Museum Guide

The National Border Patrol Museum in El Paso, TX is one of a kind in the country and is a must visit! It all started on October 25, 1978, thirty-four Border Patrol Inspectors met in Denver, Colorado. The purpose of the meeting of that visionary group was to establish an organization which they named the “Fraternal Order of Retired Border Patrol Officers” (FORBPO). In addition to the establishment of FORBPO, these officers envisioned a National Border Patrol Museum. The institution that they envisioned would be charged with the collection, preservation, and display of Border Patrol artifacts and history. Thus, the creation of a National Border Patrol Museum, and the collection of artifacts began. A year later, on August 4, 1980, the Secretary of State for the State of Texas issued a Certificate of Incorporation Number 527890-1. This certificate identified the Museum as a tax-exempt entity under Section 501 C (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. On October 1, 1985, the National Border Patrol Museum opened its doors in the basement of the old Cortez building in downtown El Paso, Texas. The museum operated out of this humble facility until 1992 when it was closed due to a dispute with the landlord. Following the closure, the Museum property was stored until the new Museum was built in 1994. Today, The Border Patrol Museum offers several exhibits pertaining to Border Patrol Operations. The Sign Cutting exhibit features a diorama explaining how sign cutting operations and tracking work to detect illegal entries into the United States.  Additionally, the exhibit displays methods used by individuals to disguise their tracks in an effort to elude detection, and offers definitions to explain terminology used in tracking operations. Tracking has been an essential tool and skill learned and used by Agents since the inception of the Border Patrol. Also, complementing the museum’s rich Border Patrol collection, is the Memorial Library, which offers a range of materials on Border Patrol history from its inception in 1924 to the present. The library/archives provide support to researchers at all levels interested in furthering their understanding of the nation’s first line of defense: the Border Patrol. As the museum has evolved over the last 40 plus years it has become the proud repository for memorabilia and memories of more than 80 years of Border Patrol history. We encourage you to visit us when in El Paso or Texas and view this very important museum and the history of our country’s first line of defense! https://borderpatrolmuseum.com/  Located: 4315 Woodrow Bean Transmountain Dr, El Paso, TX. Open: Tuesday – Saturday, 9 AM – 5 PM (915) 759-6060  

Historic Ships in Baltimore, is a vital and growing institution located in the heart of Baltimore's Inner Harbor. The organization/museum is steward of the Sloop-of-War USS Constellation, U.S. Coast Guard Cutter WHEC-37, Submarine USS Torsk, Lightship 116 Chesapeake, and the Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse. This stewardship includes managing the collections related to these mega-artifacts, and preserving and interpreting the history of these sites. The Museum plays a key role in the heritage and cultural landscape within the City of Baltimore and strives to raise awareness throughout Maryland and the United States of these important elements of our nation's history. Located in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, our exhibits celebrate over 200 years of Maryland's naval and maritime history. We offer a variety of events throughout the year to enrich your experience and support our exhibits. Historic Ships offers a variety of unique programs that you can choose from to experience life aboard our vessels. Check out how you can rent out one our venues - https://historicships.org/events/venue-rental When you reserve a group program, you will get to explore one of our vessels with a museum educator as your guide. Guided tour programs last about 1 hour and cover your choice of topics and include presentations & hands-on activities that focus on the lives and duties of those who served at sea. These tours are perfect for many type of groups and ages – great for Veterans wanting look back in history! Check our list of upcoming activities and events below, or select your desired month from the dropdown here. https://historicships.org/activities. Walk to Decks, Learn the Ropes, Live the Life! Experience 19th century life at sea with one of the most impressive collections of military vessels in the world. We look forward to welcoming you and your families to expererience the history of Baltimore and the US Navy! 410-539-1797. https://historicships.org/      

The people of Philadelphia and the Greater Delaware Valley region have played very important roles in the development of the Navy over the past two and a half centuries, building some of the Navy’s most iconic and historic vessels. Early shipbuilding in Philadelphia, including the United States and the Constitution, was done along the waterfront at shipyards owned by Pennsylvania Quaker Joshua Humphreys. A formal navy yard in Philadelphia was created at Southwark in 1800 before moving to a bigger plot of land at its current location on League Island in the 1870s. For the next ninety years, the yard served as one of the Navy’s primary shipbuilding and repair facilities. Over the course of two centuries, important Naval vessels were designed, built, and launched in Philadelphia and the surrounding areas, from the Swedish-American engineer John Ericsson’s USS Princeton in 1843, to the USS Michigan in 1904, to the USS Francis Robinson during World War II. Though the Philadelphia Naval Yard ended most of its activities at the shipyard in the 1990s, the legacy left by the vessels produced there and at other local shipyards looms large in US naval history, especially at this 250th anniversary of the United States Navy. In partnership with the American Swedish Historical Museum, the National Museum of the United States Navy (NMUSN) is proud to present, And Let Victory Tell the Rest: 250 Years of Shipbuilding in Greater Philadelphia, opening June 26th at ASHM. The exhibit will include artifacts from USS New Ironsides, USS Michigan, a model of the John Ericsson- designed USS Passaic, among others. Visit -https://www.americanswedish.org/exhibitions/and-let-victory-tell-rest-250-years-shipbuilding-greater-philadelphia  to learn more about the exhibit and its related events. And Let Victory Tell the Rest is part of Homecoming250, citywide celebration of this historic anniversary in Philadelphia. https://www.homecoming250.org/ US Navy Shipbuilding in Philadelphia, was written by Gordon Calhoun, Historian & Curator, National Museum of the United States Navy and Edited by the American Swedish Historical Museum.