A longtime Tuscaloosa museum is closing. Here's why

The Mildred Westervelt Warner Transportation Museum in Tuscaloosa will close its doors permanently after serving the community for 13 years.

The museum at 1901 Jack Warner Parkway announced its closure on its website, saying the museum will officially close on Monday.

More: Project would expand Kentuck Art Center's footprint in downtown Tuscaloosa

The June 17 statement read:

"Effective July 1, 2024, our Mildred Westervelt Warner Transportation Museum will close to the public following recently announced changes to the facility where we are housed. Thank you to our visitors and the community for your support over the last 13 years," the statement read.

In April, the city of Tuscaloosa announced plans for the Kentuck Art Center to expand into the Queen City Bath House space that currently houses the transportation museum.

Exa Skinner, Kentuck's executive director, previously said Kentuck will use the area as an extended display space for its folk art collection, a cafe and retail storefront. Also, the area's expansive outdoor green space where the pool once stood will provide a "vibrant event venue," Skinner said.

Katherine Edge, the transportation museum's director, said that the museum achieved much during its 13 years and she encouraged Tuscaloosa area residents to check out the University of Alabama's other museums, such as the Alabama Museum of Natural History, the Gorgas House Museum, the Moundville Archaeological Park and the Paul W. Bryant Museum.

“I am proud of the tireless effort and dedication by the museum staff to achieve all that the museum did over the years. It has been an honor to work in this space to educate the community on the vast and varied history of Tuscaloosa, and it will be greatly missed. We invite everyone to visit the various other museums at the University of Alabama,” said Edge in a statement.

The museum opened on Dec. 13, 2011. Since then, the museum's state mission has been to broaden the knowledge of transportation-related topics that gave rise to the City of Tuscaloosa’s development and human culture through exhibits as well as research, instruction and service.

Housed in the historic Queen City Bath House, the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was designed and constructed by Don Buel Schuyler, an apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright. Construction began in 1941 and was completed in 1943.

Reach Jasmine Hollie at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Transportation museum to close after 13 years in Tuscaloosa