The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

Any education- or community-based organization in the continental United States can host a traveling exhibition. Many are hosted by schools, libraries, museums, historical societies, and other community centers. 

• The fee to host a traveling exhibition covers shipping and administrative costs and a refundable security deposit.
• The fee for large exhibitions is $1,350 plus a refundable $250 deposit. The fee for medium exhibitions is $900 plus a refundable $150 deposit. The fee for small exhibitions is $450 plus a refundable $100 deposit.
• Fees are due no later than one month prior to the first day of the loan period—exhibitions will not be shipped to your site until the fee has been paid.

Yes! Affiliate Schools and Library Affiliates receive their first small exhibition ($450 value) at no cost. Affiliates can also apply their first-booking waiver to a medium or large exhibition and pay the difference. Small exhibitions include: 

• Alexander Hamilton: Immigrant, Patriot, Visionary
• Emancipation and Its Legacies
• Frederick Douglass from Slavery to Freedom
• Looking at Lincoln: Political Cartoons from the Civil War Era
• Civil War 150
• The Progressive Era: Creating Modern America, 1900–1917
• Immigration: An American Story

After hosting the first free or discounted exhibition, Affiliate Schools and Library Affiliates are required to pay the standard loan fee and deposit to host subsequent exhibitions.

Traveling exhibitions are approximately 80" tall. Small exhibitions require 10–12 running feet of display space. Medium exhibitions require 20–30 running feet of display space. Large exhibitions require 60–70 running feet of display space.

• The Many Faces of George Washington
• Freedom Riders

• Freedom: A History of US

• Alexander Hamilton: Immigrant, Patriot, Visionary
• Frederick Douglass From Slavery to Freedom
• Emancipation and Its Legacies
• Looking at Lincoln: Political Cartoons from the Civil War Era
• Civil War 150
• The Progressive Era: Creating Modern America, 1900-1917
• Immigration: An American Story

Traveling exhibition set-up does not require any tools and can be done by two people. Detailed assembly instructions will be included in your Site Support Notebook.

The traveling exhibition loan period is four weeks.

All exhibitions are sent via FedEx Ground. Exhibitions are shipped in high-impact, wheeled, plastic case(s). Dimensions per case are 33 inches x 44 inches x 10 inches. Weight per loaded case is 65 lbs.

Tracking numbers, return labels, and pickup information for both shipments will be provided by the Gilder Lehrman Institute. All shipping costs will be billed to the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.

Traveling exhibitions are delivered 1–2 business days before the exhibition start date and picked up 1–2 business days after the exhibition end date. Because there is a limited time available to get the exhibition from one site to another, sites should have the exhibition dismantled and ready for pick-up the first business day after the exhibition closes.

For more information, email exhibitions@gilderlehrman.org or call 646-366-9666 ext. 147.