Thank you for considering a donation to the Wasilla Museum!

Donations vs. Abandoned Property

Any item that is left at or sent to the museum without a signed deed of gift transferring ownership to the Wasilla Museum (City of Wasilla) is abandoned property, not a donation.

The Museum is obligated by limited resources to prioritize the collection of items with documented historical and cultural significance for our local community. When we receive items with little or no information about their origin and use, it is much more difficult to assess their historical value in our local context, and so it is much less likely that we can accept them into the permanent collections. Regrettably, if the owner did not provide us with a way to contact them or does not respond, their intended donation must be treated as abandoned property.

Even when an abandoned item does have evident historical value and the Museum would like to accept it, Alaska Statute 14.57.210 requires that museums wait seven years before beginning the process to claim legal ownership of undocumented property. During that time, we do not have the right to use the item in any way.

If you would like to donate something to the Museum, please contact us! We are eager and grateful to learn your stories of life in this community. If we cannot accept your intended donation, we will explain why and suggest other organizations that may be better suited to take it.

Visit our Abandoned Property List to review some items that have been left at the Museum anonymously.

Digital Donations

Did you know that you can license the Museum to use copies of your digital materials? Digital images, documents, and audio and video recordings can be shared with us and our visitors through a non-exclusive copyright licensing agreement.

Personal and Family Collections

Are there things you might like to donate but are not ready to part with? We would be happy to provide information on caring for historical materials in your home.

Questions

To learn more about donations and licensing at the Wasilla Museum, or how to care for personal collections, we invite you to call us at 907-373-9071 or email us at museum@cityofwasilla.gov.