When friends of a Civil War Brigadier General approached me to find a home for their ancestor's uniform, I decided to contact my friend who is the curator at the Marine Museum at Parris Island. He is not only a historian of Marine history, but he has actively researched, taught, lectured, and written books on the War. And since the Battle of Honey Hill, S.C. in which this specific officer was wounded, took place less than 3 hours from Parris Island, I decided that the Marine Museum would be the best place for it. They already had a diorama of the Battle of Honey Hill, and the uniform would only add to the display. I had originally thought of contacting The Smithsonian, or one of the museums in Massachusetts (the officer was born in Dedham, and served in Mass. infantry units), but decided that S.C. would be the best place because it wouldn't be hidden away in a drawer somewhere, forgotten, and never seen by the public.
Good for you! It’s great to support some of the lesser known, and more appreciative, museums. Big institutions often do not give donated artifacts their due position in the spotlight. There are rumors, for instance, that the Milwaukee County Museum dumped boatloads of donated materials into Lake Michigan a number of years ago. Others they sold, or traded away. Once you are dead, and your heirs have moved away, nobody checks on what you donated.