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Over a 14-month period, from when the center opened through the end of 2019, it drew 22,500 people. In March 2020, the facility hosted Harriet Tubman weekend events that attracted many visitors, including more than 1,000 students.

And then COVID-19 hit.Ìý

"We had programming throughout Sunday and literally, on that Monday, is when everyone closed," said Courtney Rae Kasper, the center's visitor experience manager. "We did go out very strong." 

COVID-19 and the pandemic recovery is a big piece of the center's brief history.ÌýThis month, the Equal Rights Heritage Center is marking its fifth anniversary. On Wednesday, an event was held to celebrate the milestone.Ìý

'Welcome center' 

In October 2016, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo held a tourism summit in Albany. One of the announcements at that event was the state's plan to establish 10 welcome centers, one in each region of New York. Auburn was identified as the location of the central New York welcome center.Ìý

One month later, Auburn Mayor Michael Quill recommended a site for the welcome center — the municipal parking lot across from City Hall. The city council approved that plan.Ìý

Nearly a year after Cuomo said Auburn would get a welcome center, the design of the building was finalized and a name was selected. It would be known as the New York State Equal Rights Heritage Center.Ìý

Then-Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul visited Auburn to make those announcements, along with another — that the state would provide $10 million for the construction of the center.Ìý

"We're here to celebrate ... that there is no better place in America to honor equal rights than this place right here," Hochul said at the event.Ìý

Construction began in February 2018. The center was initially scheduled to open in October of that year, but it officially opened on Nov. 13.Ìý

Attendance

To set a year-one attendance goal, the Equal Rights Heritage Center used annual visitor reports from the city of Auburn's Historic and Cultural Sites Commission and the Cayuga County Convention and Visitors Bureau. The goal was 20,000 visitors in the first year, which covered the period from opening day, Nov. 13, 2018, through 2019.Ìý

Visitation surpassed that goal, with 22,500 attendees in 14 months. According to the center's 2019 report, there were 3,528 visitors in August — the most in a month — and a majority of overall visitors were local residents. However, there were visitors from nearly every state and other countries, including Canada and India.Ìý

Attendance in 2020 was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It dropped to 4,282, well below the 20,000 goal that remained in place. The center was forced to close during the early months of the pandemic.Ìý

Kasper told ÈËÊÞÐÔ½» the staff at the center worked from home for three months. There were a lot of virtual meetings and they worked on operation plans, she said.Ìý

With the pandemic continuing into 2021, attendance was affected. There were 7,351 visitors that year, including more than 3,300 in July and August.Ìý

"When we were able to come back, we really had to go into protective measures," Kasper recalled. "We had to wear masks all day. We had to enforce (the mask mandate) on visitors. We could not lead any guided tours. We started promoting our exhibit as self-guided, which we have stuck with. People actually like exploring it on their own and we give them that option." 

Pandemic rules also led to changes in the center's operating hours and staffing — older volunteers who worked part-time before the pandemic did not return, Kasper said. There were fewer vendors for events, such as the center's Saturday Market, and the restrictions, which have since been lifted, prevented them from having live entertainment.Ìý

Attendance began to rebound in 2022 as COVID-19 concerns and regulations eased. There were 10,629 visitors, according to Kasper. Most of the attendees were local residents.Ìý

As of mid-October, attendance this year was at 8,966 — on pace to top 10,000 for a second consecutive year. Kasper said they are seeing more international visitors. One example she provided is a man from Brazil who was an exchange student in Auburn as a teen. He has visited the Equal Rights Heritage Center to learn more about the city.Ìý

While COVID-19 disrupted the center's activities for parts of three years, Kasper is encouraged that visitors are returning and operations are back to normal.Ìý

"For us, it was very nice to go back to removing the masks and being able to talk to people," she said. "That's our bread and butter, being that welcoming front face that people come in and see when they come to Auburn." 

Funding

While the state covered the construction costs of the Equal Rights Heritage Center, the city of Auburn has been responsible for the operating expenses.Ìý

The city's 2023-24 budget includes $262,000 for the center — the same as last year's budget. When a center-specific line item was added to the budget in 2019-20, the city provided $162,500 for operations.Ìý

When the Equal Rights Heritage Center opened in 2018, the city received a one-time $50,000 grant. But that was the last time it received any state support for the operation of the facility.Ìý

Auburn officials have raised this issue with state leaders, mainly because of a decision made in 2016. The initial plan for the site in Auburn was that it would be one of the state's welcome centers. But within months of that announcement, those plans changed. Destiny USA in Syracuse was selected as the site of central New York's welcome center. Auburn would get a heritage center.Ìý

It may seem like a small distinction, but welcome centers typically receive state funding. The 2023-24 state budget includes "up to $125,000" for the city of Geneva to operate the Finger Lakes Welcome Center.Ìý

"There's clearly a model that they fund these things all over the state and that model wasn't followed here," Auburn City Clerk Chuck Mason told ÈËÊÞÐÔ½». He acknowledged, though, that the state provides $190,000 for the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County to run the Taste NY market at the center. From that money, the city receives $6,000 for rent.Ìý

With other visitor centers receiving state support, Auburn officials are hoping to get aid for operating the Equal Rights Heritage Center. Mason explained that the technology used in the center, from iPads to the screens used to show images and videos, is reaching the end of its useful life.Ìý

"We're going to need support from the state for the long-term sustainability of the initiative," Mason said.Ìý

'A spark' 

Billye Chabot, executive director of the Seward House Museum in Auburn, thinks the Equal Rights Heritage Center has "the perfect location." 

The heritage center and museum are neighbors along the South Street corridor. When visitors stop at the center, there is information about the Seward House Museum. Some of those visitors head next door for a tour.Ìý

In an email to ÈËÊÞÐÔ½», Chabot highlighted the museum's relationship with the center. They have partnered from day one, she said, on educational programs, group tours and special events.Ìý

"The (Equal Rights Heritage Center) is a crucial resource for information and education about key milestones and the people and places associated with the history of human and civil rights," Chabot said. "It attracts visitors to the city and to regional historic and cultural attractions as well. The ERHC has been a spark to revive pride and understanding of the city's extraordinary history." 

To remain that hub for local tourism, Kasper and the Equal Rights Heritage Center want to grow.Ìý

One of the lessons from the pandemic was the need to reorganize staff. A full-time position, an assistant visitor experience manager, was added and Gillian Sears was hired for that role. Sears' addition, along with the presence of part-time staff, bolsters the center's customer service.Ìý

With Sears on staff, Kasper is focusing on management, marketing and oversight. She hopes to hire more full-time employees in the future. She is also exploring ways to continue programs, such as the Harriet Tubman Lantern Trail, after a state marketing grant runs out at the end of this year.Ìý

Kasper is planning to update the exhibit at the center. The timeline, she explained, stops at around 2017. But there have been a lot of significant events since then, including a rally and town hall held at the center following the killing of George Floyd in 2020. She would like to add photos of those events to the timeline and incorporate more local history into the exhibits.Ìý

Five years in, the center has established itself as a starting point for many visitors.

"You can find yourself in a place with many attractions like Auburn, but may only know of one or two," Kasper said. "To have a space like the Equal Rights Heritage Center, you can come here and find out everything there is to do, while getting very personal recommendations and information from locals."