The Homeville Museum is part of the Central New York Living History Center located at 4386 US Route 11, Cortland, N.Y. 13045. It appeals to people of all ages and engages the community in understanding historical experiences and their relationship to past and contemporary life. Through public activities and events, the museum’s displays are brought to life through educational presentations, reenactments, discussions, and artistic demonstrations. Core collections relate to military history, local business, industry, and railroad history.
Homeville showcases the collection of the late Ken Eaton, a WWII veteran who spent more than 35 years assembling military, railroad, and local history treasures for public display. Many other items of historical and cultural significance are combined with the Eaton collection to create a remarkable experience for visitors of all ages. The perspectives and understandings of area residents are incorporated in exhibits to provide social and cultural context to the museum’s treasures.
We hope you’ll visit us frequently – both in person and through this website. If you’re not already a member, please check out our page on joining through the BECOME A MEMBER link at the bottom of this page.
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Visit the Homeville Museum
Come see the Homeville Museum and the other museums that are part of the CNY Living History Center complex. One admission price gives you access to the Homeville Museum, Brockway Museum, Tractors of Yesteryear, and a new antique Firehouse that will open in the near future.
CNY Living History Center Open Hours: CNY Living History Center Website
Special Spring Hours for 2024:
April 3 through April 27: Open Wednesday through Saturday
Regular Hours Below Start Tuesday, April 30
Tuesday through Saturday (Last admission at 4 p.m. to ensure visitors have enough time to tour the exhibits). Closed Sundays & Mondays, plus 4th of July, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day.
Admission Rates: $15 Adults; $12 Seniors, AAA members, veterans with ID; $7 children 6-18; Free for children 5 & under and Active Military (with ID). Group rates also available. Group rates available for tours and meetings. Call 607-299-4185 or visit https://cnylivinghistory.org/ for more information.
More events and details for each event will be posted when plans are finalized.
Coming Events – 2024
Saturday, May 4, 1:00-3:00 pm, The Transformational Power of Education: Mike Joseph’s Rural Schools Programs & Cortland County’s History of Educating & Supporting Teachers
Saturday, June 15, Trains, Trucks, Tractors at the CNY Living History Center
- Homeville Presents, Jim Price, “Tractors: A Historical Perspective”
- Kids’ crafts & activities
Saturday, June 8, Women Veterans Recognition Day – day of programs to honor women veterans and those who have served (details will be published soon).
Recent Events – 2024
Rebel Women of the 19th Century
On April 13 Andrea Rankin presented a unique quiz show to spark audience participation as she discussed 19th century women who made their mark challenging prevailing gender norms and institutional barriers. As curator for the Elsie Gutchess Great Women of the USA collection at the Opendore Museum in Sherwood, N.Y., Andrea explained the extensive nature of that collection and ongoing efforts to restore the historic home that houses the museum. Andrea highlighted many women whose work is preserved at Opendore, including Victoria Woodhull, the first woman to run for U.S. President, and Edmonia Lewis, a famous sculptor who attended the New York Central College in McGrawville.
Vietnam Veterans Remembrance Day
More than 70 people participated in Vietnam Veterans Remembrance Day on March 29. Many thanks to all attendees, service providers, and volunteers who helped make the day a special one in honor of veterans and others who served during the Vietnam Era. Special thanks to Retired US Army Lt. Colonel Tom Margrave for his inspiring keynote address, Lisa LaDieu (Associates of Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 377) who led us in song with a beautiful rendition of The National Anthem, and Charlie Harrington (Chapter 377 of the Vietnam Veterans of America) for taking photos of the day’s activities.
Members of American Legion Auxiliary Unit 489, Cortland City Unit (Eileen Bentley, Linda Cooper, Kristy Westendorf, and Susan Miller) joined by Sue Milewski, did a great job setting up, serving, and cleaning up after a hot lunch enjoyed by all.
Visitors learned about available services from representatives of the Cortland County Veterans Association, County Clerk’s Office, Office for Aging/NY Connects, Syracuse VA Medical Center, Access to Independence, Clear Path for Veterans, Seven Valleys Health Coaltion, and NYS Dept. of Labor.
Trailblazing Women of Cortland County: Makers of Regional, National, and International History
On March 9, we celebrated the eight women in the Homeville Museum’s Cortland County Hall of Fame. Special thanks to Catherine Bertini, a Hall of Fame member, who attended and participated in the presentation. Cathy spoke about the many ways growing up in Cortland prepared her for national and international public service. Her examples of formative experiences in Cortland and the people who were part of those experiences were heartwarming and reminded us of the special place Cortland is. For more on Hall of Fame members, visit the CNY Local History page on this website:
https://homevillemuseum.com/homeville-collection/cny-local-history/
The Kid from Freeville: Growing Up on the Railroad
On February 24, Danny Armitage informed and amused an audience of close to 50 people with his presentation and slide show, “The Kid from Freeville: Growing Up on the Railroad.” Danny rode locomotives & cabooses more than 400 times from 1963 through the mid-1980s. He was accepted by railroad crews as “one of their own.” Danny’s home was close to the station where two branches of the Lehigh Valley Railroad crossed. He entertained the audience by sharing his unique perspective on the people and operations of the railroad.
2023 Events
Holiday Train Day
The Homeville Museum’s December 9 Holiday Train Day brought children of all ages to the CNY Living History Center for a day of fun. Many thanks to guest conductors Greg & Joanne Darling, Mark & Roxanne Barry, and members of the National Model Railroad Association’s Central New York Division, who joined Homeville’s train specialists Mike Brown, Mike Stoll, and Ed Barry to make the day a special event for all. The NMRA’s train display provided a unique hands-on experience for visitors who learned how to plan and execute the movement of train cars along connecting tracks to solve various challenges.
Most importantly, we commemorated the late Dick Barry, who delighted visitors for many years as a guest conductor at our annual Holiday Train Day. The Barry family donated Dick’s Christmas Train to the museum, so the special joy Dick shared for many years will live on at our annual holiday event.
At the train sale, train collectors and families wishing to start or enhance their home train layouts were able to purchase used train cars & locomotives, track, scenery, and accessories at very reasonable prices.
Veterans Day Watchfire
On November 11, the Homeville Museum held its 6th annual Veterans Day Watchfire. The event began with an indoor Welcome Ceremony, where members of Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 377 formed a flag line and led close to 100 guests in the Pledge of Allegiance. Chaplain Ray Dunphy, a US Navy retiree and member of the Homer American Legion, gave the invocation. Fred Lutz led the group in song with a heartfelt rendition of the National Anthem. Marilee Comerford, representing the Daughters of the American Revolution, shared a letter she wrote many years ago to her daughter, Lt. Colonel Roberta Comerford, as this Veterans Day marked her 30 year anniversary in the National Guard. Pat Clune, retired U.S. Army Lt. Colonel, gave the keynote address, focusing on the many ways veterans influence, inspire, and protect current and future military service members and fellow veterans. Many thanks to those who donated and set up the pallets for the fire, folded flags for respectful burning, donated refreshments, and helped with event preparations and clean up.
Monsters in the Museum
Pumpkin painting and other crafts, costumes, and Homeville’s model trains were enjoyed by kids of all ages at our October 28 Halloween event.
Old Timers Band/Military Vehicle Show
On September 9 the Cortland Old Timers Band gave a spectacular performance on the Living History Center veranda during our Military Vehicle Show. Their performance included God Bless America, theme songs from all branches of the U.S. Military, selections from the musicals A Chorus Line and The King and I, and Danny Boy.
Trains, Trucks, & Tractors, Oh My!
The Homeville Museum hosted fun for kids of all ages during the CNY Living History Center’s June 17 event, Trains, Trucks, & Tractors, Oh My! We enjoyed crafts & other activities for kids in the cafeteria, including hands-on fun with guest conductor model trains and a special train snack. Many thanks to Ed and Dick Barry for sharing their own model trains for the day’s activities. Visitors also had fun operating the full array of model train displays in the Homeville Museum.
Joe Sheridan gave a second presentation and book signing that evening for the general public. More than 90 visitors attended.
Special thanks to Charlie Harrington, Chapter 377 of the Vietnam Veterans of America, for taking photos of the day’s activities and to our interns from SUNY Cortland, John Shea and Ethan Jensen for their assistance before and during the event.
Ronnie James Dio: Stories & Photos from Bandmates & Lifelong Friends
David “Rock” Feinstein, Mickey Lee Soule, Harold “Butch” Hyde, and Dick Bottoff entertained about 100 people with stories about Ronnie James Dio and his bands on March 18. Visitors saw the new Ronnie Dio display that’s part of the Homeville Museum’s Cortland County Musicians exhibit.
Spiegle Willcox: Early Career and Influences
The early career of Cortland’s famous jazz trombonist, Spiegle Willcox, was presented to an enthusiastic crowd on February 18 by Ralph Dudgeon, Professor of Music Emeritus (SUNY Cortland) and Principle Trumpet for the Catskill Symphony Orchestra. Visitors were entertained with factual (often humorous) stories about the start of Spiegle’s career and saw a few videos of his most famous performances. Visitors also viewed the Homeville Museum’s Cortland County Musicians exhibit, featuring a new display on Spiegle’s life in Cortland and international music career. Five members of the Willcox family attended.
Ghostly Experiences at Gettysburg
On January 21st, at our first Homeville Presents event of the year, Tom Canfield explained numerous ghostly encounters he and his family had on trips to Civil War battlefields and surrounding areas in Gettysburg. Tom is a past Civil War Cavalry reenactor and historian and a Civil War collector.
A quick shout out to several organizations that have helped Homeville immensely:
- Homer Center for the Arts
- The Glass Smith
- Bob’s Barbecue Catering
- Coffee Mania
Find links to their websites on our Useful Links page, accessed from the bottom menu.
Welcome to Homeville! 