Gem of the West Museum celebrates 25 years of Coaldale history

Posted on October 1, 2026 by Sunny South News

By Kristine Jean
Sunny South News

For a quarter of a century, the Gem of the West Museum has played an important part of preserving the Town of Coaldale’s history. 

Coaldale and area residents will have a chance to learn about that history and share some of their memories and stories at the Gem of the West Museum’s 25th Anniversary celebration on Oct. 3, taking place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.   

“The museum’s grand opening was May 26, 2001, which makes this the museum’s 25th year,” said Craig Day, museum society manager, noting the Gem of the West Museum Society was formed in 1995 and is marking 36 years as a society. 

The museum opens every spring at the end of May and holds several cultural fairs and events over the summer. With a busy spring and summer, Day said they decided to hold the anniversary celebration at the end of the season.  

“We figured it would be a way to wrap up our season and celebrate in that way,” said Day, adding the museum closes at the end of September each year.    

Day is encouraging residents to complete a memories form – sharing a memory about the museum from the last 25 years, which will be collected and included in a time capsule, which the museum will also be adding to –  with some of their history books and museum memorabilia. 

“We’re going to have a time capsule – even if (people) want to bring in something small as well beyond a memory, as long as it has a connection to the museum itself,” he said. “We’re (also) developing a memory book of the museum in the first 25 years.” 

The anniversary celebration will be a low-key gathering of Coaldale residents, former museum staff, former students and past and present members of the Gem of the West Museum Society – they hope to welcome many people that have been involved in the museum over the last 25 years, noted Day.  

“We’ll have table and chairs set up, there’ll be coffee and tea, and people can come and go throughout the day,” he said, adding people can share memories and stories of the museum and they hope to capture some of them for the time capsule. “The museum will be open and the exhibits will be open.”

Day noted the work that went into restoring the building, gathering artifacts, collecting the stories and building displays, to create the Gem of the West Museum. It took about six years from the formation of the museum society to the official opening of the museum. 

“So there was a lot of work ahead of time to get a museum in this community and a devoted group of people to initiate that process. Over the last 25 years, it’s evolved and the exhibits have changed and expanded,” said Day. “We provide Coaldale with an historical and cultural aspect for the community. It’s important for any community to have that.”