CAM e-News Monthly Museum Poll

July Monthly Poll Recap: Do you own your building or land?

In past CAM surveys, we have asked California museums if their organization pays for the maintenance of their building, what their governance structure is, and about the square footage of their building and land. This is a complicated subject since many museums have private/public partnerships and there are numerous ways these relationships can be structured. But, we have never specifically asked about the ownership of museum facilities and land. The monthly poll for July asked “Does your museum own its building and land?”

According to our informal survey, 58.1% of California museums own their building and 39.5% own their land. For the organizations that do not own their building or land, three out of four museums (75%) indicated that the city government has ownership. Equal numbers of museums, one out of eight museums (12.5%), have their land or building owned by the county government or an individual.

When asked to elaborate, our subscribers had the following comments:

When our governing body was looking for a location to build a museum in 1930, the City of Stockton wished to be a part of the process but had no money--a little something called the Depression. So they set aside a 1.9 acre preserve within a large, relatively new municipal park expressly for the museum's use. We own the building, they maintain the park. And although we receive no financial support from the city (no public monies from any source), we also pay no rent. -- Tod Ruhstaller, Executive Director, The Haggin Museum

Since 1998, San Mateo County Historical Association has been leasing the building and land for a minimal annual fee. -- Diane Rummel, Marketing Coordinator

In order to save the building 35 yrs ago, the city needed to own the building and we have a 100 yr lease. The land underneath was under a 20 year lease from the county. Eventually the city bought this for us to save the House again. (The county needed to sell the land and the other bidder was a parking lot owner.) -- Guy Ball, Exec. Board, Santa Ana Historical Preservation Society

The City of Los Angeles is the property owner of the African American Firefighter Museum. The Museum is housed in a former fire station that was once segregated exclusively for African American Firefighters from 1924-1955. The AA Firefighter Museum is a Los Angeles Cultural Historic Landmark. -- Brent Burton, President, African AMerican Firefighter Museum

The Cloverdale Historical Society first organized in 1968 and purchased the Gould-Shaw House in the late 1980's along with the adjoining site for its garden. We are currently expanding with the construction of a new building. – Cloverdale Historical Society

The Museum and its staff are part of Community Services Department of the city but our non-profit support group built the building and funds programming. -- Marvin Schenck, Curator, Grace Hudson Museum

Our local history museum is a joint project of a city government and a supporting non-profit. The non-profit was "gifted" a historic building, which was moved to the current city-owned site. – Anonymous

We were fortunate that our property was bought by a benefactor who later willed it to us from a trust, so we have an endowment in the form of rental property which provides income. – Anonymous

We gave the building to the City 50 years ago with the agreement that it would always be the Museum's home. We pay no rent or utilities but are an autonomous separate organization. – Anonymous

Our Museum land is on long-term lease from the Union Pacific Railroad. -- Chris Allan, Department Head, Western Pacific Railroad Museum

We built most of our buildings in exchange for a very favorable lease with the county. $1 year for 30 years. – Anonymous

The Museum gave the City the building with the provision that it would always be for the museum so we pay no rent etc but we are autonomous. – Anonymous

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