Elated Chiltern Athenaeum volunteers look forward to the re-opening of the historic 1866 museum in late March after a near five-year closure for conservation renovations.

Rosalie Kirwin is among volunteers working hard for the athenaeum’s set up ready for a community opening as well as an official one to follow sometime later.

Ms Kirwin said the athenaeum’s closure with its long-awaited and recent completion had been a long haul for the community, impacting the town with a loss of tourist visits to the athenaeum.

“We’re looking forward to its opening and attracting people again,” she said.

The volunteer said the large collection will have rotated displays while innovative initiatives are being undertaken to revitalize the athenaeum in time for next month’s opening.

She said functions to be held at the museum including a literary day are being explored too.

“As we've been sorting books, we found some really good ones and some that have been donated by important people,” she said.

The longtime volunteer of more than a decade presently living in Wodonga has a five-generation connection to Chiltern and grew up in the town.

“I love Chiltern’s history and the town is home to me,” she said.

“My parents and their parents grew up here and some great grandparents were all from Chiltern.”

Ms Kirwin said she has had a big interest in the town with many family businesses through the generations.

“My great grandmother had a cafe across the road from the athenaeum, my grandparents had a grocery store, and I've had shops here as well as my daughter with hairdressing salons,” she said.

“There's a history of giving back to Chiltern as we have all have loved the town so much.”

The passionate volunteer said the athenaeum is part of Chiltern’s tourist attraction as well as holding history for her too.

Ms Kirwin said the community banded together with a fundraiser for imperative climate control within the building with three split system air conditioning units now installed.

“There were donations from individuals, businesses and clubs with $54,000 raised,” she said.

Ms Kirwin hopes the Open Day at the end of March will draw the community to the see the museum’s development.

“I hope we have an influx of not just visitors, but locals who come in and realise we have a wealth of information here because it's our history,” she said.

“We want to get people back in the doors and have some events to highlight what we do.

“There is so much history here that you can't find on Google.

“History is the essence of old gold towns, and the façade (of the athenaeum) is like it was back then and the essence of the place is just incredible.”

The community open day is set for Sunday 20 March between 10am and 3pm where people can see the athenaeum’s new revamped interior.

The total renovation budget was $474,612 comprising an Indigo Shire Council contribution of $186,782 as well as the $54,000 raised by the Chiltern community and the rest funded by government grants.