National Scouting Museum
Encyclopedia
The National Scouting Museum, located at 1329 West Walnut Hill Lane in Irving, Texas
, is the official museum of the Boy Scouts of America
.
. It closed in 1979. In 1986 the museum reopened on the campus of Murray State University
in western Kentucky
.
Museum officials had predicted that 120,000 people annually would visit the Kentucky location, in the Land Between the Lakes area, but by the late 1990s, yearly attendance was under 20,000. In October 2002 the museum moved to its present location in Irving, Texas.
and Joseph Csatari
, High Adventure
, National Scout Jamboree, Order of the Arrow
, scoutcraft through the years, scout values, Eagle Scouts, and a historical collection tracing uniforms, themes, and documents from the beginning of the Scouting movement in America. Among the museum's artifacts are the Eagle Scout medal of Arthur Rose Eldred
, the first Eagle Scout
. A focal point of the complex is a man-made mountain structure with virtual-reality features; a screen at the foot of the structure allows visitors to simulate bike-racing through the mountain or kayaking down its waters.
Irving, Texas
Irving is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas within Dallas County. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city population was 216,290. Irving is within the Dallas–Plano–Irving metropolitan division of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area, designated...
, is the official museum of the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
.
Locations
The museum was first opened in 1959 in New Brunswick, New JerseyNew Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
. It closed in 1979. In 1986 the museum reopened on the campus of Murray State University
Murray State University
Murray State University, located in the city of Murray, Kentucky, is a four-year public university with approximately 10,400 students. The school is Kentucky’s only public university to be listed in the U.S.News & World Report regional university top tier for the past 20 consecutive years...
in western Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
.
Museum officials had predicted that 120,000 people annually would visit the Kentucky location, in the Land Between the Lakes area, but by the late 1990s, yearly attendance was under 20,000. In October 2002 the museum moved to its present location in Irving, Texas.
Current exhibits
The museum contains 53000 square feet (4,923.9 m²) of floor space exhibiting a wide variety of artifacts relating to the history of the Boys Scouts. It also contains displays on activities of the Boys Scouts. Exhibits include paintings by Norman RockwellNorman Rockwell
Norman Percevel Rockwell was a 20th-century American painter and illustrator. His works enjoy a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of American culture. Rockwell is most famous for the cover illustrations of everyday life scenarios he created for The Saturday Evening...
and Joseph Csatari
Joseph Csatari
Joseph Csatari is an internationally acclaimed realist portrait artist, watercolorist and illustrator who has painted both the famous and the familiar in American life for more than fifty years. He honed his unique talent for realism by working with his mentor Norman Rockwell for eight years...
, High Adventure
High adventure
High adventure is a type of outdoor experience. It typically is meant to include activities like backpacking, hiking, kayaking or canoeing. It may also include mountaineering, rock climbing, mountain biking, orienteering, hang gliding, paragliding and hot air ballooning.-High adventure in...
, National Scout Jamboree, Order of the Arrow
Order of the Arrow
The Order of the Arrow is the national honor society of the Boy Scouts of America . It uses American Indian-styled traditions and ceremonies to bestow recognition on scouts selected by their peers as best exemplifying the ideals of Scouting. The society was created by E. Urner Goodman, with the...
, scoutcraft through the years, scout values, Eagle Scouts, and a historical collection tracing uniforms, themes, and documents from the beginning of the Scouting movement in America. Among the museum's artifacts are the Eagle Scout medal of Arthur Rose Eldred
Arthur Rose Eldred
Arthur Rose Eldred was an American agricultural and railroad industry executive, civic leader, and the first Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America...
, the first Eagle Scout
Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America . A Scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million young men...
. A focal point of the complex is a man-made mountain structure with virtual-reality features; a screen at the foot of the structure allows visitors to simulate bike-racing through the mountain or kayaking down its waters.
Earthquake Damage
On May 16, 2009, the museum is thought to have been damaged after a 3.3 earthquake struck four miles (6 km) south of Euless, TX. The quake appeared to have cause at least 5 cracks to form, including 1 or 2 that are about an inch thick. The damage was only cosmetic and estimated to be about $100,000 to repair.External links
- National Scouting Museum official website