Ohio Railway Museum Privacy Policy
Effective Date: September 23, 2026
Your privacy matters to us. This page explains what information the Ohio Railway Museum collects when you visit our website, purchase a membership or tickets, or sign up for our newsletter, how we use it, and the choices you have.
Our Commitment to You
The Ohio Railway Museum does not sell your personal information, period. We believe in your right to your own identity and privacy, and we only collect the information we need to conduct museum business, give you a great visitor experience, and keep you informed about our happenings and news.
Information We Collect
Information You Provide
We collect information you give us directly, including:
- Newsletter sign-up: your email address and, optionally, first and last name.
- Membership purchase: your name, email, phone number, and home or mailing address (collected through our payment processor at checkout), plus your membership tier and, for Family memberships, the names of covered adults or dependents you provide.
- Event ticket purchase: handled through TicketSpice, our third-party ticketing provider (see “Third-Party Services” below).
- Donations: handled through PayPal, our donation processor (see “Third-Party Services” below).
- Volunteer applications and portal accounts: contact information and any details you provide when applying to volunteer or when using our staff/volunteer portal.
- Direct contact: anything you share when you email or call us.
Payment Information
We do not collect or store your credit card number on our own servers. Membership payments are processed by Stripe, donations by PayPal, and event ticket sales by TicketSpice. Each handles your payment details directly under their own security and privacy practices.
Automatically Collected Information
Like most websites, we use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use our site: things like which pages are viewed, how long visitors stay, and general location and device information. This is collected automatically through cookies and similar technologies. See “Cookies & Tracking” below.
How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
- Process membership purchases, renewals, donations, and event ticket sales.
- Send the communications you've asked for, such as our newsletter, membership confirmations and renewal reminders, and event updates.
- Verify membership status internally and respond to your questions or requests.
- Maintain the security of our volunteer/staff portal and the accounts within it.
- Understand how our website is used so we can improve it.
We do not sell your personal information to third parties.
Third-Party Services
We rely on a handful of trusted outside services to run parts of our website and operations. Each has its own privacy policy governing how they handle your information:
- Stripe: processes online membership payments.
- PayPal: processes online donations.
- TicketSpice: processes event ticket sales.
- Mailchimp: manages our email newsletter list.
- Mailgun: delivers membership-related emails, such as renewal reminders.
- Google Analytics: provides website traffic and usage statistics.
We encourage you to review each provider's own privacy policy on their website for details on how they handle your information.
Cookies & Tracking
Our website uses cookies set by Google Analytics to help us understand site traffic, and a session cookie for visitors logging into our volunteer/staff portal. We do not use cookies to sell your information or track you across other websites.
Most web browsers let you block or delete cookies through their settings. Blocking cookies may affect some site features, such as staying logged into the portal, but you can still browse and use most of the site normally.
Membership & Volunteer Portal Data
Membership records are kept so we can verify your status, process renewals, and provide member benefits. Access to full membership details (email, phone, address) is limited to museum administrators; general volunteer accounts can only confirm that a membership is current, not see the underlying contact details.
We currently retain membership records indefinitely unless you request deletion (see “Your Choices” below). We're continuing to refine our data retention practices over time.
Your Choices
- Unsubscribe: every email we send includes an unsubscribe link. You can opt out of future emails at any time.
- Delete your data: if you are not a current, active member, you may request that we delete your membership record by using the unsubscribe link in one of our emails or by contacting us directly. Requests are reviewed by museum staff before completion. Active members' records are kept while their membership is current.
- Update your information: contact us any time to correct or update the information we have on file for you.
Children's Privacy
Our website is intended for a general audience and is not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under 13. When a Family membership includes children, that information is provided to us by a parent or guardian, not by the child.
Data Security
We take reasonable steps to protect the information we hold, including limiting who can access membership records and never storing payment card numbers on our own systems. That said, no method of storage or transmission over the internet is completely secure, and we can't guarantee absolute security.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with a revised effective date at the top.
Questions?
If you have questions about this privacy policy or how we handle your information, please contact us at info@ohiorailwaymuseum.org.