Boston Children's Museum Archives

Boston Children’s Museum is the second oldest children’s museum. It was founded in 1913, and for over 100 years, it has engaged children in joyful discovery experiences that instill an appreciation of our world, develop foundational skills, and spark a lifelong love of learning. Only in 2015 did the Museum find its institutional archive, and the first full-time archivist was hired in 2016. As such, there is still a rich backlog of materials from the museum's first hundred years, as well as new transfers coming under intellectual and physical control. The purpose of the Museum’s institutional archives is to collect, preserve, and make accessible over 105 years’ worth of non-current records. The archives reflect the Museum’s origins, development, activities, and achievements, furthering an appreciation and understanding of the Museum’s history and importance to the museum and education fields.