Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

the Schenectady Museum doesn't really have attractions that encourage people to visit.   Once you have seen the planetarium and the other exhibits, you pretty much don't need to come back again for a decade or so.

If they could join forces with the Edison Museum (which is a great idea but in a bad location), They could really make a start at being a first class museum.  

Edison Museum,Bad location?   It's downtown where millions have been spent,the Center.   Just a stones throw from Bowtie Cinema.   Even parking across the street and a public lot steps from it's location on the same side(1st 2 hours free to boot)   Can't get much closer to State St.  What more could you ask for?  Just the overflow of the masses downtown should find it easily and to park.   Been there twice always interesting, but been empty upon my visits.

I actually agree with DVOR on the location of the Edison Museum.  I think that it would do well to join up with the Schenectady Museum.  It may be near the strip, but no on KNOWS it's there.  It's also in an area where many people would be scared to walk.  People are being stabbed right out on State Street and you want to go down Broadway just a little further, at a point where it is essentially an alley and go to something that is never open?  Or maybe it is and nobody knows when it's open.

Downtown is a good place for the museum -- but the Edison Museum does not have great parking and the building has two draw backs  --- very old and not in the best of shape ...  furthermore unless one goes down that section of Broadway .. you would not know that the museum exists.

I know that there was a proposal to build a new building either on Erie Blvd or Broadway (the old market square).    

It seems to me it would make sense to have facility for the Schenectady Museum, the Edison Museum and, maybe even, the Schenectady Historical Society.   The three entities could still be distinct operations but share space.    

The existing Schenectady Museum building may or may not be adequate for such a facility.   It certainly is more easily accessible than the Edison Museum or the Schenectady Historical Society.   If a new facility is needed  -- for all three museums to share --- I would recommend that that it be more centrally located downtown.    It is too bad that they did not consider space for such a museum as part of the Schenectady County Library expansion.   That is a central location and it should be possible to build upward (above the existing building) and thus create a true center for education in the community  --- and then the other 3 sites .. could be marketed and put back on the tax rolls.

you browse museums and zoos on the internet with webcams.....and unless you run in those circles that actually support them they only get used
as field trips....maybe they should be attached to schools.....

Quoted from senders

you browse museums and zoos on the internet with webcams.....and unless you run in those circles that actually support them they only get used
as field trips....maybe they should be attached to schools.....

I prefer to go to museums in person.   In fact, I am a supporting member of several museums.  Unfortunately, the Schenectady Museum does not give one much reason to revisit.  

As for visiting zoos, I am more interested in aquariums than zoos.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

I prefer to go to museums in person.   In fact, I am a supporting member of several museums.  Unfortunately, the Schenectady Museum does not give one much reason to revisit.  

As for visiting zoos, I am more interested in aquariums than zoos.

yeah,,,,well, you're old too......

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

That is a central location and it should be possible to build upward (above the existing building) and thus create a true center for education in the community  --- and then the other 3 sites .. could be marketed and put back on the tax rolls.

  Who would buy it? Maybe Proctor's could take over and keep the tax exempt thang going.

      Glad there is approval for my idea to combine the Edison/Museum at GE Main Plant. The Edison has made noises about moving near GE on Erie and the Museum about moving near Villa on Broadway. Neither has money to do anything. Ditto for the oppressed County taxpayers. GE must be added to the mix. There is plenty of vacant space around the Main Plant to house a combined Edison/Museum. A GE/Edison/Schenectady Museum would have vast appeal and would be something we all could support. It would add to the tax base plus bring in actual tourists.

Quoted from benny salami

  Who would buy it? Maybe Proctor's could take over and keep the tax exempt thang going.

      Glad there is approval for my idea to combine the Edison/Museum at GE Main Plant. The Edison has made noises about moving near GE on Erie and the Museum about moving near Villa on Broadway. Neither has money to do anything. Ditto for the oppressed County taxpayers. GE must be added to the mix. There is plenty of vacant space around the Main Plant to house a combined Edison/Museum. A GE/Edison/Schenectady Museum would have vast appeal and would be something we all could support. It would add to the tax base plus bring in actual tourists.

How would it add to the tax base? They're all non-profits

Quoted from senders

yeah,,,,well, you're old too......

ah ... your an agist  .. shame on you

I will decide when I am too old to do something.

Quoted from benny salami

  Who would buy it? Maybe Proctor's could take over and keep the tax exempt thang going.

      Glad there is approval for my idea to combine the Edison/Museum at GE Main Plant. The Edison has made noises about moving near GE on Erie and the Museum about moving near Villa on Broadway. Neither has money to do anything. Ditto for the oppressed County taxpayers. GE must be added to the mix. There is plenty of vacant space around the Main Plant to house a combined Edison/Museum. A GE/Edison/Schenectady Museum would have vast appeal and would be something we all could support. It would add to the tax base plus bring in actual tourists.

GE has resisted the idea of giving some land on Erie Blvd to the museum.  

The proposal you are thinking of -- the  Schenectady Museum on Broadway and the Edison Museum on Erie Blvd was tied to a plan to  extend Clinton Avenue  under the rail tracks in order to connect with Erie Blvd.   That idea was floated  at least  10 years ago under   Mayor Jurzynski --- and then seemed to just fade away.
In fact, I was a part of the Mont Pleasant Action Coalition  at the time --- Mr. Harden and Mayor Jurzynski  wanted to tie in the railroad museum idea that  MPAC was working on at the time.  
  I was actually in talks with the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI to get its replica of the original DeWitt Clinton locomotive.   The original locomotive was cut up for scrap metal during the Civil War and Henry Ford had a duplicate made for his private collection some years later.    Sometime in the late 1990's the Ford Museum had to put it in storage as they were running out of exhibit space.    Long story short- they were very interested in giving the full scale replica to Schenectady  IF  we could provide a permanent indoor place for its display.   Unfortunately - when administrations changed there was no interest in pursuing the Engine Hill Project that MPAC was proposing.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

ah ... your an agist  .. shame on you

I will decide when I am too old to do something.

nah,,,,just a realist.....the future is coming and we will slow down and it will pass us.....

If GE owned the property and a for profit coalition was formed it would be taxable. The Edison already purchased land on Erie. The museum plan was floated 2 years ago-not under AL. This was not the railroad museum. Death Ray wanted to put them on that vacant lot by Villa that is still for sale.

      The Edison has the a large parcel on Erie a block from the GE plant. They were planning to move from Broadway. They have been fighting and one founder was thrown out. What's missing is the museum involvement. Too many chiefs, no Indians and a confused County that wants to support all these different entities wasting taxpayer money. One central location would improve exhibits and increase attendance. Agree totally on the current Museum it is not sustainable at the current location. Either move with the Edison or close it down.

Absolutely. The current museum is in a bad location, sucking the taxpayer money and really needs a new life somewhere else. GE needs to be a sponsor and I would expect that all those tax-free businesses downtown start putting money in such a project.

What about a musuem in MP? There's that former Marcella's lot with parking. It would bring regrowth to that area, revitalize some of the stores already on Crane and with police help, maybe clean up that area a bit. There are still homeowners there, a handful of viable businesses and, for once, it would bring value to an almost extinct neighborhood.

Quoted from rachel72

Absolutely. The current museum is in a bad location, sucking the taxpayer money and really needs a new life somewhere else. GE needs to be a sponsor and I would expect that all those tax-free businesses downtown start putting money in such a project.

What about a musuem in MP? There's that former Marcella's lot with parking. It would bring regrowth to that area, revitalize some of the stores already on Crane and with police help, maybe clean up that area a bit. There are still homeowners there, a handful of viable businesses and, for once, it would bring value to an almost extinct neighborhood.

if anyone WENT to the museum, it might revitalize the neighborhood - problem is, their attendance is WAY WAY down.

Quoted from benny salami

If GE owned the property and a for profit coalition was formed it would be taxable. The Edison already purchased land on Erie. The museum plan was floated 2 years ago-not under AL. This was not the railroad museum. Death Ray wanted to put them on that vacant lot by Villa that is still for sale.

      The Edison has the a large parcel on Erie a block from the GE plant. They were planning to move from Broadway. They have been fighting and one founder was thrown out. What's missing is the museum involvement. Too many chiefs, no Indians and a confused County that wants to support all these different entities wasting taxpayer money. One central location would improve exhibits and increase attendance. Agree totally on the current Museum it is not sustainable at the current location. Either move with the Edison or close it down.

Actually, the museum idea has been around for a number of years -- and it was discussed during Mayor Jurzynski's administration.    Mr. Harden and the other man that was involved in the Edison Exploratorium were involved in that.  The other man did eventually leave the organization.

Also - read carefully --  I did not say it was the railroad museum -- I said that since MPAC was considering opening a railroad museum in Mont Pleasant that the Mayor and the men from the Edison Exploratorium approached me and my colleagues on the railroad museum idea to  consider making the railroad museum
PART of their proposed Edison Museum downtown.