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The History Center in Tompkins County promotes local history through stewardship of our collections and by engaging with the community to understand the past, to gain perspective on the present, and to play an informed role in shaping the future.

The History Center is located in the Tompkins Center for History & Culture on the Ithaca Commons.

Circular image, text button "Exhibit Hall"

Circular image, text button "Research Library"

Circular image, text button "Archives"

History and heritage months link. Background image Haudnenosaunee women mural with lunar cycle.

The History Center Blog

UPCOMING EVENTS

For a full list of our programs explore our Calendar

PROGRAMS & EVENTS CALENDAR - Go to thehistorycenter.net/events

Upcoming Events

    • Sat, January 06, 2024
    • Sat, June 15, 2024
    • 12 sessions
    • 110 North Tioga St, Ithaca NY 14850 - Located inside the Tompkins Center for History & Culture

    WHEN: Saturdays: January 6 & 20, February 3 & 17, March 2 & 16, April 6 & 20, May 4 & 18, June 1 & 15

    WHERE: Joe Mareane Conference Room (Second Floor), Located inside the Tompkins Center for History & Culture, 110 N Tioga St, Ithaca NY 14850

    HistoryForge Transcription sessions happen every other Saturday from 11am-1pm. They happen in-person at the Tompkins Center for History & Culture on the Ithaca Commons usually in the Second Floor Conference Room.

    Be sure you're on the email list to stay in the loop! APPLICATION REQUIRED for new volunteers - We need to do some behind-the-scenes prep-work for each session! 

    What We'll Be Doing

    Help build the HistoryForge database for Tompkins County! We hold community transcription sessions twice a month on Saturdays from 11-1. In 2024 we will be working on the Town of Ithaca census records for 1950, as well as for the Town of Caroline (1880-1950), Town of Newfield (1880-1950), and Trumansburg (1880-1950)!

    To help with our behind the scenes processing of volunteer materials, please complete the volunteer form at least 4 days before the session.

    Complete Volunteer Application

    HistoryForge is a digital mapping and transcription project from The History Center in Tompkins County. We need help digitizing information from the 1940 Ithaca census to add to our HistoryForge database! Volunteers will read through the handwritten census notes from 1940, re-type/and or scan information about individuals, buildings, and businesses from that time period.

    YOU WILL NEED: A laptop or desktop computer, stable internet connection. We have a limited number of volunteer laptops available.

    About HistoryForge

    HistoryForge is a digital history project from The History Center in Tompkins County which combines historic maps and photos with census records of the people who lived in Ithaca, creating a way to visualize the history of Ithaca in the early 1900s. Learn more about the project here and the start of our database creation.

    Not available Saturdays but interested?
    Contact Eve at HistoryForge@thehistorycenter.net


    The HistoryForge project has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom.

    The HistoryForge: Mapping Census Data to Visualize Local History grant was awarded in 2022-2024 through NEH's Digital Humanities Advancement Grant program. The project was also selected to receive funding through NEH's A More Perfect Union initiative.

    .
    LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
    This project is digitizing post-colonization records of Tompkins County, which is located in the traditional and contemporary lands of the Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫˀ Nation (Cayuga), one of the Six Nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Learn more at thehistorycenter.net/land-acknowledgment.

    • Fri, February 02, 2024
    • Fri, December 06, 2024
    • 11 sessions
    • Tompkins Center for History & Culture - 110 N. Tioga St, Ithaca NY 14850

    The History Center is a regular participant in First Friday Gallery Nights (ithacagallerynight.com) in Downtown Ithaca. Please visit www.ithacagallerynight.com to see all open locations. 

    Gallery Night occurs the first Friday evening of each month from 5-8pm.

    Gallery Night is a walkable art show featuring the latest artworks created by highly skilled local and regional artists. Gallery Night varies from month to month, but you can expect to see a range of in-person shows, a walkable tour of window displays, or artwork in storefront windows throughout Downtown.

    1/5 - Exhibit Hall is CLOSED

    2/2 - Exhibit OPENING of A Sporting Chance: On and Off the Field

    3/1 - A Sporting Chance: On and Off the Field on display 

    4/5 -  A Sporting Chance: On and Off the Field on display 

    5/3 -  A Sporting Chance: On and Off the Field on display 

    6/7 - A Sporting Chance: On and Off the Field on display 

    7/5 - A Sporting Chance: On and Off the Field on display

    8/2 - A Sporting Chance: On and Off the Field on display

    9/6 - A Sporting Chance: On and Off the Field on display

    10/4 - A Sporting Chance: On and Off the Field on display

    11/1 - A Sporting Chance: On and Off the Field on display

    12/6 - FINAL GALLERY NIGHT A Sporting Chance: On and Off the Field on display

    • Sat, February 17, 2024
    • Sat, September 07, 2024
    • 30 sessions
    • Tompkins Center for History & Culture - 110 N Tioga St, Ithaca NY 14850


    Saturday Open Hours - Research Library

    Beginning on February 17th 2024, the Research Library will be open to walk-in visitors on Saturdays from 10:00-3:00 for limited research access. Available records include:

    • Genealogy files - Explore our Family Files page to see if we have records with your family names!
    • Built environment resources
    • Local history books - We have over 4,000 books in our library! 
    • Historic maps and atlases - Maps
    • browsable photographs - Photograph Collections

    For appointments on other days with complete access to all of The History Center's archival collections, email archives@thehistorycenter.net  or call 607-273-8284, x224. Appointments are strongly encouraged.

    How long should I plan for?

    We suggest planning for at least an hour. The majority of our records are not digitized, and it can take time to locate the specific information you're looking for. Try to plan for your research time by contacting archives@thehistorycenter.net ahead of time and explore the content introductions we have available on our website.

    Explore the virtual tour of our building at thehistorycenter.net/TCHC to understand how to get to the Library - Use the menu in the top left corner to navigate to the Research Library area. 

    Visiting the Exhibit Hall

    The Research Library is located next to our Exhibit Hall, include time in your visit to explore our local history displays including our Timeline Tunnel, Story Vault, Eight Square Schoolhouse Replica, access to our six exhibit towers, and a close look at our 104 year old Tommy Plane! Private visits with only your group can be reserved in advance, walk-in's can be accommodated most days (W-Sat 10am-6pm).

    CURRENT EXHIBIT - 'A Sporting Chance: On and Off the Field' will be on display February 2024-December 2024. Learn about the exhibit at thehistorycenter.net/sporting-chance.

    Our museum is open and accessible to everyone and we offer a number of accessible options for visitors with specific needs. Learn more at thehistorycenter.net/accessibility

    If a member of your group has sensory sensitivities or physical/visual/auditory limitations please reach out to us with any questions or concerns about our exhibits and the space. We're happy to offer adjustments and options to ensure an enjoyable visit for everyone.

    Our suggested admission price is $10 per adult, $4 per child. Your contribution is important for our continued ability to provide a public educational space within the community. No one will be prevented from visiting due to an inability to pay. Donations can be made during booking or in person.

    Museum staff sanitize all touched surfaces in the museum daily. Review our full safety procedures at thehistorycenter.net/health

    Health & Safety

    The History Center is a mask friendly space. Staff and visitors can wear masks if they desire, but it is no longer required.

    If you are concerned or are particularly vulnerable to the virus, please email us and we are happy to schedule private visit for you to explore the museum in a worry free way. Your comfort and safety is our number one priority!

    History Center staff sanitize all touched surfaces within the Exhibit Hall daily.

    Please do not schedule a visit if you or any member of your group are awaiting results from a COVID-19 test due to symptoms or potential exposure, or were recently in close contact with someone who tested positive for the virus.

    .

    LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

    Our museum is located in the traditional and contemporary lands of the Gayogohó:nǫˀ Nation (Cayuga), one of the Six Nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Learn more at thehistorycenter.net/land-acknowledgement.

    • Wed, March 20, 2024
    • Sat, July 13, 2024
    • 66 sessions
    • Tompkins Center for History & Culture - 110 N Tioga St, Ithaca NY 14850


    Walk through local stories and discover the history of Tompkins County

    Open Hours

    Our Exhibit Hall is open Wednesday-Saturday 10am-6pm February-December. 

    HOLIDAY HOURS - Exhibit Hall will be closed: all Election Days, Juneteenth.

    Suggested Donation
    Adults: $10
    Child: $4

    If you would like to schedule a private visit with masked staff please contact community@thehistorycenter.net

    **Research visits to the Archives & Research Library must be scheduled separately by emailing archives@thehistorycenter.net**

    How long should I plan for?

    We suggest planning for at least an hour to explore the Exhibit Hall, but you may stay as long as you like. We encourage everyone to also explore the Community Arts Partnership Gallery, TCHC Community Tower Exhibit (rotates every three months) and Downtown Visitors Center located on the first floor.

    Visiting the Exhibit Hall

    The History Center is offering in-person visits to our state-of-the-art Exhibit Hall including our Timeline Tunnel, Story Vault, Eight Square Schoolhouse Replica, access to our six exhibit towers, and a close look at our 104 year old Tommy Plane! Private visits with only your group can be reserved in advance, walk-in's can be accommodated most days (W-Sat 10am-6pm).

    CURRENT EXHIBIT - 'A Sporting Chance: On and Off the Field' will be on display February 2024-December 2024. Learn about the exhibit at thehistorycenter.net/sporting-chance.

    Our museum is open and accessible to everyone and we offer a number of accessible options for visitors with specific needs. Learn more at thehistorycenter.net/accessibility

    If a member of your group has sensory sensitivities or physical/visual/auditory limitations please reach out to us with any questions or concerns about our exhibits and the space. We're happy to offer adjustments and options to ensure an enjoyable visit for everyone.

    Request an Exhibit Hall Scavenger Hunt, coloring pages, or museum activity sheet from the front desk when you check in for added fun for all ages!

    Our suggested admission price is $10 per adult, $4 per child. Your contribution is important for our continued ability to provide a public educational space within the community. No one will be prevented from visiting due to an inability to pay. Donations can be made during booking or in person.

    Museum staff sanitize all touched surfaces in the museum daily. Review our full safety procedures at thehistorycenter.net/health

    *We try to accommodate visiting groups outside our normal operating hours when possible. Please contact community@thehistorycenter.net if you'd like to visit the museum or schedule a group field trip outside our normal operating hours.*

    Health & Safety

    The History Center is a mask friendly space. Staff and visitors can wear masks if they desire, but it is no longer required.

    If you are concerned or are particularly vulnerable to the virus, please email us and we are happy to schedule private visit for you to explore the museum in a worry free way. Your comfort and safety is our number one priority!

    History Center staff sanitize all touched surfaces within the Exhibit Hall daily.

    Please do not schedule a visit if you or any member of your group are awaiting results from a COVID-19 test due to symptoms or potential exposure, or were recently in close contact with someone who tested positive for the virus.

    .

    LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

    Our museum is located in the traditional and contemporary lands of the Gayogohó:nǫˀ Nation (Cayuga), one of the Six Nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Learn more at thehistorycenter.net/land-acknowledgement.

    • Mon, April 08, 2024

    Learn more: https://www.visitfingerlakes.com/eclipse-2024/

    • Fri, April 12, 2024
    • 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM


    A Tribute to the Grand Old Game

    An early history of baseball in Ithaca

    WHEN: Friday April 12th 5:30-6:30pm

    WHERE: CAP ArtSpace in the Tompkins Center for History & Culture on the Ithaca Commons - 110 North Tioga St. Ithaca NY 14850.

    PRESENTERS: Charles DeMotte

    About

    Join us on Friday, April 12th from 5:30pm - 6:30pm for A Tribute to the Grand Old Game, and then stick around if you're interested in joining Ithaca's first Vintage Baseball team!

    Charles DeMotte has a long-standing interest in the history of baseball and has written on local baseball as well as producing several books on baseball subjects. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Kansas in 1977 and his Master’s degree from The University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1970. Dr. DeMotte was born in Ithaca, NY and currently lives in nearby Freeville, NY.

    Celebrate the beginning of the baseball season learning about the earliest baseball history in Ithaca. Join Charles DeMotte and The History Center in Tompkins County 


    Tompkins County has a rich baseball history. Dating from the 1860s, when the first recorded games were played, baseball was the favorite local game played at all levels of society. Charles DeMotte’s talk will focus on the early years of baseball in Ithaca and the county up through the WWI. At that time, baseball was truly the national pastime and fit into a pattern of life that is now lost.

    This event is brought to you through our current exhibit 'A Sporting Chance: On and Off the Field'. Learn more at thehistorycenter.net/sporting-chance. On display February-December 2024

    ABOUT THE PRESENTER

    Charles DeMotte has a long-standing interest in the history of baseball and has written on local baseball as well as producing several books on baseball subjects. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Kansas in 1977 and his Master’s degree from The University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1970. Dr. DeMotte was born in Ithaca, NY and currently lives in nearby Freeville, NY.

    -----------------------------------------------------

    Ithaca's Own Vintage Baseball Team

    The History Center in Tompkins County hosted a vintage baseball showcase in the summer of 2022, welcoming the Bovina Dairymen and the Delhi Polecats to Taughannock park for an 1864 and 1892 baseball game. This year, we're excited to welcome back the Bovina Dairymen to compete against a team of Ithaca's finest vintage ball players.

    We're actively recruiting community members (no experience necessary!) to fill out our vintage team for Saturday, August 17th at Taughannock Park. This promises to be an exciting living history athletic endeavor - we need you to stand up for Ithaca!


    COVID-19 POLICY - The History Center will follow the most up to date guidance from the Tompkins County Health Department. Our organization is a mask friendly space and encourage visitors to practice what is most comfortable to them regarding mask wearing. Learn more at thehistorycenter.net/health. The event space can hold up to 45 people. There is no current plan to offer a virtual option for this program.

    The History Center in Tompkins County's current exhibit and programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

    .

    LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
    This event will take place in the traditional and contemporary lands of the Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫˀ Nation (Cayuga), one of the Six Nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Learn more at thehistorycenter.net/land-acknowledgement.

    • Sat, April 20, 2024
    • 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM


    The Center of it All: Baseball on the Erie Canal

    Presentation of the history of baseball and the Erie Canal with Derrick Pratt!

    WHEN: Saturday April 20th 2-3pm

    WHERE: CAP ArtSpace in the Tompkins Center for History & Culture on the Ithaca Commons - 110 North Tioga St. Ithaca NY 14850.

    PRESENTERS: Derrick Pratt, Director of Education & Public Programming at the Erie Canal Museum in Syracuse 

    About

    The Erie Canal totally transformed life along its banks. Cities were built. Religions were founded. National movements started. And goods, people and ideas were transported. One often overlooked aspect of this change is the explosion of what was quickly becoming the national pastime: baseball. From Albany to Buffalo, the new sport swept through the Canal corridor. Many of its earliest stars lived and played beside the towpath.

    During this lecture speaker Derrick Pratt discusses the development of baseball from the end of the Civil War to 1903, and the teams and players who had connections to the Erie Canal corridor and its towns and cities. Pratt did extensive research for this presentation at the archives of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York. His talk includes research findings, images, and time for questions and answers.

    This event is brought to you through our current exhibit 'A Sporting Chance: On and Off the Field'. Learn more at thehistorycenter.net/sporting-chance. On display February-December 2024

    ABOUT THE PRESENTER

    Derrick Pratt is the Director of Education & Public Programming at the Erie Canal Museum in Syracuse, NY. A native of Chittenango, NY, Derrick received a B.A in Social Studies Education from SUNY Cortland and a M.A. in Museum Studies from Syracuse University. Prior to his job at the Erie Canal Museum, Derrick served as Director of Programs at Chittenango Landing Canal Boat Museum for 3 years.


    COVID-19 POLICY - The History Center will follow the most up to date guidance from the Tompkins County Health Department. Our organization is a mask friendly space and encourage visitors to practice what is most comfortable to them regarding mask wearing. Learn more at thehistorycenter.net/health. The event space can hold up to 45 people. There is no current plan to offer a virtual option for this program.

    The History Center in Tompkins County's current exhibit and programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

    .

    LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
    This event will take place in the traditional and contemporary lands of the Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫˀ Nation (Cayuga), one of the Six Nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Learn more at thehistorycenter.net/land-acknowledgement.

Follow @TompkinsHistory on any platform for local history news!

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The History Center in Tompkins County and all of our programs occur on the traditional and contemporary lands of the Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ ˀ Nation (Cayuga), one of the Six Nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (sometimes called the Iroquois Confederacy). It is important for each of us to understand the long-standing history that has brought us to reside on this land and to seek to understand our place within that history, including the history of forced relocation and disenfranchisement experienced by the Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫˀ (Cayuga) who remain a sovereign nation and continue the stewardship of their traditional lands to this day.

Learn More

Physical Address

Located inside the Tompkins Center for History & Culture

110 North Tioga Street

(On the Ithaca Commons) 

Ithaca NY, 14850 USA

Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫˀTerritory

Hours

Exhibit Hall Wednesday-Saturday 10am-6pm - CLOSED Sun-Tues

Cornell Local History Research Library & Archives - By appointment only. Please contact archives@thehistorycenter.net

Contact 

Email: Refer to Contact page for individual emails, General inquiries to community@thehistorycenter.net

Phone: 607-273-8284

Web: thehistorycenter.net

Find us on social media @tompkinshistory

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