Additions to the Collection

Permanent Collection News: exciting changes concerning our permanent collection (2017)

The MA Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) permanently closed its Gardner Heritage State Park Visitor Center at 26 Lake St. Since 1986, this facility interpreted the history of the City of Gardner; but it has been closed, except for 2 summer seasons, since about 2001.

The DCR Commissioner, Mayor Hawke and the Gardner Montachusett Veterans Outreach Center, Inc. plans to reuse and occupy the building (a converted 1884 fire station) required DCR to empty the building of its exhibited contents.

The Gardner Museum agreed to take ownership of all artifacts and exhibit items.

The museum has since accessioned all items and incorporated them into our permanent collection, making everything accessible to the public. Some are on display today and some will be incorporated in our changing displays. Several items will be temporarily displayed in the mayor’s office and the Chamber of Commerce office.

The addition of this collection will enable the museum to display even more historic chairs, which are a collecting strength of the Gardner Museum, and one that sets it apart from all but a handful of other historic museums in the U.S.