The Cayuga Museum of History and Art was founded in 1936, largely through the work of a local arts group called the Daubers’ Club. While today Auburn boasts an abundance of museums and cultural sites, in 1936 it lacked even one museum. Led by Walter Long, a local artist and art professor, the Daubers’ Club proposed the creation of a museum to fill this need.

The Cayuga Museum’s collection includes works by members of the Daubers’ Club, as well as notable artists of the Finger Lakes region. As an artist himself, Long had many connections in the art world and worked to bring exciting exhibits to Auburn. Many of these relations resulted in art acquisitions, and the collection quickly grew. 

Today the museum’s painting collection encompasses important works from 1820 to 1973 and numbers 254 paintings in total. The Cayuga Museum is only able to exhibit a small portion of the painting collection each year but this exhibit offers a unique opportunity to display the majority of the painting collection at one time.

The Schweinfurth Art Center is located at 205 Genesee St., directly next to the Cayuga Museum. Joint passes are available for purchase at both organizations.