This account is archived for the National Park Service Museum Management Program. For future updates, follow @NationalParkService. You can also visit nps.gov.
What do all these have in common? Abraham Lincoln’s rocking chair. Jurassic dinosaurs. Thomas Edison’s handwritten notes. Frederick Douglass’ library. Prehistoric pottery. George Washington’s inauguration day suit. Civil War uniforms. WWII dog tag from Manzanar Relocation Camp. Everglades tree snails. American Red Cross founder Clara Barton’s first aid kit. Botanical specimens. All are part of the
National Park Service museum collections. The NPS is one of the world's largest museum systems. It preserves places of grandeur and national significance, as well as over 45 million natural, art, historic, and prehistoric objects and 75,000 linear feet of archives at over 390 units nationwide. These collections tell powerful stories of this land - its diverse cultures, varied habitats, flora and fauna, significant events, and innovative ideas that continue to inspire the world. Collections range from everyday items associated with iconic American men and women, to objects of breathtaking beauty and overwhelming significance. They inform us about peoples who have left no written records, and provide information about Americans at home, at work, and at war, and they record the rich tapestry of American habitats and ecosystems. They are witness to American history and prehistory. See NPS collections in virtual museum exhibits, Web Catalog and Teaching with Museum Collections lesson plans at www.nps.gov/museum. General Information
We welcome your comments and hope that our conversations here will be courteous. You are fully responsible for the content of your comments. We do not discriminate against any views, but we reserve the right to delete any of the following:
• off-topic comments
• violent, vulgar, obscene, profane, hateful, or racist comments
• comments that threaten or defame any person or organization
• The violation of the privacy of another individual
• solicitations, advertisements, or endorsements of any financial, commercial, or non-governmental agency
• comments that suggest or encourage illegal activity
• comments promoting or opposing any person who is campaigning for election to a political office or promoting or opposing any ballot proposition
• comments including phone numbers, e-mail addresses, residential addresses, or similar information
• multiple, successive off-topic posts by a single user
• repetitive posts copied and pasted by multiple users
Communication made through this service’s e-mail and/or messaging system will in no way constitute a legal or official notice or comment to the U.S. Department of the Interior (or bureau) or any official or employee of the U.S. Department of the Interior (or bureau) for any purpose. References to projects, properties, commercial entities, products, services, or nongovernmental organizations or individuals are provided solely for information. These references are not intended to reflect the opinion of U.S. Department of the Interior (or bureau), the United States Government, or its officers or employees concerning the significance, priority, or importance to be given the referenced entity, property, product, service, or organization. Such references are not an official or personal endorsement or certification of any property, product, person, or service and may not be quoted or reproduced for the purpose of stating or implying U.S. Department of the Interior (or bureau) endorsement or approval of any property, product, person, or service. Reporters or other media representatives are asked to send questions through their normal channels (the appropriate DOI/bureau office public affairs or communications office) and to refrain from submitting questions here as comments. Reporter questions may be removed. This Comment Policy is subject to amendment or modification at any time to ensure that its continued use is consistent with its intended purpose as a limited forum.
