The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums Site & Facility Comprehensive Plan

About the Plan

The Site & Facility Comprehensive Plan began in summer 2020 in collaboration with the The Kubala Washatko Architects, and was unveiled in 2021. The plan celebrates the future of The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums, which remain Platteville’s leading tourist attraction and the largest in the tri-state area interpreting the region’s mining history. We have welcomed hundreds of thousands of visitors, approximately one third of them school children, to discover the natural history, science, industry, and cultural heritage of our unique mineral region since the museum was founded in 1965. Many intergenerational initiatives in store for this special year integrate the two distinct aspects of our museums’ identity: the humanities aspect of history and culture, and the STEAM aspect of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math. The same holistic place-based approach has been brought to the comprehensive planning process. By advancing plans for the next phase of museum campus design, we reaffirm a commitment to serving our community for decades to come and to inspiring the next generation of thinkers, makers, doers, and innovators!

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A FEW HIGHLIGHTS

The Museum Entry

The Master Plan creates a clearly recognizable public entrance that also serves as the primary connection node to the entire site. By widening space in front of the building the museum creates an iconic new entry plaza showcasing local art and mining artifacts. The new entry plaza will provide casual bench seating and opportunities for social media engagement. A new exterior mural along the existing exterior wall of the East Display Gallery highlights the region’s mining and cultural history. An opportunity to engage with and highlight regional artisans and artists. A reconfigured museum entry creates an energy efficient airlock with enhanced security. Paver bricks embedded in the plaza create opportunities for donor recognition.
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Connecting to the Site

A new plaza attached to the East Display Gallery exterior wall provides sheltered transitional indoor/outdoor space. Outdoor plaza space supports legacy large group activities such as Heritage Day, visiting educational or tour groups, as well as individual self-guided museum visits. Native plantings and accessible pathways define clear boundaries, enhance wayfinding, and encourage exploration and interpretation throughout the site. Site improvements create clearly defined spaces to support vendors during events.

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A Museum Campus Hub

A reimagined Train Depot and Mine Entrance creates a dynamic new outdoor campus hub of activity for the museum. New entry to mine shaft enhances wayfinding from the museum and creates greater visual appeal. Covered outdoor train platform better guides the visitor experience, provides shelter for the train, and more clearly defines a pathway from the Depot to the Hoist House. New covered structures surrounding the Depot create expanded opportunities for interpretation and placement of artifacts. New Children’s STEAM Play Area provides outdoor interpretive activities in a secure space. New features enhance overall site safety via guided crossings and defined edges with fencing.

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