Framingham History Center is a gathering place for those who care about Framingham’s past, present and future. We provide connections with local history that enrich our lives and our community. We share the town’s remarkable heritage by collecting and preserving our stories, our historic buildings, and over 12,000 artifacts in our collections. These collections help us understand our place in the community, state, and nation. We are eager to share this with you.

Hours:1:00-4:00pm, Wednesdays – Saturdays through April 2017
Mission: The mission of the Framingham History Center is to preserve and share Framingham’s history in order to encourage connection to community.
Founded: 1888
Collection overview:

The Framingham History Center’s collections span the history and pre-history of the town, focussing on what makes Framingham unique, and on roles that Framingham people have played in regional, national and global events. Our collection of over 12,000 items includes artifacts, photographs, documents and a research library. They trace their origins to recorded dates from 1655 to the present, and dates suggested by archaeological evidence as early as 10,000 B.C. These treasures are housed in the Old Academy and Edgell Memorial Library buildings, clustered around the Framingham Centre Common. The collections are accessible through exhibitions, programs, onsite research, loan to other organizations, and, increasingly, virtual exhibits.

Become a member:

Join us! When you become involved with us through our programs, events and collections, you will experience the joy of discovery. Framingham is filled with rich history and we learn more about it daily.

Your membership support is important to us and to the community. When you join us your “sense of history” and “sense of place” are strengthened through reading our publications, voting to save our historic buildings, sharing your memories at our programs, or volunteering. This new-found knowledge is not only a benefit to you and your family but to Framingham. A community’s “collective memory” is essential to how it defines itself and is integral to the cultural fabric of the town.

This is a fun place to belong. We have devoted staff, volunteers and members whose excitement over their research on collections or programs is contagious. We provide programs and exhibits that are available year-round and open to all, and our commitment to preservation keeps our historic buildings standing proudly. Join us today and enjoy these benefits as well as the knowledge that you are helping to support your community.

Donate online: We are a non-profit organization that depends largely on memberships and donations to perform our mission of preserving and sharing Framingham's unique history and culture.
Framingham History Center
16 Vernon Street
Framingham, Mass. 01703-2032
Phone: 508-872-3780
Connect: Blog