National Scouting Museum, Irving, Texas

Boy Scouts can be found almost anywhere in the United States. There are troops in many states and cities teaching young men the skills they need. Irving, Texas has one additional honor that other areas do not have. Irving has the National Scouting Museum, which is the official museum of the Boy Scouts of America. The facility is at 1329 West Walnut Hill Lane. The museum was established in 1959 as a place to recount the history of the Boy Scouts. However, the museum was not located in Texas at that time.

Instead the National Scouting Museum was in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The museum closed in 1979. Then in 1986 it was reopened at the campus of Murray State University in Kentucky. At this location about 120,000 people would visit annually from around the Land Between the Lakes region. Eventually the attendance fell to under 20,000 people in the 90's. As a result it was decided the museum would need to be moved yet again. In 2002 the current location in Irving, Texas was opened.

The building has 53,000 square feet of space for exhibits. The exhibits are all based on the history of the Boy Scouts. For example some of the displays will outline the activities Boy Scouts have done and can do. Other exhibits depict Norman Rockwell, Joseph Csatari, High Adventure, Order of the Arrow, and the National Scout Jamboree. These exhibits are all paintings. Scout Values, Eagle Scouts, and other historical information is provided. There is a historical collection of the uniforms Boy Scouts have worn, along with the various themes and documents that have been part of the troops.

All of the information begins with the movement of scouting in America and how it has been extremely important to boys. One artifact of the museum also includes the Eagle Scout Medal that Arthur Rose Eldred obtained. He was the first Eagle Scout. Another important aspect of the museum is the manmade mountain structure that offers virtual reality features. A screen makes up the structure where visitors can simulate bike racing or kayaking through the mountain.

In 2009 the museum suffered earthquake damage when a 3.3 earthquake hit Euless, Texas four miles away. The quake caused five cracks in the building which are 1 to 2 inches in thickness. The damage though cosmetic is going to be about $100,000 for repairs.

The National Scouting Museum is open Monday from 10am to 7pm, Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm, and Sunday 1pm to 5pm. The museum is closed for all major holidays, and the first week of January each year. Admission to the museum is $8 for adults. Seniors can attend for $6, school groups are $5, children 4- 12 are $6, scouts $5, and children four and under are free for admission. There is a scout shop on the premises that is open the same hours as the rest of the museum. The museum provides information regarding camping facilities scouts might want to enjoy.