Ava Chuppe
Staff Writer
[email protected]

In preparation for Murray State University’s centennial celebration, Wrather West Kentucky Museum is set to relaunch with new exhibits and events.

After being mostly closed to the public since March of 2020, the museum, located near Wilson Hall at North 16th and University Drive, will soon undergo major renovations. The museum’s auditorium will receive a new stage, seating and carpet, which should be completed by the end of the year.

Constructed as a one-room schoolhouse in 1924, the museum was the first permanent building at the University. When Murray State became a teachers college in 1926, the building was used for classes. It has also housed a bookstore, post office, dining room and more since its establishment.

The building is important to Murray State’s institutional history, says Jeff McLaughlin, director of the Wrather Museum.

“I’m expecting by the end of this year, the space is going to look absolutely gorgeous,” McLaughlin said. “It’s just tremendous that it’s getting this makeover, so we want to build on some of that momentum and have new content to offer people.”

According to the museum’s homepage, its mission is “to highlight and promote an understanding of the social, cultural and economic development of West Kentucky and the Jackson Purchase.”  The new exhibits will continue to fulfill this goal.

Of the four spaces on the second floor of the building, one will be a new Murray State Room open to the public in April. Until then, the museum is clearing its schedule to make way for construction.

The museum has aspirations for three other exhibits in the remaining spaces, including an arts and entertainment hall of fame, a gallery featuring local inventors in STEM and a people’s history of the Jackson Purchase area from the origins of the Chickasaw to present day. These galleries will begin to take shape this year and are set to be open in 2023.

McLaughlin said the museum also serves as a venue for students to show off their work.

“I always have a really good team of history majors, political science majors, English majors and a handful of others,” McLaughlin said. “They work on projects that we open and show to the public. They’ve contributed to the permanent exhibits that we’re building.”

McLaughlin says the museum exhibits art shows featuring the work of Murray State students.

“The museum is going to offer [art shows] to the campus community,” McLaughlin said. “Beyond that, what we’re striving for is to become a wonderful place to spend an hour on family weekend or homecoming. If you’re an educator, this would be a great spot to bring your class through for a field trip.”

All exhibits are free of charge. To fundraise, the museum has partnered with University Libraries to sell vintage Murray State apparel, including T-shirts and sweatshirts.

“So basically, what we do is we go to the archives, look for cool Murray State designs that were worn at any point in our history and will translate well into T-shirts and sweats,” McLaughlin said.

McLaughlin said the apparel serves as an homage to the women’s basketball teams of the late 1920s and early 1930s and the baseball teams of the 1960s and 1970s, which he said are the “golden eras.”

Adult sweatshirts are $35, adult T-shirts are $22 and children’s T-shirts are $6. Apparel can be purchased at the museum or by mail with an additional $6 shipping charge. Instructions on how to order the apparel by mail can be found on Murray State University Libraries Facebook page or Instagram @murraystatelibraries.

All proceeds from clothing sales will go toward the museum’s exhibit fund. Aside from this fundraiser, the museum is also accepting cash and check donations.

“Every little bit helps, so we are very grateful for any donations that come in from the community,” McLaughlin said.

The museum is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information on apparel orders, the Wrather Museum or its programs contact Director Jeff McLaughlin at [email protected].