2025: Trains, Planes and Automobiles: Buses, Boats, and Bikes
This exhibit invited visitors to explore the impact of transportation innovations on the history and community of Tompkins County. From horse-drawn carriages to the arrival of trains and planes, the exhibit delved into the fascinating evolution of movement that shaped the region's landscape, economy, and culture.
Highlights of the exhibit included:
Miniature Railway Models: A handcrafted recreation of historical Ithaca train routes.
Vintage Vehicles and Ephemera: Featuring artifacts such as early bicycles, trolley tickets, and original road maps.
Interactive Displays: Experience the soundscape of bygone transportation methods and explore how these innovations connected communities.
This exhibit helps celebrate the 200th anniversary of the completion of the Erie Canal. It is made possible with financial support to The History Center in Tompkins County from the Triad Foundation and NYSCA. Special thanks to our exhibit collaborators including local historians, model builders, and transportation enthusiasts; specific thanks for collaborations with Rochester Museum and Science Center, Wharton Studio Museum, Leonard’s Vacuum and Hobby Shop, Department of Public Works for the Village of Dryden, and the Highway Department for the Town of Dryden.
2024: A Sporting Chance: On and Off the Field
This exhibit explored the stories of local athletes, teams, and the community that cheered them on. From league tournaments to pick-up games in the park, our community history of sports balls, paddles, and skates traverses water, ice, air, and land. Sports and athleticism allow us to explore narratives of achievement and empowerment, even as they are complicated by stories of erasure and exclusivity. As we consider what it means to be an athlete in Tompkins County today, or two hundred years ago, we also get to celebrate the crowds that cheered, parents that drove our youngest athletes to early morning practices, and camaraderie and community both on the field and off.