The Churchill County Museum is home to tens of thousands of objects, photographs, and pieces of archival material. For a variety of reasons, only a small percentage of our collection is on display at any given time. Should you wish to see any objects or archives not on display, or to arrange a behind-the-scenes tour, please contact the relevant staff member to set up an appointment.
We always appreciate questions about our collection and interest in donations. Due to limitations of space, we sadly cannot accept everything offered to us. We primarily look for objects which can help us tell the story of Churchill County, meaning things that fill a hole in our collection and which were made or used in this area OR which are emblematic of a particular era. Our accessions committee, a group of volunteers and staff which meets approximately once a month, is always happy to take a look at any objects you are interested in donating. While no individual staff member can promise to take specific items, please feel free to reach out (preferably with pictures), and we can let you know if we think the committee would be interested. Please know that the museum’s decision to pass on an artifact is a reflection of its fit, not its historic or monetary value, and we will be happy to discuss the reasons for our decision.
The Churchill County Museum does not do appraisals. It also does not loan objects to private individuals. Objects accepted into the permanent collection will be preserved as long as physically possible, and are only ever removed in rare circumstances (such as cases of repatriation, transfer to a more fitting institution, or if, despite our best efforts, the object has been destroyed beyond repair).