Upcoming events
"Sacred Ground" EXCAVATING BLACK HISTORY AT ITHACA’S FREEDOM CHURCH
Beginning in 2021, CIAMS faculty, in collaboration with Gerard Aching (Cornell Africana) and Reverend Terrance King (St. James AME Zion Church), launched a new community engaged initiative to explore the history of the St. James community. The St. James AME Zion church building was constructed during the late 1830s and is today the oldest AME Zion church in the world still in active use.
Now, join us on Juneteenth to celebrate the opening of an exhibit featuring the rich history uncovered at St. James AME Zion Church.
Move for Museums
What began as a single cyclist's 24-hour challenge to support The History Center in Tompkins County has evolved into something bigger - a friendly competition between Central New York history museums, uniting communities through movement and preservation.
Join us in this unique challenge where personal achievement meets regional rivalry. Together, we're making history while preserving it.
The concept is simple but powerful:
Join The History Center’s team, set your own distance goal, and complete it between June 21-28, 2025. Whether you walk a mile, run a 5K, or bike a century, every step and pedal stroke counts toward your museum's total.
Want to help The History Center get bragging rights over other Museums? join in the fun for Free
Eight Square Open House
Visitors are invited to drop by to explore our Eight Square Schoolhouse between 11 am and 1 pm on Sunday, June 22.
The Schoolhouse is an original one-room schoolhouse built in 1827. Today it is used to provide living history experiences for elementary students throughout the county. We operate the schoolhouse, located at 1756 Hanshaw Road in Ithaca, NY, as it may have been in 1892. Do you want to know what an 1890s classroom may have looked like? Please drop-in and tell our School Marms “Hello!”
Classic Cruisers: A State Street Car Show
Join us for the inaugural Classic Car Show on West State Street in Downtown Ithaca! On Saturday, July 12th from 10am-2pm, experience a stunning display of automotive history just one block off The Commons. This FREE community event showcases approximately 30 classic cars, featuring everything from beloved American classics to modern electric vehicles from local transportation groups. Vehicle owners will be on hand to share stories and answer questions about their cherished cars, creating an engaging and educational experience for all ages.
Vintage Tee Sale
Ready to bring home a little piece of history? This CASH ONLY historic t-shirt sale will take place in the atrium of the History Center in Tompkins County during Ithaca Festival.
SHOP, CASH ONLY
Friday 12PM - 6PM
Saturday 10AM - 6PM
Sunday 10AM - 5PM
DONATE
You can drop off clean vintage t-shirts at the History Center in Tompkins County during our open hours, 10-6, Wed-Sat. No hole please! We’d love to see shirts that reflect county history - Grassroots, High School Sports, the Daffodil Run - you wore it, we want it!
All proceeds from the Vintage Tee Sale will benefit the History Center in Tompkins County
Ithaca Festival Parade
Get ready to march through the decades! Join the Eight Square School Marms and the Ithaca Aviation Heritage Foundation Fly Boys and walk for the History Center in this year’s Ithaca Festival Parade. Dress to impress and choose to highlight any decade from the 1890s to the 2010s.
Who: You! Register to walk with us HERE
What: Dress to impress with the decade of your choice. Consider making yourself a sign with a history centric slogan. Here are a few we love -
“Ask Us About That Weird Old Building”
“We’ve Got Receipts (and They’re in the Archives)”
“Proudly Haunted by the Past”
“We Time Travel for a Living”
Where: Meet in the Atrium of The History Center at 110 N Tioga St, Ithaca NY
When: We’ll be leaving the Atrium at 5:30 pm sharp to join the parade line-up. Please come early if you will need to change or prep.
Mobilizing Naming in (Tompkins County) with The Gayogo̱hó:nǫˀ Learning Project
What names have shaped the lands and waters of the Finger Lakes Region? How might the physical and digital public information infrastructures in Tompkins County support the naming of the landscapes? More info: lc2224@cornell.edu
Screening "Romance of the Air"
“A Romance of the Air is a 1918 American silent drama based on En L'Air, the memoir of Lt. Bert Hall, a WWI combat aviator, produced in collaboration with Ithaca's Wharton, Inc. Studio and shot on location in Ithaca. A short video about the restoration and centennial flight of the Ithaca Aviation Heritage Foundation's 1918 Thomas-Morse Scout, fondly known as "Tommy” will also be shown.
The History Center's new exhibit, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles with Buses, Boats and Bikes, will be open to explore until 6:30pm in the TCHC Exhibit Hall. The The IAHF's Tommy biplane is permanently on display in the Exhibit Hall. Come early and take a look!”
The Growth of Parks Through Time and a Renewed Commitment Their Care
by Josh Teeter, director of environmental education for the Finger Lakes State Parks Region.
On Wednesday, April 30th, at 5 p.m., the Friends of Robert H. Treman State Park will gather to present the accomplishments of the past year and to hear from Josh Teeter. Teeter will discuss the growth of the park system, Robert H. Treman's contributions and tenure as the first Chairman of the Finger Lakes State Parks Commission, and how the state park agency is investing in the parks locally, a renewed commitment to environmental stewardship and to park visitors.
Tracing Tracks and Trails: Ithaca College Students Explore the Environmental History of Transportation with The History Center
On Monday, April 28, 7-9 p.m., The History Center is proud to present the work of Ithaca College environmental history students, who have been working with material in our archives to examine transportation in Tompkins County through the lens of environmental history. Their work offers new insights into the environmental and ecological implications of the ways Tompkins County residents have moved around since the nineteenth century. Railroads, aviation, boating, trolleys, and automobiles will each receive attention.
