain Construction, Uremet and Vekoma have provided monetary donations.
Idlewild’s Rollo Coaster train — seen here during the West Texas Roundup regional event — will have a section of track created by GCII.
Photo: Tim Baldwin. View full-sized image.
One of the driving forces to acquisition and transportation is honorary ACE member Gary Slade. He sees the COVID-19 pandemic as a double-edged sword.
“The virus has been ironically helpful in that it has created a lot of free time,” he said. “There’s no trade shows or sales trips. We can’t do the things that we normally would do, so we can dedicate time to the museum. [Larson] has dedicated six to eight people a day working in the museum building. That physical labor has helped some things come about very quickly. But that will slow down eventually. However, the health crisis has created a hiccup in fundraising.”
Slade credits ACE for its continual donations to help keep things moving.
Created by 3D printing, miniature objects help workers create display space.
Photo: Gary Slade. View full-sized image.
Sections of Texas Cyclone track have been brought into the new museum space for display.
Photo: Gary Slade. View full-sized image.
Eventually, the numerous pieces housed in the current warehouses will find a more permanent home in the new, climate-controlled museum space. This will free up space in the existing warehouses for overflow areas and new, bigger archives space.
Currently, initial pieces are beginning to be moved. Signage and displays are being written and created. While a target of 2022 is the goal for completion, Slade says it could go beyond that. The primary focus is to get it right.
Photo: Kris Rowberry. View full-sized image.
Since ACE was formed, the establishment of a roller coaster museum has been something the organization has wanted to see come to fruition. The outstanding progress made by the parties involved is supremely encouraging. ACE will stay tuned.
— Tim Baldwin, ACE News Editor
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