The History Center
2009 Exhibition Schedule

We are pleased to present a year-long series of exhibitions
examining the history of transportation in Tompkins County

Did you ever wonder while you are riding down the road?

“Why was this road built here?”
“How did people travel to this region before the automobile?”
“What was the impact of the automobile on the county?”

If so, then The History Center’s new exhibit On the Road will be for you!

From August 16th through October 11th, 2008, an exhibit of archival photographs and historic artifacts will explore the impact on Tompkins County of road development and road transportation from the late 1700’s to the present, as well as the impact on local transportation businesses and industries as technology changed.

This coming fall and winter the History Center in Tompkins County will present a series of exhibits relating to different modes of transportation and the affect each had on Tompkins County. In mid August we will kick off with On the Road, an exhibit exploring the impact of roads and the automobile on the area. In October, the exhibit will explore passenger trains with Riding the Rails; in January we’ll navigate lake and canal travel, in March we’ll be “up in the air” with a focus on early flight and the Thomas Morse airplanes; and finally in the summer of 2009 the exhibit will culminate with a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the landing on the moon.

On the Road is in its final stages of development and our Exhibits Coordinator, Shannon Lindridge, is currently seeking objects relating to automobiles, garages, dealerships, auto-tourism, bicycles, public transportation, and items relating to the environment and automobiles with a connection to Tompkins County. If you are interested in loaning objects for the exhibit please contact Shannon at 273-8284 ext. 7, or collections@thehistorycenter.net. In addition, Shannon welcomes individuals interested in assisting with the upcoming exhibits.