Local history and culture preserved at Roberson Museum

News Channel 10 reported that it's been an especially tough year for non-profit organizations and it's no different for the folks at the Roberson Museum. Rob Wu shows what had everyone in the holiday spirit and why many believe the museum to be a local jewel:

What do France, Lithuania and China have in common? Their cultures and how they celebrate the holidays are all featured at the Roberson Museum.

"As you enter the museum, you see the international forest, the displays of different ethnicities that our community themselves have come together to represent," said Terry McDonald, Executive Director of the Roberson Museum.

It's all part of the mission, which started more than a half-century ago. The Robersons donated their mansion to be used for educational purposes. Now, hundreds of exhibits and art galleries are sprawled throughout the mansion's 26 rooms, designed to preserve the area's history and promote diversity. It's something readily apparent for people who poured into the museum for its annual holiday event.

"I think it's important for the people who live in this area to see some of the history, to see people like the Robersons and other families who lived here and the splendor that is Binghamton," said Connecticut resident Sean Folan.

Museum officials say it has always represented the community in everything that it does, but with a down economy and less money to go around, the future isn't as certain as it once was.

"We're fine in the short-run, but as any non-profit, it's always nip and tuck. It's very, very difficult," McDonald said.

But what is certain, losing the museum which has preserved the area's culture would be a blow to the community. Read more and watch the video here.