News release
The Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society is launching a year-long effort, the Golden Dream Campaign, a capital campaign with a goal of raising $2 million for the nonprofit organization.
Funds raised will support restoration efforts and the completion of museum infrastructure, expanded programming, and interactive exhibits for visitors to the eight structures, locomotive and caboose on display at the Santa Clarita History Center in William S. Hart Park, according to a news release from the Historical Society.
Recently, the Saugus Train Station Museum opened to the public on a limited basis on Saturdays from 1 to 4 p.m. On display is a restored agent’s office as it was between 1917 and 1958 when the depot was its busiest serving the passenger and freight needs of the country. Restoration work continues, and the public is invited to visit regularly to watch the progress. Eventually, the station will feature displays focused on the people who made up the Southern Pacific Railroad, and interactive exhibits in the freight room will give visitors the experience of “riding the rails.”
When complete, the museum will be an educational homage to the railroad industry, focused on Southern Pacific Railroad, the company that served the SCV, the release said.
Every building in the History Center will tell a story, including the Pardee House, which will be developed into a general history museum with both static and rotating exhibits. The society has grand plans of creating a history destination for locals and visitors from around the world, but bringing the dream to fruition takes significant funding, the release said.
To support this undertaking, the Golden Dream Campaign will provide the means to adapt the structures to serve as professional museum spaces, with custom-designed display cases, lighting, and climate control.
The Golden Dream Campaign offers several levels of participation, from individual to corporate support, and donations may be pledged for future contributions. Every level comes with a variety of benefits and gives the community the opportunity to be involved in creating a landmark museum campus, the release said.
To make your contribution or learn more about the Golden Dream Campaign, contact the Society’s Development Director Lois Bauccio at [email protected].
The Historical Society is also planning a fundraising gala, “SCVHS50: Live from Santa Clarita, It’s Saturday Night,” scheduled March 7, “that will give people a lighthearted look back over the last 50 years in the SCV,” the release said.
