A Celebration of Coal Camp” Ribbon Cutting” Sept. 13th at Miners Hall Museum

“A Celebration of Coal Camp” Ribbon Cutting” - A Celebration of Restoration, Preservation, and Community" is slated for 2 p.m. on Sept. 13, 2026 the Miners Hall Museum in Franklin, Kansas.

Admission is free, refreshments will be served and everyone is welcome.

Be among the first to experience the newly restored Coal Camp murals as Miners Hall Museum celebrates the completion of the "Preserving Coal Camp Stories: Mural Restoration at Miners Hall Museum" project with a special ribbon-cutting ceremony by the Pittsburg Area Chamber of Commerce.

The event will be held on the west grounds of the museum facility known as “Coal Camp”.

Made possible through a grant from Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area (FFNHA), this project preserves one of the museum's most popular outdoor exhibits while sharing the stories of Southeast Kansas's coal mining communities with future generations.

Gary Lofts, the artist who created the original murals, has returned to restore his original artwork, ensuring these stories continue to inspire visitors for years to come.

The Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area has invested in projects that preserve a shared heritage, strengthen heritage tourism, and empower local communities to share the stories that define our region.

Freedom’s Frontier is a congressionally designated national heritage area that spans eastern Kansas and western Missouri, working with partners to preserve and share the stories of the region’s role in shaping the nation’s history. FFNHA provides grant funding to support projects promoting heritage tourism, historic preservation, and public interpretation.

The celebration will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony, remarks from project partners, and an opportunity to tour the restored Coal Camp exhibit, including the museum's original miner's house. The museum will also be open for viewing so visitors can see the final week of the Pittsburg 150 special exhibit “Blueprints of American Grit: McNally and 150 Years of Pittsburg Progress”.

Come celebrate this exciting milestone with us as we honor the region's history, recognize the partnerships that made this project possible, and look toward the future of heritage preservation in Southeast Kansas.

The ledger project will also be available inside the museum if you’d like to sign your name into history in the Museum's “time capsule” project. Leave a memory of your family, your family name, an important person in your life, etc.

• For more information, visit freedomsfrontier.org