If you’re strolling on campus and a visitor asks “Where’s the museum?,” you’ll probably think first of the Johnson Museum of Art—whether due to its impressive holdings, its unique architecture, or the panoramic views from its upper floors.
But the Johnson is far from the only venue on campus to showcase thought-provoking exhibits and collections. There are at least a dozen others; some are tucked away and only accessible by request or private tour, while others host rotating displays that give glimpses into their larger collections.
Here’s a look at some of the Hill’s “mini museums," including several housed in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Chimes Museum
The history of Cornell’s beloved bells is showcased on the sixth floor of McGraw Tower—offering an ideal break for anyone climbing those 161 steps to the top.
In past years, the “museum” was merely a series of informational panels about the Chimes and tower—but it’s in the midst of a major upgrade, with numerous artifacts now on exhibit.
The items include a 404-pound, E-flat bell from 1939 (replaced in 1982); levers from a former playing stand; and a pair of clock hands that graced the tower from the 1970s to the ’90s.
Fuertes Observatory Museum
Operated and overseen by the Cornell Astronomical Society, the museum is open along with the observatory: most Fridays from 8 p.m. to midnight.
It includes a historic 103-year-old telescope, other astronomical instruments, and a stunning photographic gallery of the night sky taken from the observatory.
Renovated in recent years, the museum also features a section devoted to famed astronomy professor Carl Sagan, including his work on the PBS show “Cosmos.”
Anthropology Collaboratory
The new facility—which unites many of the University’s anthropology collections and laboratories—opened in 2025 in the lower level of Olin Library, a temporary home while McGraw Hall is undergoing renovation.
It comprises Greek, Roman, and Egyptian antiquities, artifacts from ancient Peru, ethnographic items from the Philippines, and much more.
Exhibits rotate, and currently include stone tools of the Lower Paleolithic age and a mummy’s sarcophagus.
Center for Historical Keyboards
More a collection than a museum, the center is a world-renowned repository of vintage instruments, from pipe organs to fortepianos.
While much of it resides at its official home at 726 University Avenue, some of its most impressive pieces can’t be moved—like the massive pipe organs in the Sage and Anabel Taylor chapels and instruments in Lincoln and Barnes halls.
The collection includes original instruments—the oldest is from the 1700s—as well as historically accurate replicas, all kept performance ready; its newest holdings are 1960s synthesizers.
Read the full story on the Cornellians website.
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