Marjory Longford next to her grandmother’s 19th-century meat smoker at the Pioneer Park Museum. Photo: Oliver Jacques.
Griffith residents will be able to enter the town’s open-air Pioneer Park Museum for free next year.
At its August meeting, the council-endorsed Pioneer Park Museum Committee recommended a 12-month trial of free general admission, to begin on 1 January, 2026.
Griffith City Council voted to adopt this recommendation a few weeks later.
“A lot of people say they don’t know about Pioneer Park and a lot of locals don’t go there very often,” committee chair and councillor Shari Blumer said.
“It’s a lovely place to go, especially for people with young kids as there’s a play centre as well.
“Ultimately, it’s ratepayers that pay for Pioneer Park, so they should get the opportunity to use it. This will test the capacity of the park and the opportunities for the community.”
Bride Jessica Glass enters a restored Baptist church at a Pioneer Park Museum wedding. Photo: Oliver Jacques.
The Griffith Pioneer Park Museum, which opened in 1971 at 40 Remembrance Drive, features original historical buildings like the first Griffith hospital and post office, which have been transported to the site. At present, adults pay $15 to enter. It can also be booked for weddings and functions.
From January 2026, free entry will be offered for those who live in the postcodes 2680 and 2681. Details on how the trial will work are still to be determined – such as which days will be free and how Griffith locals will be verified.
Cr Blumer said the move also aimed to encourage locals to bring family and friends to the museum.
“There was $6000 in revenue from locals last year. That can be offset by locals bringing in their friends and relatives,” she said.
“We’ll do a survey six months into the trial, to see how people are enjoying it and suggestions on things that can be improved.
“We are getting lots of pop-up exhibitions lately and we’d like to see more of them.”
You might meet a ghost or two at some of the Pioneer Park Museum buildings. Photo: Supplied.
A marketing campaign by the Visit Griffith team will also be developed to promote and showcase the museum.
“The committee held an in-depth discussion regarding the proposed trial of free general admission for local residents to the Griffith Pioneer Park Museum,” the museum committee minutes state.
“Both positive and negative aspects of the proposal were considered. Committee members explored the potential benefits, such as increased community engagement, accessibility, and visitation, as well as possible challenges, including impacts on revenue, resource allocation, and managing visitor expectations.”
Pioneer Park Museum staged its first night event on Halloween this year.
This included Fairview Cottage, a drop-log cabin built to be a family farming home in Tabbita in 1888, which is rumoured to be haunted by ghosts.
“I’d love to see more events and tours like that next year,” Cr Blumer said.
