Pell City will be the recipient of a new state and local history museum to be placed in the Municipal Complex building.

The museum will combine two exhibits, one local and one state, already in storage in Pell City. The relevant parties are in the midst of a fundraising campaign to help fuel the grand opening of the venue.

According to Carol Pappas, Capital Campaign Chairman for the Museum of Pell City, they hope to have the doors open to the public before the end of the year.

The Museum of Pell City will feature an exhibit from the 2014 Smithsonian exhibit, which featured a local exhibit on the history of Pell City and St. Clair County. The name of the local exhibit is Pell City Works and is valued at $40,000.

The state history exhibit, Making Alabama: A Bicentennial Exhibit, was awarded to Pell City as one of five communities to keep it on a permanent basis by the Alabama Humanities Alliance. It is valued at $100,000.

The two exhibits will be combined into one large exhibit and placed in a 4,000 square foot room located above the library in the municipal complex building.

“These two exhibits will be an ideal complement to one another – the making of Pell City and the making of Alabama together under one roof,” said Pappas.

Pappas and Heart of Pell City member Urainah Glidewell say they have plans to add on to the museum as well. There will be interactive portions of the exhibits, as well as a wing dedicated towards the oral history of Pell City and the state.

Concept layouts and designs are headed by Jeremy Gossett.

Along with the Heart of Pell City and the museum committee, the city council have also been instrumental throughout this process, according to Pappas.

The Museum of Pell City is currently in the midst of a fundraising campaign. Donors include Congressman Mike Rogers and the Pell City Line Dancers, among other financial institutions and community leaders.

For those interested in donating, go to museumofpellcity.org and find the donation tab located on the site. Individuals can also become part of the “Museum 100” where they are recognized as founders of the museum with a $100 donation.

According to Glidewell, this museum will fill a significant need for the preservation of history in Pell City.

“History is always important and Pell City has a very interesting history. Right now, we do not have a repository for that,” Glidewell said.