Learning, preserving & sharing our history
What is there about Gilboa that attracts residents, tourists, and international researchers?
Historically, Gilboa and Conesville have 3 major attractions that are highlighted in both permanent and rotating museum displays as well as our popular programs:
- Gilboa Forest: The first broad exploration of this petrified forest by a professional geologist was made in the 1920s by Winifred Goldring, and since that time, scientists have found Gilboa Fossils throughout the world (Venezuela, Ireland, and Eastern Europe). The Gilboa Museum has a permanent exhibit on Gilboa Fossils, and rotating exhibits on the evolution of scientific theory, new discoveries about these ancient relics, and fossil games for children. The coverage of the Devonian period is in our Natural Science room.
- The Village of Old Gilboa: The center of Gilboa in 1916 was a large hamlet with over 100 homes, large business and industrial centers, and adjacent to 3 square miles of rich Schoharie valley farmland. Within a decade, this cultural center had been documented, photographed, and culturally archived before it was razed and the valley filled with water. Just as Vesuvius created a timeless Pompeii for a study of ancient life, Gilboa today provides insights into turn-of-the-century life in rural America. Coverage of this 1915 agricultural center is in the Nicholas J. Juried History Center, along with cultural studies of neighborhoods, lifestyles, public schooling, and the reservoir.
- New York City’s Schoharie Reservoir: In 1916, the Gilboa valley became the projected site for the northernmost reservoir in the New York City water supply. This reservoir is one of the smallest in the City’s west-of-the-Hudson operations, and yet collects its water from one of its largest watersheds. The combination of early public works, environmental importance to the city, the changing construction technology, and its compact area makes it an ideal microcosm for historical and educational research.
Navigating our pages
The narrow column on the right has three scroll-down windows (at the end of this window on your phone, pad, or tablet):
Current 2023 activities of the society.
Links to Facebook, our society’s web pages, and social media.
Benefits of the Gilboa Historical Society / how to join our association.
GILBOA MUSEUM OPEN
12 TO 4 Saturday and Sundays
Memorial Day to Columbus Day.
MUSEUM TOURS-ON-CALL
(607) 588-6894 to set up a tour.
Map for the Gilboa Museum.
May, 2024
• Wednesday, 5/15, 6 p.m.:
General program TBA.
• Saturday, 5/25, 12 p.m.:
Gilboa Museum celebrates the season opening.
June, 2024
• Sunday, 6/2, 11 a.m.:
Psychic Fair.
• Wednesday, 6/19, 6 p.m.:
Annual Shopping Bag Auction.
July, 2024
• Wednesday, 7/17, 6 p.m.:
GHS program: Field trip to be announced.
• Saturday, 7/20, 10 a.m.:
Gilboa Naturalist Program Drive-By Bald Eagle nests.
August, 2024
• Saturday, 8/3, 10 a.m.:
Gilboa Naturalist Program Fossil Tree Descendants hike with Mike Kudish.
• Saturday, 8/17, 10 a.m.:
Gilboa Naturalist Program
American Indian Clay Bowls—Bouck Island.
• Wednesday, 8/21, 6 p.m.:
Gilboa Historical Society Ice Cream Social.
• Saturday, 8/31, 10 a.m.:
Gilboa Naturalist Program
Fossil Hike on Schoharie in Gilboa.
September, 2024
• Sunday, 9/1: 10 a.m.: Harvest Festival.
• Wednesday, 9/18, 6 p.m.:
General program TBA.
• Saturday, 9/21, 10 a.m.:
Gilboa Naturalist Program
Field trip to Cairo quarry.
October, 2024
• Wednesday, 10/16, 6 p.m.:
Annual Meeting of Gilboa Historical Society & election of board members.
November, 2024
• Sunday, 11/17, 11 a.m.:
Holiday Boutique at Gilboa Museum.
• Wednesday, 11/20, 6 p.m.:
General program TBA.
December, 202
• Wednesday, 12/11, 6 p.m.:
Raffle and Bottle Auction, pot luck refreshments
The Board of Gilboa Historical Society meets at 1:00 p.m. on the last Wednesday of each month.
Unlinked pages are under construction.√
GHS Facebook page
GilboaMuseum
Gilboa Museum Gift Shop
Gilboa Historical Society
GHS History (Founders, Early Supporters, First Decade, Expansion, Our 21stC)
GHS Activities
GHS Facilities
GHS — Who We Are
Publications and Podcasts
Gilboa Fossils and the Devonian ecology
Gilboa Fossils, a site of the Gilboa Historical Society.
Nicholas J. Juried History Center
Gilboa Village (under construction)
Gilboa Reservoir (under construction)
Communications between you and the Society is key to your enjoyment and our success.
You can type out your information on this form, save it to your desktop, and email it or print it out and send it to the Society (PO Box 52, Gilboa, NY 12076)
Our annual membership is based on an anniversary date established when we process your check. A renewal would simply add 12 months to the projected expiration date, while lapsed memberships are seen as new ones without penalty for the lapse.
Member benefits
- All GHS Newsletters and mailings.
- Gift shop discounts of 10% on all sales.
For donations, please use the QR code
