Belton Area Museum Association

The Belton Area Museum Association operates the Ruth Drake Museum, the S.C. Tennis Hall of Fame, the North End Gallery, a gift shop and a performance venue all housed in the historic Belton Train Depot. In 2007, an over $400,000 renovation to the facility was completed with the help of a S.C> Transportation grant, a S.C. Competitive Grant, and local funding matches from Anderson County.  These grants enabled us to renovate our 1908 building and bring its amenities up to 21st century standards for accessibility and accommodation. The Ruth Drake Museum houses a collection of pioneer artifacts, train relics, 19th century domestic items and agricultural implements.  We also have an extensive genealogy collection for researchers trying to locate family roots. The S.C. Tennis Hall of Fame celebrates the achievements of S.C.'s famous tennis stars.  There are mementos from all of the Hall of Fame inductees including such outstanding players as Dennis Van der Meer and Stan Smith, both Wimbledon contenders.  All of the portraits of inductees are painted by internationally acclaimed artist Wayland Moore, a Belton native. The North End Exhibition Gallery promotes traveling collections of interesting artifacts. Semi-annual exhibits are curated in this space. The Center Section Performance Hall is open for meeting and event rentals. Concerts, weddings, receptions and small conferences are held in this space. Several yearly events are sponsored by BAMA: Heritage Days at the Depot, a genealogy workshop, Ghost Tales, and a spring rummage sale. Our staff and board members are also instrumental in the planning and implementation of the Palmetto Tennis Tournament, the Standpipe Heritage and Arts Festival and the S.C. Championship Chili Cook Off. Recognized by the S.C. Federation of Museums as the 2007 and 2012 Achievement Award Winner and in 2008 designated with the Heritage Tourism Award from the S.C. Department of Archives and History, BAMA strives to make history come alive with presentations of interactive exhibits and engaging historical topics. The museums are open free of charge Wednesday – Thursday, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.; and Saturday, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Contact Shirah Heller, BAMA executive director, during museum hours at 864-338-7400 or by email at beltonmuseum@bellsouth.net for more information.