Terms of Use

Effective Date: August 29, 2026

Welcome to the Mayflower Descendants Museum website. These Terms of Use govern your access to and use of the website and online services operated by Mayflower Descendants Museum LLC (“MDM,” “the Museum,” “we,” “our,” or “us”).

By accessing or using this website (the “Site”), you acknowledge and agree to these Terms of Use. If you do not agree with these Terms, please do not use the Site.

1. About the Museum and Site

The Mayflower Descendants Museum is an online museum that researches, restores when necessary, preserves, interprets, and shares the histories of Mayflower descendants and the individuals and communities connected to them.

The Site may include online exhibitions, collection information, historical and genealogical research, educational materials, photographs, videos, digital presentations, membership information, Museum news, merchandise links, and other Museum-related content.

2. Educational and Historical Content

The Museum strives to present historical, genealogical, artistic, and educational information responsibly and accurately based on the information and evidence available to us.

Historical and genealogical research can change as new records, scholarship, interpretations, discoveries, or evidence become available. Museum content may therefore be revised, expanded, corrected, or reinterpreted over time.

Content provided through the Site is for educational and informational purposes. It should not be regarded as a guarantee of genealogical lineage, historical conclusion, attribution, provenance, authenticity, value, legal status, or other professional determination unless expressly stated otherwise.

3. Copyright and Museum Intellectual Property

Unless otherwise stated, original photographs, images, graphics, illustrations, exhibition designs, written materials, research, educational content, videos, digital compositions, layouts, logos, branding, product designs, and other original materials created by or for the Mayflower Descendants Museum are owned by or licensed to Mayflower Descendants Museum LLC and may be protected by copyright, trademark, and other applicable intellectual-property laws.

Viewing or accessing Museum content does not transfer ownership or grant a license to reproduce or commercially use that content.

Except where expressly permitted by law or authorized in writing by the Museum, Museum-created content may not be copied, downloaded for republication, reproduced, republished, distributed, modified, displayed, sold, licensed, used in merchandise, used in advertising or promotional materials, posted to another website or social-media account, incorporated into a database or dataset, or otherwise exploited.

Museum-created photographs, graphics, designs, written materials, and other protected content may not be used to train, develop, test, or enhance artificial-intelligence or machine-learning systems or datasets without prior written permission from the Museum, except where such use is otherwise permitted by applicable law.

4. Museum Photography and Images of Collection Objects

Many images appearing on the Site are photographs taken or commissioned by the Mayflower Descendants Museum.

The Museum’s display of an artwork, document, artifact, decorative object, book, letter, photograph, or other historical material does not grant permission to reproduce the Museum’s photograph, digital image, presentation, layout, caption, or related Museum-created material.

Some underlying artworks, documents, photographs, or other historical materials displayed by the Museum may be in the public domain or may be owned or controlled by third parties. Rights in those underlying works are separate from any rights that may exist in the Museum’s original photography, written interpretation, graphic design, arrangement, branding, digital presentation, or other original content.

Where the Museum identifies an underlying work as public domain, that designation applies to the underlying historical work and does not necessarily apply to every photograph, graphic, design, caption, or presentation in which the work appears.

5. Limited Personal Use

You may view the Site and its content for lawful personal, educational, and informational purposes.

Nothing in these Terms is intended to restrict uses that are lawfully permitted without authorization, including rights that may apply under copyright law or other applicable law.

Any other reproduction or use of Museum-created content requires prior written permission from the Museum unless otherwise stated.

For reproduction or permissions inquiries, please contact the Museum using the information provided below.

6. Trademarks and Branding

The names Mayflower Descendants Museum, MDM, Museum logos, collection names, slogans, design elements, and other Museum branding may be protected by trademark or other intellectual-property rights.

Nothing on the Site grants permission to use Museum trademarks, logos, branding, or other source-identifying material in a manner that suggests affiliation with, sponsorship by, or endorsement from the Museum without prior written permission.

7. Memberships

The Site may provide information about Museum membership programs, including Club 1620 and other membership offerings.

Membership payments are final and non-refundable, except where otherwise stated or required by law.

Membership eligibility, benefits, pricing, duration, household participation, discounts, access, communications, and other membership terms are governed by the information presented with the applicable membership offering.

Club 1620 lineage participation is based on the honor system unless otherwise stated by the Museum. The Museum does not necessarily independently verify lineage claims submitted by members.

Membership benefits may evolve as Museum programs develop. The Museum may add, modify, replace, or discontinue benefits when reasonably necessary.

Membership information is also subject to the Museum’s Privacy Policy.

8. Donations and Support Payments

The Museum may accept voluntary donations or support payments to help further its activities, programs, collections, research, exhibitions, educational initiatives, and other Museum purposes.

Donations and support payments are final and non-refundable, except where otherwise required by law.

Mayflower Descendants Museum LLC is a for-profit entity. Donations and support payments made to the Museum are not tax-deductible as charitable contributions unless expressly stated otherwise.

Making a donation or support payment does not create a Museum membership or entitle the contributor to membership benefits unless expressly stated by the Museum.

9. User Submissions and Materials Provided to the Museum

Visitors may have opportunities to submit genealogical information, historical materials, family histories, photographs, documents, research, comments, correspondence, or other information to the Museum.

By submitting material, you represent that you have the right to provide it and that doing so does not knowingly violate the rights of another person.

Providing material to the Museum does not automatically transfer ownership of that material to MDM.

Submission also does not automatically grant the Museum permission to publicly identify you or publish your personally identifying information unless you have granted permission or another lawful basis applies.

If the Museum wishes to reproduce, publish, exhibit, or otherwise use submitted materials beyond what is reasonably necessary to review or respond to the submission, additional permission or terms may be requested when appropriate.

Personal information submitted to the Museum is handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

10. Appropriate Use of the Site

You agree not to use the Site in a manner that:

Violates applicable law or the rights of another person;
Infringes copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity, or other rights;
Attempts to gain unauthorized access to the Site, accounts, servers, databases, or systems;
Introduces viruses, malicious code, automated attacks, or other harmful technologies;
Interferes with the security, availability, or operation of the Site;
Misrepresents your identity or affiliation with the Museum;
Uses Museum content to falsely imply Museum sponsorship, endorsement, or approval; or
Uses the Site for fraudulent, deceptive, abusive, or unlawful purposes.

We reserve the right to restrict access to the Site when reasonably necessary to protect the Museum, its visitors, its systems, or others.

11. Links and Third-Party Services

The Site may contain links to or integrations with third-party websites and services, including payment providers, social-media platforms, genealogy services, video platforms, e-commerce services, museums, archives, libraries, educational resources, and other organizations.

A link to a third-party resource does not necessarily constitute endorsement.

When you leave the Museum Site or interact directly with a third-party service, that organization’s terms, privacy practices, and policies may apply.

MDM is not responsible for the availability, content, security, accuracy, or practices of third-party websites or services.

12. Affiliated Shops, Brands, and Businesses

The Museum Site may link to or reference affiliated shops, brands, or businesses under common ownership, including the Mayflower Descendants Museum Gift Shop, American Tapestry, House of Cipher, and Erased Heir.

These shops, brands, or businesses may be operated through separate legal entities or under separate terms and policies.

Purchases made through an affiliated shop, brand, or business may be subject to its own terms of service, shipping policy, returns and exchanges policy, privacy policy, product-specific terms, or other conditions presented at the time of purchase.

The applicable terms and policies of the relevant shop, brand, or business govern transactions made through that shop, brand, or business.

A link or reference from the Museum Site does not alter the separate legal identity of an affiliated entity where one exists.

13. No Endorsement

References to artists, descendants, families, institutions, organizations, businesses, products, services, historical figures, or other third parties do not necessarily indicate endorsement by, affiliation with, or sponsorship of the Museum unless expressly stated.

Similarly, the inclusion of an individual or organization in Museum research, exhibitions, educational materials, or collection interpretation does not necessarily imply that the individual, family, estate, organization, or institution endorses the Museum.

14. Disclaimer of Warranties

The Site and its content are provided on an “as available” basis.

While the Museum makes reasonable efforts to maintain accurate, useful, and accessible information, we do not guarantee that the Site will always be complete, current, error-free, uninterrupted, or free from technical problems.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Museum disclaims warranties not expressly provided in these Terms.

15. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Mayflower Descendants Museum LLC and its members, managers, employees, contractors, agents, representatives, and service providers, as applicable, will not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or similar damages arising from or relating to use of, or inability to use, the Site or its content.

Nothing in these Terms limits any liability, right, or remedy that cannot legally be limited or excluded.

16. Privacy

Your use of the Site is also subject to the Mayflower Descendants Museum Privacy Policy, which explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard personal information.

17. Changes to the Site

The Museum may modify, update, reorganize, remove, or discontinue Site content, exhibitions, features, services, or other materials at any time.

Museum research and interpretation may also change as new information becomes available.

18. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms of Use from time to time to reflect changes in the Museum, the Site, our services, our practices, or applicable requirements.

When changes are made, we will update the Effective Date at the top of these Terms.

The revised Terms become effective when posted unless otherwise stated.

19. Governing Law

These Terms of Use are governed by the laws of the State of Florida, without regard to conflict-of-law principles, except where applicable law requires otherwise.

20. Contact Us

For questions about these Terms of Use, intellectual-property permissions, or use of Museum content, please contact the Museum at:

info@mayflowerdescendantsmuseum.org

Mayflower Descendants Museum LLC

And separately, in the website footer: