PARMA, N.Y. — The museum at the Parma Hilton Historical Society has reopened for the season. The museum and tours help spark curiosity, encourage questions, celebrate and honor Parma and Hilton history.
For museum curator Ken Freeman, the Parma Hilton Historical Society and Museum is so much more than a place where old things go. It is an experience. There is a story to share on every wall and around every corner to show how people lived in Parma and Hilton.
“My mom’s side of the family came here in the early 1800s,” Freeman said. “They were not the first people here. I grew up just west of what is now the Quest school. I am definitely connected to Hilton and Parma."
Residents donated all of the clothing, tools, gadgets, furniture and photographs to help Parma and Hilton history come to life.
“This is our depiction of what a parlor in a typical house will look like,” Freeman said. “The whole museum is based on what life was like here 100 to 150 years ago. We have artifacts. If you see an old rotary dial phone and say ‘that looks just like the one my grandma had.’ That kind of thing. We just draw the stories from them and we start hearing memories of going to grandma's on Sundays for roast beef dinner. It was just a fun place to be.”
The museum is open every Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m., free of charge. Group tours are available on other days. The more than 100 historical society members make that possible. New members are always welcome.
The museum has several special events coming up including a Walking Tour of West Avenue on Friday, April 29. You're invited to listen to the history of the west side of the village of Hilton while walking from Lake Avenue to West Avenue.
Some other upcoming events include Kodak Kids on Monday, April 11, the Annual Banquet on Monday, May 16, and the Hilton Lions Club on Monday, Sep. 12.
If you’d like to visit the museum, it is located on the Parma Town Hall campus.