Ryan was hired by the City of Pacific in 2023 to develop the Meramec Valley History Museum housed in the newly renovated Red Cedar Inn Visitor Center. The building itself was opened in 1934 by the Smith Family in order to capitalize on the traffic that Route 66 was bringing through town starting in 1933. While the name may have been the Red Cedar Inn, the business was primarily a restaurant and never had any rooms to rent out.
It remained in operation until 2005 when the fourth generation decided to close the business; the City of Pacific, Missouri acquired the building in 2017 and began work on restoring it. The Red Cedar Inn was fully restored by 2023 and the central room was ready to be transformed into a museum.
The museum itself includes three permanent exhibits and three rotating exhibits. The themes for the permanent sections are: Route 66 history in the area, the history of the City of Pacific, Missouri, and of course the history of the Red Cedar Inn. Two of the three rotating exhibits switch twice a year and have included a variety of themes such as: Women in the Meramec Valley, Meramec Valley School District Spotlight, Local Dairy Farms Celebration, and a Gallery for Local Artists and Authors.
Ryan Lowry was the lead of a small team that developed the entire museum from nothing, transforming an empty room into an educational, interactive space. Ryan was directly responsible for conceptualizing and developing all of the museum exhibits. He met with a plethora of locals from around the town to gather the history of the Meramec Valley, which was then compiled and designed into timelines along the acrylic wall panels. The panels themselves were commissioned and built by a graphic artist named Derek Prior.
Once the acrylic panels were up, Ryan then researched and ordered the custom display cases, which includes: a hydraulic top that can be locked, treated glass to protect artifacts from light damage, and casters so they can be easily rearranged. Two taller display cases were also chosen to allow for two small, rotating exhibits that are also on casters and have interior lighting.
Each of the cases were then stocked with artifacts that were either already a part of the Meramec Valley Historical Society’s collection, or have been donated/loaned out since the grand opening on August of 2023. Each item is accompanied by a custom label, written, researched, and fact-checked by Ryan.
After completely developing the museum gallery, Ryan moved on to revamping the collection policy and archival management of the Red Cedar Inn. Using software such as PastPerfect, he has cataloged the massive collection of artifacts, newspapers, photos, and literature that the Meramec Valley Historical Society has collected over the years. These records are fully searchable and have been digitized, allowing for easy access for researchers and guests.
This data has also been incorporated into an interactive element; each of the exhibits contains a small touchscreen computer that contains additional information that could not be displayed on the acrylics nor in the cases. These digital interactives are PowerPoints that are coded to respond to touch commands, allowing guests to explore hundreds of slides containing photos, document scans, and even interviews with local residents. View the “Media Projects” page to see more on the digital interactives.
Ryan Michael Lowry 