Program areas at National Susan B Anthony Museum and House
Education and inspiration. The Anthony Museum has moved into full recovery from The pandemic, and is experiencing consistent audience growth in onsite attendance. School programs saw a 25% increase in year-over-year participation, reaching an all-time high by adding additional early opening hours in The spring and fall. An expansion of The interpretive staff allows advanced online scheduling for visitors, and assures a full schedule of tours every day The Museum is open. The theme for The year, "get on board!" Was launched at The Susan B. Anthony birthday celebration in february, with cultural historian candacy taylor as The featured keynote. The railroad theme is inspired by Susan B Anthony's decades of cross-country travel, and is reflected in The design of The proposed visitor center.
Telling The broader story. The Museum completed exterior and site plans for The new building and campus expansion. These plans have been approved by The city, allowing for a special use permit. An alcove and "back door" were added to The carriage House. This additional point of egress enhanced accessibility and allowed The Museum to become an early voting site in calendar year 2024. In new york, any registered voter in The county may vote at any early voting site, allowing thousands of residents The privilege of voting at this historic location. Rochester was a "totality" site for The 2024 solar eclipse in april, and The Anthony Museum hosted a public watch party in Susan B. Anthony park, providing complimentary safety glasses and background music. Residents, business owners, and The general public from near and far attended, though The sky was clouded over. The Museum continues to fundraise for The campus expansion, with $7 million needed to match The ny government funding and an additional $2.4 million to reach The overall goal of $25 million. The much-anticipated campus expansion will increase The Museum's capacity from 35ppl/hour to over 200ppl/hour, dramatically expanding The Museum's reach and impact. The new exhibit area will be immersive, experiential, and self-guided. Once The next $7 million is raised, it is estimated that construction can begin in 30 weeks, with 15-24 months of construction before completion.
Preserving and sharing our collection. The Anthony Museum is preparing to expand its collaboration with area universities significantly after The campus expansion. The planned campus expansion includes a collections wing with museum-quality storage, fire protection, and security and environmental controls. Also planned are areas for conservation of objects, digitization, and research. Through internships and joint projects, The Museum will be able to process and share its permanent collection more effectively. This year, several internships were sponsored in collaboration with university Museum studies programs, in preparation for The eventual move. An assessment of The shelving and container needs for The new space has been completed, and planning for new shelving and housing of objects continues. A sculpture of Anthony created by bessie potter vonnoh is being restored.