Bundy Museum of History and Art in Binghamton Announces Temporary Closure After 22 Years

The Bundy Museum of History and Art in Binghamton, the historic Queen Anne house on Main Street that's held so much of this region's story inside its walls, is temporarily closing its doors after 22 years.

The museum announced the closure, citing what directors, staff and volunteers described as the challenges of a rapidly changing world along with financial struggles the museum has faced over the years. In a statement, the museum said it is undertaking a comprehensive reorganization and downsizing, and that tours, programs, services and activities are being suspended for now. You can read more about the museum's exhibits and mission on its official website.

The museum used the word temporary. But after two decades of the Bundy being a fixture in Binghamton, even a temporary closure hits different.

Binghamton, New York, Museum Has Been a Family Favorite for Years

My family has walked through that house more times than I can count over the years, from the recreation of how the home looked when Harlow Bundy lived in it to the vintage barber shop room to the display showing how the brothers created what would become IBM. The Bundy is a true Southern Tier gem.

Binghamton's Harlow Bundy Built a Time-Recording Empire

The man behind the house was Harlow Elisha Bundy, born in 1856. In 1889, he partnered with his older brother, Willard Bundy, an inventor, to mass-produce Willard's mechanical time clock, with Harlow running the business side. The company grew through a series of mergers, first into the International Time Recording Company, then the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company, which eventually became IBM. Bundy hired Thomas J. Watson Sr. in 1914 to manage operations before retiring. He died in Pasadena, California, on March 21, 1916, according to Find a Grave records. The Queen Anne home he built in Binghamton in 1893 remains as a legacy in the city where it started, and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 11, 2011.

Binghamton's Bundy Museum Closes Doors Saturday, August 22

The museum's final day open will be Saturday, August 22, 2026. Until then, regular hours remain in place: Tuesdays are reserved for group tours by appointment only, and the museum is open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. for both walk-in and group tours. It's closed Sundays and Mondays. Visitor details are available through the museum's website.

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Binghamton's Annex Theater Shows Will Continue for Now

The museum plans to honor as many shows and events already scheduled in the Annex Theater over the coming months as it can, and will announce any cancellations with as much notice as possible. Tax-deductible gifts and donations are still being accepted, and the museum thanked the artists, staff, volunteers, and supporters who kept its doors open for 22 years.