Exhibits at the Holland Land Office Museum

New Exhibit (November 2023-April 2024)

“98 Years Since the Sun Went Out: The Solar Eclipse of 1925”
Sponsored by Max Pies Furniture

Come to the Holland Land Office Museum and see a snapshot of 1925 through our upcoming exhibit, “98 Years Since the Sun Went Out” on display from November 2023 to April 2024. Experience living in Genesee County in 1925, the last time we witnessed the total solar eclipse in our area. Go back in time and see what people wore, what our community looked like, where people shopped and worked, their home lives, and how they saw and reacted to the eclipse. The exhibit features images, newspaper articles, clothing, household artifacts, local business memoribilia, and more from Batavia & Genesee County circa 1925.

 

Permanent Exhibits

Joseph Ellicott and the Holland Land Company

Take a step back in time and see what might have been found in the Holland Land Office during the of Joseph Ellicott. See Joseph Ellicott and Robert Morris’s desks and what kind of equipment was used to survey the land. Learn about the history of the Holland Land Company as well as key players in the development of Western New York. Examples of land deeds of the time period, a letter press, and a stone marker, which would have assisted Joseph Ellicott and his team in surveying the land. Also featured are portraits of members of the Ellicott Family, and Native American artifacts relating to the Holland Land Company’s interactions with the Seneca in Western New York.

                                                                                                                                                   

Pioneer Kitchen

Have fun in our Pioneer Kitchen learning and guessing what different objects were used for. Feel for yourself how heavy a cast iron pot is or see how people of the time period made toast. Experience everything our pioneer kitchen has to offer, including butter churns, bed warmers, a spinning wheel, and sewing machines. Also on display are artifacts of some of Genesee County’s early industries. Take a step back and imagine what life would have been like in the pioneer days.

                       

East Wing
Take a trip down memory lane and see what old Batavia was like. Learn about agriculture through farming equipment from the large manufacturers that called Batavia home. Stop by the old post office and imagine what it might have been like sending letters back then. See the glorious remnants of the Richmond Mansion and even cozy up by its marble fireplace  If you enjoy music, you will love the Genesee Symphony Orchestra’s display on the history of their organization. Learn about one of the great politicians of our area, Barber Conable. You can even enjoy our art gallery wall, with rotating works by local artists.
                 
Military history of Genesee County
Learn about Genesee County’s impact in each war, from the Revolutionary War until the Vietnam War. The lives of Ely Parker, Ralph Chandler, Charles Rand, and Emory Upton, who were all residents of Genesee County are on display and detail their impact on the military. On display are items that these men may have owned or used throughout the war, including Emory Upton’s West Point uniform and trunk, and Charles Rand’s Medal of Honor.  Explore Batavia’s more gruesome history by learning about the County Gibbet and its victims, along with artifacts from the investigation of the Linden Murders.