Dear Colleagues

Questions about History of Museums

We all have heard of Peale's museum in Philadelphia, the Charleston 
Museum, Silliman's mineralogy collection at Yale, Academy of Natural 
Sciences of Philadelphia, and a little later P. T Barnum's and Moses 
Kimball's proprietary museums in New York and Boston, but I have some 
questions about the early history of other museums and types of museums 
in the United States.

What was the first art museum in the U. S.?

What is the longest operating art museum in the U. S. that is still 
open?

What was the first history museum in the U. S.?

What is the longest operating history museum in the U. S. that is still 
open?

What was the first state historical society in the U. S.?

What was the first historic house museum in the U. S.?  (Not the oldest 
house that is now a museum, but the first to be operated as a museum)

What is the longest operating historic house museum in the U. S. that 
is still open?

What was the first specialty museum in the U. S.?  What was its 
specialty?

What is the longest operating specialty museum in the U. S. that is 
still open?  What was its specialty?

What was the first sports museum in the U. S.?

What is the longest operating sport museum in the U. S. that is still 
open?

What was the first living history museum in the U. S.?

What is the longest operating living history museum in the U. S. that 
is still open?

What was the first botanical garden in the U. S.?

What is the longest operating botanical garden in the U. S. that is 
still open?

What was the first arboretum in the U. S.?

What is the longest operating arboretum in the U. S. that is still open?

What was the first zoological garden in the U. S.?

What is the longest operating zoological garden in the U. S. that is 
still open?

What was the first anthropology/archaeology museum in the U. S.?

What is the longest operating anthropology/archaeology museum in the U. 
S. that is still open?

What was the first military museum in the U. S.?

What is the longest operating military museum in the U. S. that is 
still open?

What was the first "hall of fame" museum in the U. S.?

What is the longest operating "hall of fame" museum in the U. S. that 
is still open?

What was the first college/university museum in the U. S.?

What is the longest operating college/university museum in the U. S. 
that is still open?

What was the first mineralogy museum in the U. S.?

What is the longest operating mineralogy museum in the U. S. that is 
still open?

What was the first natural history museum in the U. S.?

What is the longest operating natural history museum in the U. S. that 
is still open?

What was the first transportation museum in the U. S.?

What is the longest operating transportation museum in the U. S. that 
is still open?

What was the first medical museum in the U. S.?

What is the longest operating medical museum in the U. S. that is still 
open?

I am not certain what the person with the most correct answers will 
receive, but it definitely will be something special!

Actually, I ask these questions because I don't know the answers to 
most of them.  It seems surprising to me that a profession that is so 
much involved with history doesn't know much about its own history.  Or 
maybe I am the one that doesn't know these things.

Sincerely,
Hugh


Hugh H. Genoways
Professor
W436 Nebraska Hall
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Lincoln, NE 68588-0514

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