Over the last year, the Tempe Historical Museum has gotten a facelift and a new name to match as it prepares for its grand reopening celebration on Feb. 27.

The museum, at South Rural Road and East Southern Avenue, has added four new exhibits — including one about the University — and changed its name to the Tempe History Museum.

In June 2007, James Burns, the museum’s history curator, joined the renovation project when it was in full swing.

“It was started in the fall of 2006 when the Tempe voters passed a bond to fund the project,” he said.

About 95 percent of the funding was put into public areas, Burns said. Construction work to install the exhibits began last February.

“The public will see where their money went — 12,000 square feet was added to the building,” he said.

Technology is a new addition to the museum, he said.

“We have a very interesting 55-inch touch screen monitor used to explore information,” he said.

The museum recognizes that there are a lot of new ways of learning, Burns said.

“In the new museum, I think students will be more engaged,” he said. “We’ve gone to great lengths to make the history of the city more relevant to them.”

The main exhibit will feature four areas, each built around a specific theme: Surviving in the Desert, Building Our Community, Living Together and College Town.

The College Town exhibit examines the relationship between ASU and Tempe as it has evolved over time, Burns said.

Dan Miller, the museum’s exhibit coordinator, worked closely on the College Town section.

“One of the things we mention is Tempe’s growth paralleled with growth at ASU,” he said.

The section deals with ASU’s early years, athletics, cultural impact, the ASU-UA rivalry and diversity. In terms of diversity and athletics, ASU has had a cultural impact since day one, Miller said.

“ASU was a leader in sports by allowing African Americans to play as early as the ’30s,” he said. “Some Western schools didn’t want to play ASU then. ASU broke barriers in that regard on the playing field.”

One of the main aspects of the exhibit is student life, and it mentions popular student hangouts like Casey Moore’s Oyster House and Rúla Búla Tempe Irish Pub and Restaurant near the Tempe campus.

Megan Low, an art exploratory junior, was skeptical about whether the museum is a good use of public money, but said she would be willing to check it out.

“Most ASU students are transplants from other areas and probably don’t care,” she said. “But I’d give it a shot.”

Burns said the museum is trying to project its image as cutting-edge.

“The goal for us is to become the best history museum in the West,” he said. “A lot of museums are talking about using a different approach, [but] not a lot have been able to implement, and it’s a trend that is definitely picking up speed.”

Reach the reporter at mmbarke1@asu.edu