Donate an Object

The fastest way to submit a donation is through the online form. Once submitted, a representative of the museum will contact you with the status of submission.  


If accepted, a staff member will set an appointment with you to schedule a time for dropping off the object(s). Please plan for at least 5-10 minutes at this appointment. Along with transferring the object, you will be asked for additional information to begin the official donation. This includes the best contact details, a brief description of the object, and permissions given to the museum for temporary custody until it is officially gifted.  Once the object is formally added to the collection, an official recognition letter and (2) two copies of a deed of gift will be mailed. Please retain a deed for your records but return a signed copy to the museum with the envelope provided.  

We accept a wide range of objects related to Dubuque, Dubuque County, the Mississippi River and more. We consider objects of importance from all time periods from pre-history to today and from all perspectives. 

Some identified areas of need in the collection include, but are not limited to:

• objects related to women’s history (themes like women’s clubs, education, and businesses)
• objects of non-white European experience (themes such as immigration stories, entrepreneurship)
• modern Dubuque (since the 1950s, such as the 2020 Pandemic, the 1980s Keep the Light on Campaign, and more)
• objects broadly related to Mississippi River culture (at this time, the museum cannot accept boats or large vessels)

All requests will be responded to regardless of acceptance. If the donation is declined, we will often provide alternative suggestions for organizations that may be able to pursue them.

A primary reason a donation is not accepted is if it does not meet our mission focus. Storage concerns, hazardous materials, existing duplicates, and care requirements can also be barriers to acceptance.

Objects are not automatically donated. Our collection policy requires every object to be reviewed and approved before donation. Please do not drop off or mail objects to the museum without providing a return address. The museum is not responsible for objects without a record of custody. 

Legally the museum is not able to assist in assigning value to objects. We are also unable to suggest specific appraisal services. Please consider alternate resources to assign value such as antique shops or auction houses.  

Yes, please click here to visit our research requests page to set up a time to visit the collection and see you object(s).

Be aware that once donated to the museum, you no longer have legal claim to the object(s). any restrictions must be discussed and agreed upon prior to donation. Donations are no guaranteed to be put on exhibit.

To view objects online without needing an appointment, please click here to visit our online collections portal. New acquisitions will take time to process, digitize, and upload.

Objects are first processed into the collection. This involves photographing and/or digitizing the object, capturing measurement and condition details, and creating an object record in our database. From there the object is stored in our archives until it can be used in programming, exhibit, or presentation. To maintain the health of objects, they are rarely used immediately after donation. Once on display, objects are rotated often for preservation concerns.

All donations are reviewed by members of the Collection Committee – including representatives of both museum staff and board members – who meet four times a year to approve new additions. Depending on when you submit, full consideration of the request and final response might take 2-3 months.

Currently, the museum does not purchase items for the collection. There are rare exceptions that require executive approval.