AOO1854

Peter Barton most recently served as the Administrator for the Nevada Division of Museums and History, overseeing the development, operations and programs of Nevada’s seven state-sponsored museums from 2006 until his retirement in early 2020. Mr. Barton spent 40 years developing and managing museums and historical organizations. With a special interest in transportation history he has developed numerous railroad museums, including the visitor center at the world-famous Horseshoe Curve National Historic Landmark in Altoona, PA and the acclaimed Altoona (PA) Railroaders Memorial Museum, a museum that rather than celebrating advances in technology breaks from tradition and explores railroad life and labor in what was America’s largest railroad community. During the 1990s while living and working in western Pennsylvania, he played a role in developing the Southwestern Pennsylvania Heritage Preservation Commission, one of America’s early National Heritage Areas. He also served as an organizer and board member of the Allegheny Ridge State Heritage Park, an innovative 100-mile linear park in western Pennsylvania and served a term as president of the Pennsylvania Federation of Museums and Historical Organizations (PFMHO). Mr. Barton also spent several years as vice-president of Christopher Chadbourne and Associates of Boston, MA, project managing museum exhibit design projects for a variety of clients including the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry (U-505); Mt. Vernon, the home of George Washington (Donald W. Reynolds George Washington Education Center); the U.S. Marine Corps (National Museum of the Marine Corps, Quantico, VA), and the Smithsonian Institution. For his efforts in developing innovative and engaging museum experiences he is the shared recipient of three internationally recognized Awards of Merit from the Themed Entertainment Association (THEA). In addition to his professional work, Mr. Barton advises on numerous cultural resource and museum development projects, served seven years on the Carson City Cultural Commission (three years as chairman), and served as lead support staff for Nevada’s Sesquicentennial Commission (2012-2015). He retired in 2020 and is enjoying his retirement while staying active and involved in the planning, development, management and operation of museums from his new home that he shares with his wife, Nancy, and two beagles, Carson and Lacey, along the Treasure Coast in Florida.