National Scouting Museum
Client
Boy Scouits of America
Date
1985-1986
Location
Murray, KY
Description
The Boy Scouts of America’s National Scouting Museum spent its early days, from 1959-1979, next to its national headquarters in New Jersey. But when the BSA moved its headquarters to Texas in 1979, they couldn’t find a location nearby to accommodate it. Its large collection, valued at $7 million, was packed up and moved into storage.
Eventually, a special committee voted to reopen the museum in Murray, Kentucky and hired Darwin Kelsey to run it. Kelsey brought in Michael, and they embarked on a years-long project, finally opening the new National Scouting Museum in 1986.
The project was not without its challenges, not least of which included a ballooning budget. The team was determined to integrate the BSA’s dusty collection into a modern, hands-on museum setting. Robots, multimedia installations, and interactive spaces garnered attention when the museum finally opened in 1986.
Known contributors
Fred Raab, Madeleine Butler, Darwin Kelsey