In The News

National VOA Museum will open for public tours Saturday

September 14, 2012  |  Voice of America Museum West Chester Ohio
Voice of America Museum

Cincinnati.com

With the recent completion of some significant construction work, the National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting re-opened for tours in July and will continue provide another opportunity for the public to tour the West Chester landmark this Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m.

The recent renovations included installation of a new roof and block maintenance on the rear of the building. West Chester Township will be reimbursed for the work through a $500,000 grant from the Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission.

As well as the recent grant, the township also received a $1 million grant in 2008 to repair the exterior facade, windows and entry doors, as well as some electrical.

Clyde Haehnle, who is also on the board of directors, provides a tour of VOA Museum. He was a project engineer at the Voice of America Bethany Relay Station and was involved with the project when it was built in 1944 under the direction of Powell Crosley Jr. Photo taken by Tony Jones.

During the 2008 restoration, the township had to pay an additional $731,653. Overall, West Chester has spent around $1.68 million from its own budget on utilities and improvements since 2004.

With construction completed, it will soon be up to the VOA Museum board to raise approximately $12 million to make it a revenue-generating landmark.

If and when the fundraising is completed, it is expected to attract 25,000 visitors, bring in $475,000 in out of area direct spending and provide an overall economic impact in excess of $1.7 million annually, according to estimates by museum design firm Jack Rouse Associates.

The National VOA Museum of Broadcasting consists of exhibits featuring the Voice of America at the VOA-Bethany station; Media Heritage’s Greater Cincinnati Museum of Broadcast History; the Gray History of Wireless Museum; and the West Chester Amateur Radio Association control room.

To help lead future tours, board members of the facility have implemented a docent program for volunteers to learn about the museum. Those wishing to volunteer can contact Dave Snyder at DavidSnyde@aol.com.

The public tours of VOA are expected to continue on the third Saturday of each month from 1 to 4 p.m. Donations of $5 for adults and $1 for children under 12 are suggested.

For more information about VOA museums, go to www.voamuseum.org.

The museum is located at 8070 Tylersville Road in West Chester.