The Central States Scout Museum

Welcome to the most extensive exhibit and collection of scouting memorabilia you will probably ever set foot in. Old scouting enthusiasts will find this museum is the premier scout museum in the United States. Complete with several letters, photos and original drawings from scoutings\’ founders (Baden Powell, ET Seton, James West, and Dan Beard), this museum is truly an experience. The museum has a broad range of uniforms including Sea Scout and Air Scout with our oldest uniforms dating from the 1920s. Old Merit Badge Sashes by Scout, Explorer and Air Explorer, including Merit Badges, medals and patches are displayed with over 100 old turn-down Merit Badges. Also included in the collection is a prerevolutionary Russian Scout Badge, Rockwell\’s Spirit of Scouting coins and many Rockwell plates, cups and figurines.

The museum fully occupies a former auto dealership and is FULL of Scouting memorabilia, attractively displayed in showcases. The core of the collection is the
personal property of a former Scouter named Charles Sherman who is the chief curator of the museum. It houses a wealth of other items donated or loaned by other former Scouts in this area — and we are numerous! If you have any Scouting memorabilia in the closet that should be seen by today\’s Scouts, you should consider donating it or, at least, loaning it to the CSSM.