Collections

The Cayuga Museum is the oldest continually operating museum in Auburn. Our collection is an encyclopedic trove of the history and cultural heritage found in the City of Auburn, Cayuga County, New York. We house over 150,000 artifacts, paintings, and memorabilia representing the history and art of Cayuga County!

Explore the Collection

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Research and Image Requests

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Adopt-an-Artifact

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Donate an Object

Do you think you have something that fits in our collection? Review our Collection Scope before you proceed.

Collection Scope

Objects will be collected from the following geographic areas: the City of Auburn, and Cayuga County NY. Objects from the broader areas of the Finger Lakes region and New York State will be collected only if they sufficiently reflect local historical relevance.

Acquisition Policy

Objects considered for donation must meet the following criteria:
1

Must be relevant to the mission, purpose, and collections scope of the Cayuga Museum of History and Art. 

2

The Museum must be able to store, protect, preserve and care for acquisitions. If an object is in a state of advanced deterioration or is of a significant size, the Museum may not be able to accept the donation.

3

All donations are considered outright, irrevocable and unconditional gifts to the Cayuga Museum to be used at the discretion of the museum. Please note we do not accept objects with the stipulation that they be on permanent display.

4

The museum cannot accept unsolicited donations through the mail or in person. Donations must be approved by the Director of Collections and be accompanied by a signed gift agreement. Any unsolicited objects received will be considered abandoned property and the museum reserves the right to dispose of such property as it sees fit.

If you have items you wish to donate to the museum and believe they fit within our collections scope and acquisition policy, please contact us using one of the forms below to set up an appointment.

Online Form

Donate Object

 

Complete Online Form
Mail-In Form

Donation Form PDF

 

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