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Museum Facts

Museum History

Established in 1959, the National Scouting Museum is the official museum of the Boy Scouts of America. The Museum is committed to preserving the rich, 100+ year history of the Scouting movement by collecting, organizing, preserving and displaying some of Scouting's greatest treasures. This collection not only documents Scouting's unique influence on American culture, but also tells the story of a movement that has touched more than 110 million young people.

Locations Through the Years

  • In 1959, the Johnston Memorial Museum opened in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
  • In 1986, the Museum was moved to the grounds of Murray State University in western Kentucky, where it remained for 15 seasons.
  • In October 2002, the Museum opened adjacent to the national headquarters of the Boy Scouts of America in Irving, Texas.

Statistics

Size:

53,000 square feet—it would take some 3.2 million merit badges to fully cover the Museum's floor!

Number of artifacts:

Approximately 600,000. The collection includes oil paintings, uniforms, patches, photographs, film, and letters.

The oldest artifact:

A Chinese compass from 1500.

The largest artifact:

A red convertible Geo Storm MTV pace car that was built by an Explorer post sponsored by General Motors.

The natural settings in the museum:

The Museum features full-size replicas of campsites from 1910, the 1950's, and today.

Number of artworks on view:

There are thirty-seven artworks currently on view in the Museum. These include illustrations by Norman Rockwell, Joseph Csatari, Howard Chandler Christy, J.C. Leyendecker, Dean Cornwell, Remington Schuyler, the Walt Disney Studios, and other American artists.

Number of Norman Rockwell paintings:

At 58 original artworks, the Museum boasts one of the world's largest collections of work by Norman Rockwell. This includes his World War I era illustrations for Red Cross Magazine, and work for his last official painting for the Boy Scouts of America from 1976.


Exhibits

The Museum is not limited to static displays. Visitors will experience the following as they journey through uniquely themed areas of the Museum:

  • Race derby cars on a six-lane pinewood derby track.
  • Test your skills in our laser shooting gallery.
  • View artifacts and art that present the story of Scouting, and the program's influence on American culture.

For more information, see the Exhibits section of this Web site.