Local Lift: Park City Museum Executive Director Morgan Pierce

Photo: TownLift // Bailey Edelstein.

PARK CITY, Utah. — Morgan Pierce settled in last week at his new role of Executive Director of the Park City Museum.

Pierce most recently served as the Executive Director of the Museum of Culpeper History in Culpeper, VA. Pierce managed the staff and volunteers through pandemic-related restrictions and was able to capture emergency grants to help continue operations. He oversaw financial operations and helped to research, design, and install meaningful exhibits as well as develop related programming.

Pierce graduated with a B.A. in History from James Madison University and has an M. A. in Arts Management from George Mason University.

Pierce sounded comfortable on his first day in the office. He said for some time he and his family have searched for the perfect place to call home- and they feel like they have now found that in Park City.

The first time Pierce visited the museum, he said his “jaw hit the floor” because he was blown away by the quality of the exhibits.

“There were so many iconic objects that most local history museums would die to acquire.” He referenced the stagecoach that is front and center, one of the Olympic torches, and part of the skiers’ subway that they have in the basement.

“Not to mention the fact that our museum and the galleries are located in three of Main Street’s original historic buildings, including the original City Hall with the original 1885 jail in the basement.”

While there are many other Western ski towns with a history similar to Park City’s, he said he doesn’t think there are any with as many of their historic mining structures still so easily accessible. Today, there are more than 20 structures that hikers and skiers can find in the mountains in and around Park City.

“I am amazed by the fact that the ground that we walk on is above more than 1000 miles of mining tunnels that have been dug for decades before now,” Pierce said from his office in Old Town. He said it is one of the most incredible things he’s learned so far about the mining history here.

His goal in the comings months is to reconnect with the community coming out of the pandemic. “We can look to get back to normal as quickly as possible while also establishing new and exciting avenues to explore and offer.”

The first book Pierce has begun reading is Treasure Mountain Home: A Centennial History of Park City, Utah.