Objects

Welcome to the archived version of the MIT Museum's online collections portal! This site was used to test features and content for the newly redesigned MIT Museum Collections site, which has now launched with over 150,000 objects. Please use the new MIT Museum Collections site for further research and discovery. This site remains online during the transition period but will not receive new updates or content.

Our upcoming move to Kendall Square has required the museum collections to temporarily close in order to prepare for the relocation of reference services to the new location. During this interim, projected until the fall of 2022, loan requests, image and film reproduction requests, research requests and visits, and class instruction with collections will not be available. Exceptions may be possible for MIT projects; MIT students, faculty, and staff can contact collections staff by completing this form. Beginning with the opening of our new Kendall facility on October 2, 2022, we will provide access to most fully digitized collections materials for all researchers, but in-person consultation of collections will remain limited. Collections will open to research use on a rolling basis as staff and resources become available.

The Museum houses rich and diverse collections of art, artifacts, prints, rare books, technical archives, drawings, photographs and holograms dating from the 7th century BCE to today. The collections reflect the diverse interests of the MIT Community from the Institute's founding in 1861, to current cutting edge research. The MIT Museum collections support research, publication, restoration, education, public programs and exhibitions. The MIT Museum is committed to continuously expanding online access to our collections.

Search advice

To locate collections now available, browse by named collection. You can also search for popular objects like robots, holograms, slide rules, or hacks.

For background and contact information about the Museum collections, explore the links below. The MIT Museum collections are divided into five main departments: Architecture and Design, Hart Nautical, Holography, MIT General, and Science and Technology.

Popular Objects

Pinned Objects