activities · 5 groups
What they do
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Community Festival & Event Production 1 activity
- Host public events, lectures, and film screeningsHosts annual public events including a gallery celebration, Thai festival, colonial garden party, antique and classic car show, and Adirondack stories event. Also organizes film screenings and lectures on historical and environmental topics such as the New Deal’s public arts programs, John Brown’s role in the abolitionist movement, the American Revolution, climate change impacts on loons, eco-sabotage, the Newport Folk Festival, employment trends in the Adirondacks, and the history of wilderness in the region.
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Membership Program Administration 1 activity
- Manage membership program with tiered benefitsOffers a membership program with tiered benefits including free research library access by appointment, discounted research services, reciprocal membership in the Empire State Reciprocal Museum Program, NARM membership for sustaining-level and higher members, private museum tours (up to 4 people for supporting-level, up to 8 for Friend-level), and complimentary use of the Colonial Garden for events for Patron-level members.
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Local History Museum Operations 1 activity
- Operate public museum and exhibitsOperates a museum in Essex County, NY, open to the public from Memorial Day weekend through Columbus Day weekend, Wednesday through Sunday, featuring permanent and rotating exhibits such as the Worked/Wild exhibit, the Adirondack Suffragists exhibit, an interactive exhibit on hiking in the Adirondack High Peaks, and displays on historical transportation, Arto Monaco’s Land of Makebelieve, and the Community Ties collection. Also maintains a 55-foot fire tower exhibit constructed from historic Adirondack fire tower remnants and launched the Centennial of the First 46ers exhibit in 2025.
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Local History Preservation and Education 1 activity
- Preserve Essex County historical heritageUndertakes ongoing efforts to preserve the historical heritage of Essex County, New York, through museum operations, curated collections, public programming, and educational outreach.
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Equitable Access Admission Programs 1 activity
- Provide free public access to museum and programsOffers unlimited free admission to individuals and families (up to 2 adults and 4 children) for all museum visits and programs, ensuring broad public access regardless of membership status.
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financials · form 990 · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$268K
Contributions & grants$226K84%
Program service revenue$10K4%
Investment income$21K8%
Other revenue$11K
expenses
Total expenses$220K
Program expenses90%
Admin / overhead10%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$115K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$749K
Cash$89K
Investments$268K
Liabilities$5K
Net assets$744K
Liquid reserves19.5 mo
6 years on record · 2020–2025 · YoY revenue +17.2%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| AURORA MCCAFFREY | Executive Dir. | 40 | $62K |
board members · 13
- CHARLES THOMPSON — Trustee
- ED WHEELER — Trustee
- FRISSIE REED — Trustee
- GERALD ZAHAVI — Vice President
- JANET CROSS — Trustee
- JENNIFER LAGOR — Trustee
- MARGARET BARTLEY — Secretary
- PETE NELSON — Trustee
- PETER SLOCUM — President
- SCOTT MURRAY — Trustee
- SHARP SWAN — Trustee
- TAD ZELSKI — Treasurer
- TOM MANDEVILLE — Trustee
relationships · 13
Who they work with
- Adirondack 46ers Partner — Sponsored the Hiking in the Adirondack High Peaks exhibit and funded the Centennial of the First 46ers exhibit.
- Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation Partner — Lecture on loons and climate change presented by staff from the Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation.
- Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts Government — Administered regrant funds from NYSCA for the Blue is the Atmospheric Refraction I See You Through project hosted at the museum.
- Cloudsplitter Foundation Funder — Funded the Adirondack Fire Towers and Adirondack Suffragists exhibits.
- Douglas Trust Funder — Provided funding for the Adirondack Fire Towers, Adirondack Suffragists, Hiking in the Adirondack High Peaks, and Centennial of the First 46ers exhibits.
- Empire State Reciprocal Museum Program Network — Participates in the Empire State Reciprocal Museum Program, offering reciprocal admission benefits to members.
- Essex County Arts Council Funder — Provided funding for the Logging The High Peaks, Centennial of the First 46ers, and The Elements: Images of Hope exhibits.
- Grace Hudowalski Charitable Trust Funder — Supported the Adirondack Fire Towers, Adirondack Suffragists, Hiking in the Adirondack High Peaks, and Centennial of the First 46ers exhibits.
- National Association of Reciprocal Museums Network — Provides NARM membership benefits to qualifying donors, enabling access to over 850 museums in North America.
- New York Council for the Humanities Funder — Sponsored the Adirondack Suffragists exhibit.
- New York State Council on the Arts Funder — Funded multiple exhibits including Worked/Wild, Adirondack Fire Towers, Logging The High Peaks, Hiking in the Adirondack High Peaks, Arto Monaco and the Land of Makebelieve, Centennial of the First 46ers, and The Elements: Images of Hope.
- Santa's Workshop Network — Features design work by Arto Monaco, whose legacy is highlighted in the museum’s exhibit.
- The Great Escape Network — Features design work by Arto Monaco, whose legacy is highlighted in the museum’s exhibit.
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Cultural Continuity Through Heritage Connectionmethodology: cultural_continuityBy linking historical achievements to ongoing cultural practices, we strengthen community participation, because people are more likely to value and sustain heritage when they see its continuity in their present lives.
- Emotional Engagement with Placemethodology: emotional-engagement-with-placeBy using thematic contrasts and emotional storytelling tied to the landscape, we deepen visitor connection to Essex County’s history, because affective experiences of place strengthen local identity and historical relevance.
- History Interpretation for Community Engagementmethodology: history-interpretation-for-community-engagementBy preserving and interpreting local history, we foster community engagement and a shared vision for the future, because connecting people to their regional identity strengthens civic belonging and collective action.
- Play-Based Learning for Youth Engagementmethodology: play-based-learningBy designing hands-on, playful exhibits for children, we cultivate early engagement with local history and art, because experiential and developmentally appropriate formats increase retention and interest in cultural education.
- Public Access Programming for Inclusive Engagementmethodology: public_access_programmingBy offering free film screenings and low-cost lectures, we promote broad public engagement with regional history, because removing financial and cultural barriers increases accessibility and participation across diverse audiences.