Grand Opening!

Written By Alanna Powell

Humboldt Made and the Clarke Museum are excited to announce the Grand Opening of our new Visitor Center on October 14 from 1 to 6 in Clarke Plaza! We will have live music by artists Earl Thomas, Rogues' Gallery, and Ghost Rider as well as a special ribbon cutting ceremony with the city. We will also have food, beverage, and craft vendors, and information about what's in store for tourism in Eureka. The event is free and open to all ages. 

Follow the Visitor Center on Facebook and Instagram to stay up-to-date on this event and others.

Below is a quick overview of what we are working on. Check out the full proposal here. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Alanna Powell at alanna@humboldtmade.com. 

Visitor Center

The primary purpose of the Visitor Center is to serve as the first point of contact with visitors to the area. We will provide brochures and information, much like a traditional visitor center. In addition to these traditional services, we will be providing guidance through the entire visit - from hotel and restaurant recommendations to tours, trail information, and the low-down on retail . We want to curate an exceptional experience for every person who comes through our doors. Humboldt Made will also employ our expert marketing to drive tourists into Old Town and throughout Eureka. We see Eureka as the hub of Humboldt; the perfect place to stay and play when you come to see the Redwoods. 

Gift Shop and Tasting Room

In addition to the primary operations of the visitor center we will also feature a tasting room and gift shop highlighting the best of Humboldt. Our tasting room will offer local beer, wine, coffee, and small plates sourced from local businesses. Our offerings will be local, fresh, and evolving, as we change our menu to feature what is happening in our neck of the woods. We envision our space as a place for visitors and locals alike to come sample a cross-section of the wonderful things our county has to offer. 

Our gift shop will also feature a curated collection of locally made, artisan products including attire, home goods, jewelry. We are reaching out to our members and local artisans to stock the gift shop. We see this gift shop as a way to promote the makers in our community and send visitors home with something uniquely Humboldt. 

One project we are especially excited about is our artist t-shirt series! We will be working seasonally with local artists to create images that are representative of Eureka and Humboldt for use on limited run apparel. So, several times a year we will have brand new t-shirts and other apparel for sale that will promote the local art scene and help show the world all of the amazing sides of our city. To the left is a draft of the first print we will be running this fall from local artist Jenna Catsos of Pen&Pine. We have loved the process of working with her to create a fun representation of Eureka!  

Community Approach

We believe in a holistic approach to tourism and we need a strong community to achieve our goals.  We truly believe it takes a village, and we know our efforts will be returned ten-fold through the inclusion of the local business community. We will cultivate relationships with businesses across the city to ensure we are able to guide our visitors through their perfect Eureka adventure. We strive to create a community of tourism facing individuals through industry mixers hosted at the Visitor Center and a monthly newsletter to keep everyone in the loop. We will be reaching out monthly to local businesses to find out what they have in store for the month so we can promote them to our visitors. When guests come to the Visitor Center, we want to be able to tell them about a great happy hour, about live music or art. We want to show off what is happening in our city because we love it here and we want other people to as well.