Several Brockport-area local history museums will open their “doors” to welcome visitors from 4 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 18, for the Night at the Museums event.
The unique event, whose name was inspired by the 2006 movie Night at the Museum, was first held in 2019. This free, family-friendly event will feature the local history gems open all at once, which is rare. All feature something different and will provide visitors with a sense of the history of Brockport and what a thriving canal village it was.
Participants can visit as many of the museums as they’d like during the open hours; and again this year there will be a Night at the Museum Passport. A family will receive the passport at the first museum they visit. If they have it validated at each participating museum and then turn it in at the last museum visited, they will be entered into a door prize drawing. Visitors can start and end their evening at any of the museums.
Capen Hose Co. No. 4 and Fire Museum
237 Main Street South, Brockport
The Capen Hose Co. No. 4 was constructed in 1905 to provide fire protection to the Brockport community. It is now a museum that houses a collection of Brockport firefighting apparatus, equipment, and uniforms dating back to the late 1800s. The site is also home to the Firefighters Memorial Monument, modeled after an iconic Associated Press photograph taken at Ground Zero during the aftermath of September 11, 2001. The monument was dedicated in August 2002.
Clarkson Academy
8343 Ridge Road, Clarkson
The picturesque Greek revival academy was built around 1853 using local bricks and lime mortar. It was used as a school until 1956. The building was vacant and dilapidated when Clarkson Historical Society began restoration work in 2003. In 2013 the society began using the restored academy (complete with vintage desks and blackboards) for school field trips, evening programming, and an annual summer camp to learn cursive writing.
Emily L. Knapp Museum of Local History
49 State Street, Brockport
Located in the former home of the Seymour family, the museum opened in 1945. Volunteers have worked diligently over the past 14 years to restore and update the museum’s displays, catalog documents and photos. The two-floor museum has 15 display areas. A recently added display on the third floor highlights The Brockport Fair, which began in the 1850s at the Upland Farm on the end of Holley Street and flourished for 50 years. The organizers later purchased 34 acres of land along the Erie Canal, where the Fair expanded to include one of the best racetracks in New York State (see photo above). It was a fair visited by tens of thousands of people from surrounding areas and continued until the late 1930s. See fair photos and memorabilia in this section of the museum.
Morgan-Manning House
151 Main Street, Brockport
Built in the mid-1850s, this 20-room Victorian house was the main residence of local entrepreneur D.S. Morgan and his family for 100 years. In 1965, it became the headquarters of the Western Monroe Historical Society, which undertook its restoration and management ever since. It is fully restored to Victorian splendor and welcomes visitors for tours, historical programs, and special events, most notably on the 4th of July.
Brockport Community Museum
www.brockportcommunitymuseum.org
The Brockport Community Museum will have a table at the Morgan-Manning House. This “museum without walls” was chartered in 2002 and brings local history into the community with exhibit cases and interpretive panels located throughout the community.
Seymour Library and Local History Room
161 East Avenue, Brockport
The story began in 1936 when James Seymour donated his home to become the Village of Brockport’s public library. The library became a successful and beloved part of the community. After outgrowing its home, Seymour Library opened its doors at the current location 28 years ago. During these years, the library has become a center of information and activities for the entire community. In 2015, the library added the Local History Room, which features an extensive local history collection and houses mini museums. The local history room is open during library hours year-round.
Sweden Farmers Museum
4988 South Lake Road, Brockport
The Sweden Farmers Museum is the Brockport area’s newest museum. It was created in 2005 by the Town of Sweden to celebrate the area’s agricultural history and promote the importance of local farming. The museum includes a restored, circa 1820s farmhouse and a barn from the late 1880s. The Sweden Farmers Museum is also the site of the annual Harvest Festival.
Park Ave Bed & Breakfast
Originally the home of Sanford Goff
205 Park Avenue, Brockport
The story of the Park Ave B&B at 205 Park Avenue began in 1851 as the Porter Hotel, which welcomed railroad and stagecoach travelers. In later years, the house served as a private residence, a nursing home, and a multi-family rental until it was purchased in 2017 by Valerie Ciciotti and Kevin McCarthy. The couple undertook countless renovations to restore this iconic Brockport landmark into the hospitable B&B it is today. The charm of historic architecture along with modern amenities provide a unique experience for rest and relaxation during your travels.
All are welcome to bring their friends and family to explore Brockport’s history during a Night at the Museums on Saturday, May 18.
Provided information.
Provided and file photos
Night at the Museums
Saturday, May 18, 4 to 8 p.m.
Pick up a Passport and have it stamped at each location you visit.
Turn it in at the last museum visited to enter a drawing for door prizes.
