Donating Artifacts
The Monroe County History Center (MCHC) welcomes gifts of artifacts, books, historical documents, photographs, audiovisual materials, and other items pertaining to the history of Monroe County. The museum currently houses approximately 65,000 items dating from prehistory to present day with an extensive collection of materials from the last 200 years.
When submitting your donation for evaluation and possible inclusion in our Collection, prospective donors are asked to complete a Temporary Custody Donation Policy form to the museum providing background information about the history of the object(s) under consideration. The form may be downloaded and filled out ahead of time or completed at the History Center.
After the Temporary Custody Receipt Form is submitted by the donor, the Collections
Committee will meet to determine whether the items should be acquired and to which MCHC
collection the objects should be transferred (Permanent, Library, or Education/Prop). The donor
will then be notified of the committee’s decision.
Acquisition Guidelines:
- Relevance to MCHC mission and focus on cultural or natural history of Monroe County
- Research value: detailed provenance or story of objects and intended use
- Physical condition of objects and preservation/conservation needs
- Adequate storage to properly house items long-term
- Objects must be legal property of the donor
Please contact Curator Hilary Fleck in advance to discuss your donation and arrange for a delivery time for your materials. 812-332-2517, Ext. 6.
Donating to Annual Garage Sale
We are getting ready for the November 2023 sale! Donations are now accepted at the warehouse.
We welcome donations all year for our annual garage sale fundraiser in June. Donations can be brought directly to the Garage Sale site at 4015 W Profile Parkway, Wednesdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. During the month of May, donations are accepted at the Garage Sale site Mondays through Fridays. Merchandise should be in good condition.
For information about donation pick-up, call 812-332-2517.
Donations are tax deductible and we provide a signed donation form to use when filing your taxes.
Items we can’t accept: old computers, mattresses, old TVs, nonworking appliances, exercise equipment, or clothing (unless the clothing is collectible vintage.)