A Cayuga County museum has received national recognition for its community engagement.
The Seward House Museum was recognized last week in Philadelphia with the American Alliance of Museums’ 2026 Impact Award. The museum said the award recognizes museums that “create meaningful change within the field while deeply engaging their communities.”
The museum said the award is a testament to its teams’ dedication, creativity, and collaboration, and “affirms the museum’s ongoing commitment to equality, service, democracy, and progress.”
Billye Chabot, the Seward House’s executive director, accepted the award on behalf of the museum.
Speaking with FLX Local Media, Chabot said it’s an honor to be recognized by the alliance.
“The largest honor that a museum can receive is from the American Alliance of Museums… It’s such an honor to be recognized at this national level,” said Chabot.
Chabot added that nominators highlighted the museum for coming out of its comfort zone to delve into a controversial topic as a small historic house museum when it launched its Rooted in Reform exhibit, showcasing the connections between the Miller-Seward family and the Auburn Prison/Correctional Facility. Rooted in Reform opened in 2023.
This is the third award the museum has received in relation to the exhibit, having previously been recognized by the Museum Association of New York and the American Association for State and Local History.
