A marketing campaign designed to put Pershing County on travelers’ maps is already showing results.
During last week’s Pershing County Commission meeting, Marzen House Museum representative Bonnie Skoglie reported that new billboard advertising and tourism promotions have led to a noticeable increase in visitors, guided tours and inquiries about the museum.
“We’re trying to start filtering all the people that are attending or coming to the museum to go downtown to some of our other businesses,” Skoglie told commissioners.
The campaign was funded through a $30,000 Recreation Board grant that paid for three billboards, a full-page advertisement in 101 Things to Do in Nevada magazine and a new visitor kiosk that will highlight local businesses and attractions.
Since the billboards were installed, Skoglie said the museum has hosted 22 guided tours, three daytime ghost tours and fielded numerous phone calls from travelers seeking more information about the museum and the community. She said the increased interest demonstrates that marketing can encourage travelers on Interstate 80 to stop and explore Lovelock rather than simply passing through.
The museum hopes to build on that momentum.
Commissioners approved allowing any remaining grant funds from the museum’s electrical improvement project to be used on several additional projects once the electrical work is complete. Those include construction of a three-sided equipment shed, continued restoration of the former brothel building and finishing exterior work on the railroad house exhibit.
The commission also approved registering and insuring the museum’s restored 1926 delivery truck so it can participate in local and regional parades once the title work is completed. Skoglie said the truck will serve as another way to promote both the Marzen House Museum and Pershing County at community events throughout northern Nevada.
Another project in the works is a visitor information kiosk that will feature advertisements and information about local businesses. The goal is to encourage museum visitors to spend additional time in Lovelock by shopping, dining and visiting other attractions after touring the museum.
As visitation grows, however, so does the need for help.
Skoglie told commissioners that the museum is looking for additional volunteers and hopes to fill a part-time position to help accommodate the growing number of guided tours. She described one recent day when six visitors arrived at the same time, stretching the museum’s volunteer staff.
“We’re looking for more volunteers,” she said, noting that increased tourism also means increased demand for people to greet visitors and share the community’s history.
The museum has become one of Pershing County’s signature attractions, preserving the area’s mining, railroad and ranching history while introducing visitors to stories that helped shape Lovelock and the surrounding region.
For Skoglie, the early success of the marketing campaign is encouraging.
Instead of simply bringing more people through the museum’s doors, the broader goal is to help visitors discover everything Pershing County has to offer, creating economic benefits that extend well beyond the museum itself.
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