Museums

The National Scouting Museum shares the rich history of the Boy Scouts of America with visitors, including the tens of thousands of campers, volunteers, and alumni that visit Philmont each year. The Museum is home to the Seton Memorial Library with reading and research rooms, a gift shop with jewelry, books, and mementos, two large exhibit halls, and an 88-person conference room.

The National Scouting Museum has played an important role in preserving and telling the rich story of the Boy Scouts of America and the positive impact Scouting continues to have on youth and families for decades. The museum is committed to preserving the rich, 110-plus-year history of the Scouting movement by collecting, organizing, preserving, and displaying some of Scouting’s greatest treasures, including more than 600,000 artifacts.

This collection not only documents Scouting’s unique influence on American culture, but also tells the story of a movement that has positively affected the lives of more than 110 million young people. The museum’s move to Philmont (where more than 30,000 people visit annually) exposes even more people to Scouting’s story and introduces unique opportunities to showcase parts of the collection throughout the country. The National Scouting Museum’s Philmont home is the primary place to see Scouting memorabilia, but the BSA’s expansive collection of Scouting collectibles will be spread far and wide. Additionally, we are working hard to make many parts of the collection and archives digitally accessible. It allows the BSA to establish displays and exhibits at the three other national high adventure bases: the Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia, the Florida Sea Base, and the Northern Tier National High Adventure Bases in Minnesota and Canada, as well as the possibility for some items to be loaned to local councils for display in their facilities. All of this means that more scouts get a glimpse into the BSA’s powerful past.

Camping gear, uniforms, service projects, and more tell the story of Scouting in Exhibit Hall A. The history of Philmont Scout Ranch and the Great Southwest fill Exhibit Hall B. Study the ranch’s trails and camps on an over-sized, 3-D, topographical map, learn more about an 1850s mud wagon, view southwestern pottery, and learn about the artwork of Ernest Thompson Seton.