The Amherst Museum, located in the town of Amherst, NY, just off state highway 78, is near the City of Buffalo. It began as an outgrowth of the town's Sesquicentennial Celebration in 1968, when town residents were loathe to disperse collections of artifacts from the town's history gathered for the event.

The town offered a portion of an historic stone school to serve as a local museum, and in 1972 relocated the fledgling museum to larger quarters on a former Army Nike missile base. That year also saw the hiring of the first paid Museum Director, local historian Andrea R. Shaw.

At right, the last missile silo of the Nike Base off New Road.

In 1976, the town changed the site again, providing a 35-acre parcel on Tonawanda Creek Road, and began construction of a new building, The Steffen Building (completed 1980), to house the collection. Construction of a larger 22,000 square foot building, named after Shaw, was completed in 1986, with the Steffen Building transformed into an aviation technology exhibit building.

In 1988 the Museum received its charter as a not-for-profit educational corporation from the state and changed its name to Amherst Museum Colony Park. In 1995, the name changed again, this time to the present Amherst Museum.

In the process of building its collection, the town saved and restored 10 historic 19th century houses threatened with demolition. Two additional buildings are replicas, and all depict town life during the time. Adult and children's programs covering folk arts such as lace making, quilting, and blacksmithing are presented through the warmer months of the year, although a variety of specialty programs, such as art shows, Scottish Festival, Harvest Festival, American Civil War encampment, and Winter Family Program, occur throughout the year. A library is available for research by appointment.

More Amherst Museum

Introduction to the Museum
History of the Museum
Shaw and Steffen Buildings
Historic House Park
1998 Event Calendar
Museum Contact Information, Hours, and Directions