The Hay River Heritage Centre will be reopening on May 26 after its normal shutdown for the winter.
The museum closed in mid-December after its final event last year, and it was winterized for the colder weather.
Kirk Vander Ploeg, the manager of the museum, said it always reopens about this time of year.
"The rule of thumb is to wait until after the potential of a flood," he said, referring to the spring breakup of the Hay River. "That drives you right away until early May at the very earliest. And then it's kind of like, where is the funding? Did the funding all get approved that we applied for? So we wait for confirmation of that."
Vander Ploeg said there has been confirmation of quite a bit of the annual GNWT funding, plus there is opportunity to apply for more for certain projects.
The May 26 opening date was decided on by the society's new board of directors elected at an AGM in late April.
"It was decided that May 26 was the date that worked for everybody because we've also got to wait for tourists, too," said Vander Ploeg. "And the campground just opened on May 17."
It takes about a week of work to get the museum ready for reopening, including cleaning and reconnecting water.
As usual, there are also changes being made to the displays.
Vander Ploeg estimated that, at the beginning of the season and throughout the summer, about 10 per cent of the displays are changed each year.
In addition, there are some layout changes being made to the museum, which is housed in an old Hudson's Bay Store built in the 1940s.
Vander Ploeg said that the museum society's board has decided on a major new initiative for the museum this year.
"We really want to work on the fossils," he said. "A lot of people don't understand, but the fossils are a big deal in this region. It's come to our attention that a lot of fossils from the Hay River region are in museums worldwide. We get that confirmation from people that we know, friends of the museum that travel on their holidays."
Bruce Green, a retired science teacher who occasionally offers fossil walks along the banks of the Hay River, has agreed to lead a committee for the fossil project.
Fossils have always been part of the museum, noted Vander Ploeg. "But there's a brand new focus to it."
Aside from being very important to the natural history of the area, he said fossils offer a tourism opportunity.
After it returns to operation on May 26, the Hay River Heritage Centre will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays and from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.