Make Hesston Steam Museum Accessible for All

The Hesston Steam Museum is a beloved community 501(c)(3) not-for-profit that I have the honor of leading. The museum restores, operates, and presents steam-powered machines, including trains, for the benefit of our guests, all while providing an attraction that helps fuel the economy of the community we call home. We seek to capture the imaginations of everyone who visits.

My uncle, Robert Rita, loved trains and steam machines and experienced these fire-breathing machines here when he was younger. His imagination was one that we won over! As Bobby aged, he became blind, which made it a challenge at best to navigate the museum campus as there are few paths or sidewalks, especially at the entrance. My family seeks to help change that, and we need your help.

He was a wonderful person who spread positivity and joy wherever he went and I was honored to be his guardian. Robert passed away on November 16, 2023, at 72 years old. This will be his last act of kindness. 

His small estate left my family $4,500 that we will be donating to the Accessibility Projects that we are working on at the Hesston Steam Museum. Of course, more funds are needed to make an impact so everyone can enjoy the museum and the train rides that are a signature attraction.

Your gift will help fund:

An ADA-compliant sidewalk from our front gate to the museum’s main pathway

A safe, smooth concrete station platform pad for our wheelchair lift

And, with your support, we’ll complete the new build of a wheelchair-accessible railroad caboose—already two-thirds finished!

Empower the museum's volunteers and inspire others to give. IF you can help us raise another $4,500, our family will contribute an additional $500. Every donation brings us closer to making the museum a place where everyone can fully experience the magic of steam.

Your impact will help those that need just a bit of help to enjoy what the rest of us so often take for granted. Can you help us make history accessible to everyone.