We've Got Stairs!

If there's any indication that the museum is getting closer to opening, it just may be the completion of the grand staircase. When the museum opens, it will take visitors from the mezzanine to the level of the museum. Sweeping down to the center of the exhibit, visitors will then be able to choose what to see and experience first. The ornamentation of the staircase mimics that of the existing staircases throughout the American Mountaineering Center.

The images below take you through the transformation -- from piles of steel to finished staircase.









Before the staircase was pieced together, it had to be worked into the museum space on a boom, guided by hand.

Construction, Day 52: The Mezzanine

The real building has begun.

The mezzanine, which will eventually serve as the entrance to the museum, as well as the visitors' first experience of the mountain-like environment, has begun to take shape.

The structure was welded together and the concrete slab was poured last week. Next steps include building the arching staircase that will take visitors over the crevasse feature of the entrance, and down to the level of the museum, into the self-selecting gallery. This format allows visitors to go anywhere they please, at their own pace.

Keep watch for more photos of that phase of construction as they are sure to be exciting.