As a newbie to the state who is still discovering the fascinating history of New Mexico, I learn something new about the Land of Enchantment every day. My visit to the Wheels Museum in Downtown Albuquerque was no exception, as I feasted my eyes upon miniature rail operations, antique bicycles, vintage trucks and horse-drawn buggies. Everywhere I looked, a rich history of stories was waiting to be shared.

My TGG colleagues and I attended the event, “What Moves Albuquerque,” as part of the Economic Forum of Albuquerque. I have attended a handful of these insightful networking events alongside other local business and community leaders, but none have taken place in a setting so rich with history.

I learned that the museum is housed in what the Santa Fe Railyards once referred to as ‘The Storehouse,’ built in 1914, where an enormous inventory of parts and supplies was kept for the larger maintenance shops and the entire Santa Fe railroad system. The building itself is a historic landmark, and the artifacts inside further illuminate the story of transportation in Albuquerque and across New Mexico.

I spoke to one volunteer who had a wealth of knowledge and a clear passion for the space he was in. Learning I was new to the area and unfamiliar with the museum and its significance, he enthusiastically shared the story of the Albuquerque Rail Yards and its historic impact on the city and region. He talked about his hopes for the future of the museum, about expanding its impact through both a larger physical space and greater public awareness of its stories.

Of course, “greater public awareness” made my public relations lightbulb go off – immediately thinking through creative opportunities to promote the Wheels Museum and share its limitless stories with the public. At the same time, I thought about the volunteers, who knowingly or unknowingly, were practicing public relations on its most fundamental level every day – through personal storytelling and connecting with visitors.

Oftentimes in the PR world, it is easy to get lost in the details of the metrics, milestones and outcomes that define success for a client. It’s nice to be reminded that, at the very core of our field of work, PR is just that – relating to the public. To be reminded that the question isn’t immediately, HOW CAN WE relay the history of the Wheels Museum to the public? But more importantly, WHY SHOULD WE relay the history of the Wheels Museum to the public?

The “why” was all around us in the museum – old photographs of rail workers, Model T-era vehicles, supply records, stagecoaches, decades-old uniforms and license plates. Sharing and learning about our history is invaluable, and storytelling is what preserves it. The Wheels Museum volunteers telling the story of the history of transportation in Albuquerque and New Mexico, and how it continues to impact the development of the area, bridges an important gap from past to present while also informing the future.

Every organization, community and place has stories worth telling. Those stories are their greatest asset in connecting with the public and sharing whatever their mission is. In public relations, it isn’t as black and white as promoting events or securing media coverage. It’s about uncovering the stories that help people understand why something matters and creating meaningful connections through those narratives.

Leaving the Wheels Museum, I found myself thinking less about the exhibits themselves and more about the leaders and volunteers who keep these stories alive. The power of a well-told story is what inspires curiosity, preserves history and connects people across generations. That’s what PR is all about: connecting people to stories they might not have discovered, or appreciated, on their own.

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