Donate Your Stuff

The New London Public Museum welcomes your donations to help us grow our collection, educate visitors, and create new opportunities for exploration and learning. Donations to the Permanent Collections are accepted when they meet a number of criteria, including fitting the Museum’s mission and collecting goals. The Museum only accepts gifts without restrictions and abides by all appropriate state, federal, and international laws concerning materials offered for donation.

Why Donate?

At the New London Public Museum (NLPM), we take great care in safeguarding our collection while making it accessible to all. Through thoughtful preservation, secure handling, and digital accessibility, we work to ensure that every artifact, specimen, document, and photo remains a valuable piece of our shared story.

Dedicated to Access

The collection should be explored, not hidden! While we can’t guarantee your donation will be on exhibit, there are other ways items are accessed. Through a searchable database, with images, and details at the Museum. Researchers and the public can easily engage with the collection by setting up an appointment to view items. Some items are also shared on our website and across our social media platforms.

Dedicated to Preservation

We’re committed to keeping the collection safe for future generations, for example:

We follow museum standards for handling, storing, and displaying items
We use museum-quality materials and methods to preserve our collections
Exhibits are rotated so that artifacts can “rest”
Access to the collection is controlled and supervised by staff and trained volunteers

Peace of Mind for You

By donating to NLPM, you:

Help tell the story of our community
Free up your valuable space while ensuring items are well cared for
Help future generations connect with our community

What To Donate

To ensure a balanced and meaningful collection, NLPM follows a carefully crafted collections plan, regularly updated to align with our mission. A dedicated team reviews every decision about adding items, striving to avoid bias and maintain the integrity of our museum. By carefully selecting new items, NLPM continues to build a rich, diverse, and impactful collection that serves the New London region and beyond.

The New London Region (NLR) is defined as the City of New London and areas surrounding the city including the townships of Royalton, Mukwa, Lebanon, Maple Creek, Liberty, and Hortonia.

Collections in the museum we hope to enhance include, but are not limited to:

History Collection

The historical object collection at NLPM includes examples from our collecting region dating from the early 1800s through modern day. We look for items to add to these areas:

Personal Artifacts- clothing, personal care, symbolic, and religious
Home Life- housewares, furniture, decorative arts, everyday items, textiles, toys
Business/Industry- items from any public or private business/industry with ties to our community
Customs- cultural celebrations, beliefs, traditions
Community Life- community events, disasters, clubs and organizations
Broader History- local items related to broader historic topics e.g. Prohibition
Military- items related to service of all branches in conflict and in peace
Recreation and Arts-all manner of sports, entertainment, arts, and leisure activities

Archival and Photo Collection

The archives collection consists of personal letters, diaries, land grants, etc. belonging to families and/or individuals as well as the archives of businesses and civic organizations and clubs. The photo collection contains images of individuals, families, sports teams, businesses, buildings, scenery and many other topics. We continually look for items to help tell the story of our community. In particular, we are searching for photos and archives that represent 1930s through modern day.

Natural History (Geology, Taxidermy, Fossils, Minerals and Rocks, Plants)

The current collection includes taxidermy animals, nests and eggs, minerals, fossils, shells, plants, minerals and rocks. We look for items and specimens from or found in the Upper Midwest with an emphasis on Wisconsin.

Donation FAQ's

Will you keep it forever?

NLPM does not accept material for the collections without the intent to keep it and care for it for the foreseeable future. However, some circumstances may make it advisable to remove items from the permanent collections. It may be removed from the collections only after careful scrutiny and approval on multiple levels. In those instances, we make every effort to find a new home for it where it will also be available for public educational purposes. Just as with any gift, the material becomes property of the Museum with the intent it always be used to further the Museum’s mission. It is not Museum policy to return such material to the donor or donor’s family.

What will the Museum do with my donation? Will it be always on exhibit?

Only a small percentage of the Museum’s collections are on exhibit at any one time. NLPM collects items because they help preserve our community’s heritage and natural history. Materials not on exhibit are important for many reasons:

Research and study
Educational programs
Loans to other museums
Changing and future exhibits to encourage repeat visitation

Can I take a tax deduction for the donation?

Donations may be eligible for a tax deduction. In order to take your deduction, you may be required to provide or obtain an appraisal of its value. Please consult your tax preparer. The IRS tax code prohibits the New London Public Museum from making such appraisals or valuations.

Can I leave things to the Museum in my will?

Material may be willed (bequeathed) to the Museum. We ask individuals wishing to do so to first contact the museum to notify us of your intent and to determine the acceptability of the material and that it fits the collection plans for the Museum. You should also discuss any plans with an attorney.

How do I donate to the Museum?

Contact Us: Call us at 920-982-8520 or email [email protected] to share details about your item(s)
Schedule a Drop-Off: We’ll work with you to arrange a time for drop-off or review and to fill out appropriate paperwork (if you have a large item or a large collection or estate, please contact us; we may be able to come to you to assess a possible donation)
Receive Recognition: All accepted donations will be acknowledged, and we’ll provide a donation receipt for your records

Thank You for Your Support!

Every item donated helps us tell the story of our community in a more meaningful and impactful way. By sharing your items, you’re contributing to a legacy that will inspire and educate future generations. Thank you for considering the New London Public Museum as the home for your items!