From Acquisition to Care: Inside the Museum’s Collections

Follow the path of a museum donation, from collecting, to conservation, to storage, and help us continue the journey!

The journey from an object leaving an attic to sitting in a museum’s exhibit case can be a long one. Donated objects are vetted, researched, cleaned, conserved, catalogued, and properly stored before you would even know they had entered the collection! Learn more about the inner workings of our collections department with a special drop-in program to see items in each stage of the process, including newly acquired pieces such as a Revolutionary War cannonball, a Bicentennial costume, and a 1960s radiation measurement kit. You’ll also have the opportunity to see recently conserved items, as well as those that still need care, that you can help contribute to. Admission is pay-what-you-can, all proceeds will go toward conservation efforts, and we will gratefully accept further donations at the event.