Collections
Donating to the Collection
Griffin Museum of Science and Industry has a remarkable collection of over 35,000 objects.
Since the Museum's founding in 1933, its Collection has showcased history related to transportation, data gathering and processing, robotics, and scientific instruments. Carefully preserved and curated, this Collection serves as a testament to humanity’s quest for knowledge and innovation throughout the ages. Today, this diverse array of objects continues to inspire the next generation of inventive geniuses, providing tangible connections to the rich legacy of scientific exploration and discovery.
Donating an object
The breadth of the Collection depends on generous donations from the public. Griffin MSI curators are always interested in learning about objects that people wish to donate. If you are considering offering an object to the Collection, send nothing at first except information. For reasons of security and public accountability, the Museum has a specific procedure for managing donation offers, which begins with an online form. Every donation offer is carefully reviewed by the Collections staff to determine whether an object is appropriate to add.
Begin by completing the online Donation Offer form. Specific and thorough information about the object will help the Collections staff assess its compatibility with the Museum's collecting initiatives. Even if you don't have all the details, complete as much of the form as much as you can.
Donation Offer From
FAQs
The Museum cannot provide appraisals or valuations for objects. To determine the value of your object, you can seek the assistance of a qualified appraiser by contacting auction houses or one of the numerous professional appraisal organizations.
Not until we have reviewed your entry in our Donation Offer Form. Due to the volume of donation offers received each year, we cannot accept unsolicited donations dropped off or mailed to the Museum. Donations can only be received following prior arrangements made with the Collections and Archives Department staff.
Unsolicited objects shipped or brought to the Museum cannot be accepted and will be treated as abandoned property and potentially discarded. For the best care of your object, please follow our procedure.
Unfortunately, we are unable to guarantee any action related to donation offers. With limited floor space, we cannot put every object on display. Other ways the Collection may be utilized include:
- Outgoing loan: Some objects from the Collection may be lent to other museums or educational institutions across the United States or even around the world.
- Educational programs: Collection objects play a crucial role in engaging audiences through educational programs. They help people of all ages explore the wonders of science and history in exciting ways.
- Academic and historical research: Researchers, historians, and scholars may request use of the Collection for in-depth studies. Your donated object may contribute to new insights in various fields.
- Digital Collection: We are actively digitizing items from the Collection for an online platform. This means your object could be included in the virtual collections website and be accessible to a global audience.
Placing restrictions on objects severely limits the Collections staff’s ability to care for and present objects to visitors and researchers. You may include restrictions in your Donation Offer Form details; we will take them into consideration as part of the overall review process.
If you are interested in selling your object, you are welcome to provide an asking price when completing the Donation Offer Form. Any stated price will be taken into consideration during the review process. Griffin MSI is not required to proceed with any purchase based solely on receiving a completed form.
While long-term loans have occurred in the past, they are highly prohibitive to the overall care and maintenance of an entire collection. Therefore, the Museum is no longer accepting objects in this manner. Additionally, any completed donation is considered irrevocable upon the formal and physical transfer to the Museum, and we are unable to return donated objects.