A San Luis Obispo museum dedicated to preserving local veterans’ history is seeking community support after learning it may need to close its doors for several months while a county construction project moves forward.
The Central Coast Veterans Memorial Museum, located inside the San Luis Obispo Veterans Memorial Building on Grand Avenue, houses thousands of artifacts that tell the stories of military service members, with a special focus on veterans from the Central Coast.
For more than 24 years, the museum has worked to preserve that history and educate the public. Now, museum President and Director Bart Topham is preparing for the possibility of temporarily relocating the museum’s entire collection as San Luis Obispo County plans an HVAC installation project at the Veterans Building.
“It was kind of a surprise to us and now we’re kind of scrambling to figure out how to do this,” Topham said.
Topham said he first learned in early October that the museum would need to vacate its space.
According to Topham, the county’s HVAC project is expected to begin around Feb. 1 and take two to three months to complete. However, he said the museum will need additional time before and after construction to pack, store and eventually move its collection back into the building.
As a result, Topham estimates the museum will be closed from mid-November through at least April or May 2027.
“We’ve been looking at a loss of being open, a loss of income, and all of the resources that we need to do this, so we are certainly hoping that the Central Coast community can come out and give us a hand,” Topham said.
Topham said he is working with the county and the project’s contractor to determine whether any accommodations can be made that would reduce the impact on the museum.
KSBY reached out to San Luis Obispo County, which confirmed the HVAC work is a county project. However, the county did not immediately provide additional details about the construction timeline or whether alternatives could be considered.
If the museum ultimately has to move its collection, Topham estimates the process will cost approximately $20,000.
The museum is seeking donations of money, supplies and resources to help with the move. Needed items include stackable plastic storage bins, bubble wrap and access to a secure storage facility.
The museum is also seeking volunteers and movers to help pack and relocate more than 50 display cases and the thousands of artifacts they contain.
Anyone interested in donating or volunteering can contact Topham at 805-459-8826.