NITRO, W.Va. — Those who operate the Nitro Wars Museum say they’re excited about its reopening set for Monday afternoon.
The museum, located at 2003 20th Street, has been closed since February 2020, director Carmen Kostelansky said.
“We closed it before COVID hit because we were going to revamp it, put some walls up, those kind of things and then COVID hit so we’ve been able to do a lot more,” Kostelansky said ahead of Monday’s reopening.
Members of the Nitro Historic Commission have been doing the renovation work. Kostelansky said they’ve also picked up additional room with the moving of the local food pantry.
“We have a 1918 Model Ford that’s going to come in that’s going to go back there. We’re going to have a library that goes back there,” Kostelansky said of the future plans.
The museum boasts itself as the “area’s largest collection of memorabilia and artifacts from the various military conflicts involving the U.S.”
“If you want to see it–you just can’t believe all of things we have here and it’s all donations from people,” Kostelansky said.
Nitro sprung up because of World War I. Kostelansky said she loves sharing the story.
“There wasn’t enough ammunition to supply our troops so Wilson (President Woodrow Wilson) had to build some more ammunition plants and Nitro was chosen,” she said.
The museum’s regular hours are Monday-Friday from noon to 4 p.m. and the second Saturday of each month from noon to 4 p.m.