Artifact Donation

Toy trains on grey shelving.

Become a Part of Detroit’s Story
Join us in preserving the city’s legacy by donating a single artifact or an entire collection to the Detroit Historical Society. Each year, our collections grow thanks to the generosity of individuals, organizations, and corporations who share our commitment to Detroit’s unique past.

As part of our mission toTell Detroit Stories and Why They Matter, we focus exclusively on artifacts that have a clear and meaningful connection to Detroit or the surrounding region. Whether your item reflects the city's industrial innovation, cultural movements, neighborhoods, or personal stories rooted in Detroit, we want to hear from you.

Your donation helps us preserve and interpret our city’s rich history—and brings it to life in rotating exhibits at both the Detroit Historical Museum and the Dossin Great Lakes Museum, where it can inspire generations to come.

Have something connected to Detroit’s history?
Join us in safeguarding it—donate today.

Got a piece of Detroit’s past?

The Detroit Historical Society primarily collects materials that document metropolitan Detroit. Our current collection includes more than 250,000 artifacts that represent more than 300 years of our region’s unique history.

Our collections focus on several areas and we continue to add to these areas all the time.  These include:

Drawing, Architectural - Courtesy Building for the Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, Michigan

Architecture

Images and artifacts from historic locations or actual pieces are the architecture from a site

Postcard - Detroit Skyline at Night, Detroit, Mich.

Detroit Images

Paintings, prints, photographs, postcards, etc. that include scenes from Detroit

Hat, Pillbox

Fashion

Locally-made articles of clothing, clothing worn by local celebrities and significant pieces that speak to a particular era

Chart, Aeronautical - Lake Erie (309)

Maritime

All Great Lakes and Detroit River-related artifacts and materials 

Uniform, Military

Military

Locally-made and worn uniforms and related materials

Painting

Paintings & Sculptures

Local sculptors and painters or sculptures or paintings of metro Detroit locations

 

Needlepoint

Social History

All things having to do with the homes of local residents, including quilts, dinnerware, etc.

Yearbook - Detroit Tigers Official 1958 Yearbook

Sports

Professional sports memorabilia, uniforms and other items from local teams. This category also includes amateur sports, local association teams and Olympic athletes.

Stove

Toys

Locally-made toys or toys about Detroit.

Automobile - 1942 Packard Custom 8 Convertible

Transportation

Anything automotive that was made in metro Detroit

How to donate your artifacts

Due to the volume of offers we receive, we cannot accept donated materials through the mail without prior communication. If you have artifacts with a strong connection to Detroit that you believe will enhance the Detroit Historical Society’s collection, please send us a message describing the artifact.

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artifact donation f.a.q.s

The Society does not provide appraisals for any reason because the Internal Revenue Service regards museums and libraries as interested parties. However, professional appraisers do perform this service for a fee. To find a licensed appraiser in your area, contact the American Society of Appraisers, the International Society of Appraisers, or the Appraisers Association of America for a referral.

All donations accepted by the Detroit Historical Society are considered charitable contributions to a not-for-profit organization.

Donation offers are reviewed by the Society Collections Advisory Committee. The Committee is made up of staff and local historians knowledgeable about both the scope of our existing collection as well as the conservation issues associated with artifact care. The Curator of Collections sends out a letter of acceptance after the artifact has been reviewed; this process can take from one to three months.

The Society does not accept long-term loans unless an exhibit requires such an artifact. The Society often accepts short term loans for specific exhibits or programs; we prefer to commit our resources to the storage and preservation of materials in the collection.

After an artifact is accessioned and becomes a part of the Detroit Historical Society collection, it cannot be returned to the donor. Once the Collections Committee accepts your donation for the collection, your Deed of Gift form legally transfers ownership of the artifact to the Society.