Collections

The collections held in trust at the National Museum of the Marine Corps (NMMC) document nearly 250 years of Marine Corps history. The NMMC collects objects in support of its mission, which is to preserve and exhibit the material history of the USMC; honor the commitment, accomplishments, and sacrifices of Marines; support recruitment, training, education, and retention of Marines; and provide the public with a venue for the exploration of USMC history. The 65,000+ uniforms, weapons, vehicles, medals, flags, aircraft, works of art, and other artifacts in the Museum’s collections trace the history of the Marine Corps from 1775 to the present.

The NMMC’s collections, which range from combat aircraft to individual Civil War-era blouse buttons, are divided into five broad categories: arms & armor, art, aviation, cultural & material history, and uniforms & heraldry. Some of the more unusual items in the collections include a coat worn by Marine Captain Levi Twiggs during his service in the Indian Wars, a presentation baton given to John Philip Sousa on his departure as director of the Marine Corps Band, and an Oscar awarded to the Marine Corps for the World War II documentary, Tarawa. Perhaps the most symbolically important artifact in the Museum’s collection is the second American flag raised over Iwo Jima’s Mount Suribachi. Associated Press combat photographer Joe Rosenthal’s image of the raising of this flag became one of the most iconic images of World War II and the inspiration for the Marine Corps War Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The NMMC collects and provides responsible stewardship in perpetuity for the objects in its collection; interprets the history of the United States Marine Corps through public exhibitions, collections-based publications, and other public programming venues; conducts collections-based research and shares the results of that research through publications, exhibitions, and public programming; and develops educational materials and conducts educational programs for educators, students, and families to increase their awareness of the history of the Marine Corps, largely using objects-based programming.

---

Donate an Artifact

To support its mission, the NMMC acquires a wide variety of artifacts and historic materials for use in exhibits and as reference materials, and to assist in conducting original research into Marine Corps history. The NMMC follows the ethical guidelines for acquiring artifacts established by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) and reviews every donation offer to determine whether it meets the requirements of the NMMC Collections Rationale.

If you have artifacts that you would like to donate to the Museum, please visit our Artifact Donation page.

Artifact Donation