IT is hoped construction will begin on a tower overlooking the site of the Kelly Gang's Glenrowan siege next year.
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It is understood the Victoria's government has committed to supporting the tower, estimated to cost $2 million. However, official confirmation is yet to occur.
The tower is designed to allow people to observe the siege site while wearing virtual reality goggles which would give tourists an insight into what it looked like in 1880 and how the stand-off between the gang and police unfolded.
It is predicted that it will attract another 11,000 visitors to Glenrowan.
Wangaratta's most recent mayor Dean Rees is excited by the project and rates it a modern counterpart to the giant Ned Kelly which was unveiled in 1992.
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"I just think it's another call to action for people driving up the highway, let's go and have a look at it, because you won't be able to see it from the highway," Cr Rees said.
"Whereas years ago you had the big sheep or the big prawn to get people in, now you've got big interactive things which the young people like."
A lakeside wooden tower in Finland, which is 13-metres high and described as the periscope, is seen as a protoype for Glenrowan's elevated viewing experience.
Meanwhile, Cr Rees has confirmed that Wangaratta Council is interested in housing artefacts from Beechworth's now closed Ned Kelly Vault at Glenrowan.
He said the rural city had spoken to the vault's founder Matt Shore over the past three to six months about that prospect.
Ned Kelly Alive advanced plans for a $15 million interpretative centre at Glenrowan which has long been seen as the big drawcard to stimulate visitor numbers.
Artefacts that formed the vault collection, such as Kelly's favourite gun, would neatly fit into that centre.
More immediately, the Old Beechworth Gaol will mark 140 years since Kelly's hanging next April.
A country fair will be staged at the prison on April 24 with film screenings and tours and an art exhibition entitled Stories of the Kelly Women will open at the same time.
The paintings are by late central Victorian artist Janet Goodchild Cuffley and will be on display for a month.
Both events had been scheduled to coincide with the anniversary of the outlaw's death this month but were delayed due to COVID.
Matt Pfahlert, the chief executive of ACRE which manages the jail, said those using the site continued to increase.
"It's amazing to see the transformation," he said. "There are now 35 tenants in the co-working space, including Hallidays Solicitors, Indigo Power, The Big House cooking school, Gravel Mob and ACRE to name a few."
