About Us

“The old Land Office is a common reminder of all the grandfathers and great grandfathers of Western New York. Their frequent pilgrimages to the Land office was a feature of their lives… It was to them a social, religious and political headquarters, while they felled the trees and let the sunlight down through the woods to invite production in the fertile soil.”
–John Kennedy, Former Superintendent of Batavia Schools

Located in a stone building built in 1810, the Holland Land Office Museum offers thousands of artifacts pertaining to the history of Western New York. Batavia is known as the “birthplace of Western New York” because out of the Holland Land Office came the sales and disbursement of over 3.3 million acres of land. One of the items on display in the museum is the Medal of Honor received by Batavian Charles F. Rand, who was the first soldier in the nation to volunteer to the Civil War. A dark piece of history, the museum houses an original gibbet that was used to perform hangings, the last being 1881. The Holland Land Office Museum host many educational and social events throughout the year. The museum is also located right next to the Batavia International Peace Garden.