Adopt an Artifact

The Cayuga Museum holds tens of thousands of objects that tell the story of Cayuga County, but we have room for only a very small percentage to be on display at any given time. The rest of the collection is kept in storage where proper protection and care are necessary to preserve objects for the future. To help us care for the collection, please consider participating in our Adopt an Artifact program. 

Choose an object to adopt from the list below. Your tax deductible adoption donation will go directly to the collections fund, helping us purchase archival supplies such as document boxes, folders, and shelving.

-With all donation levels, you will receive a photo of your object with an adoption certificate, acknowledgement on our website, newsletter and annual report.
-For a donation of $100 or more, you can take a behind-the-scenes tour of the collection in addition to the basic benefits.
-For a donation of $500 or more, you will receive a behind-the-scenes tour of the collection, as well as the option to choose a topic to be featured in a mini exhibit in the third floor community room.

Adopt an artifact in the $100 level and you will get a behind-the-scenes tour of the collection in addition to the certificate and photograph.

Adopt a Collection
The following objects represent the sub-collections with the highest need. Your $500 donation will cover the cost of boxes/folders/tissue/etc. as well as new shelving units to hold the collection. You will receive a behind-the-scenes tour of the collection, as well as the option to choose a topic to be featured in a mini exhibit in the third floor community room. 

Please contact Karyn with any questions or if you’d like more information about this program.

Many thanks to Christopher Molloy for the photographs used on this page.