Oneida County History Center

Name

Oneida County History Center

Legal name

Oneida County History Center

Website

https://oneidacountyhistory.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1876

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Historical Society and Museum Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Libraries and Archives (51921), Museums (712110)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF), Cultural Centers & Community Cultural Organizations (BPAGAHAD)

Keywords

• Local history preservation
• Museum gallery exhibits
• Archival research library
• Heritage educational programs
• Community historical society

Headquarters

HQ city

Utica

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Membership: Relies heavily on private donations from more than 500 members and community supporters. Does not receive annual government funding. Membership tiers include Individual, Family, Corporate, and Student with benefits such as newsletter subscription, free library access, bookstore discounts, and free event admission.
2. Admission and Research Fees: Pay-what-you-wish admission for exhibits ($5 suggested donation). Research library access for non-members at $10 per visit. Research services with $25 initial fee. Photo reproduction services starting at $10 for 8x10 prints.
3. Telethon Fundraising: Annual telethon event generates significant donations from community. 2026 telethon raised $53,715 from over 140 donors, exceeding $50,000 goal.
4. Bookstore Sales: E-bookstore sells local history books, merchandise, and publications. 10% discount for members. Curbside pickup available.
5. Grants: Received CNY Arts Community Arts Grant for 250th anniversary concerts and William G. Pomeroy Foundation Historic Marker Grant for Fort Rickey installation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Oneida County History Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit historical society and museum that preserves and shares the history of Oneida County and the greater Mohawk Valley. It operates a 5,000-square-foot gallery of rotating exhibits, the Tharratt Gilbert Best Research Library housing 250,000+ documents and artifacts, monthly public educational programs, an e-bookstore, fee-based research services, and a community membership program. It is the official historical repository for Oneida County and serves visitors, researchers, students, educators, and corporate sponsors across the Mohawk Valley region.

Product overview

Oneida County History Center operates as a unified museum and educational institution offering a 5,000 square-foot gallery with rotating exhibits, the Tharratt Gilbert Best Research Library with over 250,000 documents and artifacts, monthly public programs and events, an e-bookstore, online digitized collections via NY Heritage, fee-based research services, an annual telethon fundraiser, and the Historical Hall of Fame Awards program. The core experience centers on preserving and sharing local Oneida County and Mohawk Valley history through in-person visits, online resources, and community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rotating Gallery Exhibits The History Center's 5,000 square-foot gallery hosts multiple rotating exhibits at any given time, featuring local Oneida County and Mohawk Valley history curated from the perspectives of volunteers, town historians, interns, and community organizations. Admission is pay-what-you-wish with a $5 suggested donation, free for members.
• Tharratt Gilbert Best Research Library The on-site research library houses more than 250,000 documents and books, tens of thousands of images (photographs, paintings, slides, drawings), and thousands of artifacts related to Oneida County and the Mohawk Valley. Access is by appointment only, at $10 per visit for non-members and free for members and students with valid ID. Children under 12 are not permitted; children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
• Public Educational Programs Monthly educational programming at the History Center covering lectures, films, story hours, workshops, and other scheduled learning experiences for visitors of all ages. Most programs are free or pay-what-you-wish, with free admission for members. Programs are held at the History Center and off-site venues including Trinkaus Park in Oriskany, Mohawk Valley Community College, Utica Zoo, and Union Station.
• E-Bookstore Online and in-person bookstore selling local history books, publications, and merchandise related to Oneida County and the Mohawk Valley. Operates via Square storefront with curbside pickup available. Members receive a 10% discount.
• Online Collections (NY Heritage) Digitized collections from Oneida County History Center made publicly accessible through the NY Heritage digital repository, including the New Forest Cemetery digitization project.
• Research Services Fee-based research assistance for researchers unable to visit the library in person, including genealogical and historical research requests accepted by mail or online for a $25 initial fee. Photocopies and image reproductions are provided as part of the service, with photo prints available from $10 for an 8x10.
• Photo Reproduction Services Reproduction of photographs and images from the History Center's collections for researchers and the public, priced at $10 for 8x10 prints with additional sizes and prices available upon request.

Quantifiable outcome

• 250,000+ documents and books preserved and accessible to researchers
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Paul Parker Utica TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2026Collaboration on Visions of Utica exhibit featuring Paul Parker's oil paintings of Utica from 1952-1968. Trust preserves Parker's works and supports visual arts in the region. Under direction of For the Good, Inc., artworks available for rental to local businesses with fees reinvested in community arts programming.
• Bank of UticaflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Naming sponsor for the 21st annual Oneida County History Center Telethon. Exceeded $50,000 goal, raising $53,715 from over 140 donors.
• Oneida County Freedom Trail CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Central New York & The Birth of the Oneida County Freedom Trail exhibit. Developed companion self-guided narrated walking tour of nine downtown Utica stops associated with the Underground Railroad.
• WUTR-TVcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner broadcasting the annual telethon live from the WUTR newsroom. Reached viewers through WUTR and CNYHomepage.com.
• Oriskany MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for History & Artisans Day and America 250 celebrations. Co-presenting The Sound of America - 250 Years concerts. Event brings together regional artisans, local history organizations, and agricultural producers.
• Oneida Carry Research GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with John Carmody and Joseph Pierce on Fort Rickey historical marker grant application. Group conducted extensive research for the project.
• CNYHomepage.comminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner for telethon broadcast alongside WUTR-TV
• 92.7 The DriveminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRadio media sponsor for telethon
• For the Good, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit organization that manages the Paul Parker art collection. Under their direction, artworks are available for short-term rental to local businesses with rental fees reinvested in community arts programming.
• Utica Public LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Story Hour program held at History Center. Each program includes stories, songs, and make-and-take activities.
• Oneida County Public MarketminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegular presence at public market with outreach table featuring local history books, information about resources, and friendly volunteers.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The Farmers' Museum: A Cooperstown-based living-history museum operated by NYSHA. Comparable as a heritage attraction with exhibits, programs, and educational outreach, though with substantially larger operating scale and visitor base.
• Fenimore Art Museum / New York State Historical Association: A larger statewide cultural institution in Cooperstown, NY. Comparable in mission (preserving New York history and heritage) and as an employer of museum-studies-trained staff, though operating at significantly larger scale.

Regional players

• Munson-Williams Museum of Art: A larger fine arts museum also located in Utica, NY. Comparable as a regional nonprofit cultural institution serving the same Mohawk Valley donor and visitor base, though focused on art rather than local history.

Direct peers

• Herkimer County Historical Society: Adjacent county historical society serving Herkimer County. Highly comparable as a small-staff nonprofit historical society with research library, exhibits, and community programming in the same Mohawk Valley region.
• Adirondack History Museum: A regional historical society and museum in Essex County, NY. Comparable in mission, structure (small-staff nonprofit historical society), and operating model including exhibits, research library, and community programs.
• Rome Historical Society: A nearby county-level historical society in Rome, NY preserving local Central New York history. Closely comparable in scale, structure (membership-based nonprofit), and function as a community historical repository and archive.
• Onondaga Historical Association: A Syracuse-based county historical society with museum, research library, and community programming. Comparable as a New York State county-level historical society of similar scale and operating model.
• Oneida Community Mansion House: A National Historic Landmark in Oneida, NY preserving the history of the Oneida Community. Directly comparable as a local historical site operating archives, museum exhibits, and educational programming within the same Oneida County geography.

Others

• Central New York Community Arts Council (CNY Arts): A regional arts council that regrants NYS Council on the Arts funding. OCHC is a grantee of CNY Arts; the organization is comparable as a nonprofit arts/heritage ecosystem player in Central New York.
• Fort Stanwix National Monument: A National Park Service site in Rome, NY interpreting Revolutionary War history. Comparable as a Mohawk Valley heritage interpretation site with educational programming, though federally operated rather than a community nonprofit.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCxL6DtlD7yI6ioAsD7z9Oxg
• Facebookfacebook.com/OneidaCountyHistory
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oneida-county-historical-scty

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Oneida County History Center