History of the Homeville Museum

Ken Eaton purchased a Civil War rifle when he was a teenager and wanted to find out more about its past. The more he read about the Civil War, the more his interest grew. This simple pursuit of knowledge sparked a lifelong passion for history and the artifacts that go along with it.

He started going to auctions and estate sales and collecting the items that interested him. In the beginning, those items revolved around the Civil War. His collection grew from one small gun cabinet into two rooms of Civil War items displayed in the basement of his home. As his collection continued to grow, his interest in related items developed. His hobby branched out into collecting military items from World War I and World War II. Soon, his collection was spreading throughout his home. He started looking for a bigger house to live in with space to display all his items and share them with the public. He found the perfect location on Clinton Street in Homer and, after three years of renovations, he opened the Homeville Museum to the public on July 4, 1976, our nation’s Bicentennial. By then, the collection had expanded enough to fill twelve rooms in the new house and included model trains and local history items. He chose the name “Homeville” for his museum from the book David Harum, which was based on a banker from Homer named David Hannum.

For the next 30 years, until his death in 2006, he shared his museum with thousands of people including school groups, community members and organizations, state and national leaders, and even visitors from foreign countries. He never charged an admission fee. His motivation was his love of history and his desire to share his passion and knowledge, hoping to inspire others to treasure our nation’s history as he did.

Ken’s wish was that the Homeville Museum would survive him and stay in this area for the public to continue to appreciate and enjoy.

 

About Us

REGULAR HOURS:

Open Tuesday - Saturday: 10 am - 5 pm.  Last admission at 4 pm to ensure visitors have enough time to tour the exhibits.

SEASONAL HOURS:

January - April hours vary.  Please contact us to schedule an appointment.

CLOSED:

We are closed Sunday - Monday, plus: 4th of July, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day

Admission Rates:

Adults $15

Seniors, AAA Members and veterans with Proper ID $12

Children (6 to 18) $7

Members, Children (5 & under) and Active Military (with ID) Free.

Call for group rates!

(CARDS ACCEPTED: Master Card, Visa, Discover, and American Express)

 Room Rentals

Need a meeting place or a venue for your next event? Please inquire about current rates.

 

CONTACT US

ADDRESS:

4386 US-11
Cortland, NY 13045

PHONE:

(607) 299-4185

EMAIL:

Contact Us via our web form

Mailing Address:

PO Box 162
Homer, NY 13077

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