State and local officials toured the site of the proposed Sing Sing Prison Museum in Ossining on Thursday.

The $50 million museum would be located inside the Powerhouse, a section of the prison that once provided electricity to the entire facility. If completed, the four-story museum would include exhibit space, a theater and a rooftop hall with views of the Hudson River.

Jerry Faiella, an advocate of the museum, tried to get the support and financial backing of lawmakers during the tour. He said he believes an attraction like the proposed museum is needed because it could tell the prison's past and future.

State and local officials tell News 12 they would like the museum to become one of the premier prison museums in the nation and be a major engine of economic development for the area.

"How are we going to get all these folks who come to the museum to also spend time in our community beyond this wonderful facility that we're going to have," Victoria Gearity, mayor of Ossining, told News 12.

Officials hope to begin construction next year and have the museum opened in time for the 200th anniversary of the prison in 2025.