January 12 - First Public Museum in America

Posted on January 12, 2022

Key Points

This is an update of my post published on January 12, 2011:

Established on this date in 1773, the Charleston, South Carolina, Museum offered visitors exhibits on natural history, agriculture, and herbal medicine.

For centuries museums were private collections, usually owned by wealthy people or institutions. They were displayed in what was often called a “wonder room” (in German, wunderkammer) or “cabinet of curiosities.” The exhibits were meant to be viewed by scholars or collectors—not the general public—and although “respectable” people could often gain a viewing, it was at the whim of the owner or his or her staff.

There were some moves to make truly public museums in Rome during the Renaissance, and a few other public museums were founded some years before the opening of this Charleston Museum, including the British Museum in London, U.K., in 1753, and the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy, in 1765.

The Louvre is another early public museum; it was a royal

palace for more than two centuries, but it was opened

to the public by France’s revolutionary government in 1793.

Below, the Louvre now.

Celebrate by going to a museum! (If it’s COVID safe, of course!)

In my small town we have two small museums: a children’s museum, and an airplane museum. Art, history, and science museums can be found just 20 – 40 minutes away in nearby towns. What museums are near you?

Or…try a virtual museum.

I recommend the American Museum of Natural History or the Exploratorium. Lots to click and see and do there!