I am heading up that way in about a week.
Did Bass Pro do it justice? How much of the orginal musuem is there?
Do they charge?
I had never been to the original museum, but the bass pro version is pretty nice. It's sort of way off to the side in the store, but there's alot of really nice memorobelia (sp?) there. I think they do charge but it isn't that bad.
They have most of it in storage as they don't have room for it at the present. But what is out is real cool.
What Bass Pro had on display last summer represents about 20% of the entire collection. It looks nice and is well presented, but I was very disappointed. I guess that someone who never saw the original museum would think that it was great.
I lived in Gainesville while I was in college and visited the museum regularly. I talked to Frank Scott on a fairly regular basis and I know how proud he was of the museum. I had hoped that Bass Pro Shop would recreate it in a complete format. In my mind they could close down that whole wildlife exhibit next door and replace it with the complete Bear Museum and come out ahead.
Man this brings back memories. I went to the old Fred Bear Museum about a dozen times and always found something I missed before. What a great place. The only downside was it was in "Gator" country.
That was the best part about it, Don!
I went to the original showroom in Grayling back in teh early 80's before they moved everything. Pretty cool. Wish I had taken pictures then. I hear they have torn down the building now.
I figured Bass Pro would screw it up. Shame on them for buying all the artifacts, then hiding them in a warehouse to rot away. I wonder how much of it ended up in someones private collection.
Yes, the original Bear musuem was torn down about
5 weeks ago.Michigan Traditional Bowhunters holds
their annual Jamboree there and we used to use the musuem for meetings and membership booth.
Going to miss not seeing it there anymore.
DICK
I was at he Bass Pro in early May and nothing from the Fred Bear museum is on display. They are building a new museum wing to display in 2009. As was said all the mounts are in storage behind the main store actually they are stored at the warehouse were you pick up large items. My buddy bought a deer cart and when we picked it up ar the warehouse I could see the mounts at the back, I would have loved to get back for a look.
Is there a way a guy can get their hands on some of those precious memories? If they will part with them. They shouldnt be in a warehouse rotting away....thats foresure
there was a video I had that Frank gave me that was a virtual tour of the entire facility.
I am sure I can find it, given enough time. I will be glad to share it around when I do.
My parents lived right down the road an hour south of Gainesville (Archer Road- I loved that name) and I spent tons of time going through..it never got old.
I stopped at the Grayling musuem many times over the years and have been to the Gainesville one also. Nothing compares to when it was in Grayling and actually seening Fred Bear walking around and talking to everyone.