Museum Collections

The museum collection illustrates the development and management of Mount Rainier National Park over its 100+ year history. The collected artifacts and specimens record not only the park's flora, fauna, and geology but also document how people have interacted with these natural resources over time.

The park's museum collection contains a wealth of knowledge, experiences, and information that can help park staff and visiting researchers deal with current management issues. The collection contains an estimated 807,608 specimens and artifacts. Many portions of the collection are yet to be cataloged and some are located in other repositories outside the park service.

Archaeology	8,101 items
Ethnology	45 items
History	2,092 items
Biology	19,244 items
Paleontology	4 items
Geology	1,655 items
Archives (images & records)	776,557 items

Object estimates are based upon the park’s Collection Management Report (2003). They include cataloged objects and those awaiting cataloging at the park and cataloged objects at non-NPS repositories.
 

Vascular plant specimens [3,000] are documented in the herbarium. Within the herbarium are also bryophytes, fungi, and aquatic vegetation [1,355], including phytoplankton [30]. The oldest specimens are the 19th century vascular plant specimens of former Harvard Botanist, Oscar Dana Allen [378]. The park's biological specimens include vouchers for mammals and birds [345] in storage as well as those on display at several park exhibit venues; a geology collection [1,655]; and an insect collection [2,000]. There are also vouchers for amphibians [30], fish [40], mollusks [45], and zooplankton [100]. At present, the size of these collections in the park repository is relatively small. A far larger number of specimens are stored in non-NPS repositories. Compiling the scope of those specimens and data is a primary collection goal.

The cultural resource collection includes: archeological materials [8,011] systematically excavated within the park boundaries and associated field records (circa BCE 1550 to circa AD 1940); and a small ethnology collection [45] of basketry and woodwork, primarily on display at the Longmire Museum and Ohanapecosh Visitor Center; historic objects [2,092] associated with 19th-20th century miners, concessionaires, park staff, the Civilian Conservation Corps 1933-1941, military ski troop training 1940-1942; and architectural components from structures in the National Historic Landmark District.

The Mount Rainier Archive [450 linear feet or 776,557 items including over 30,000 images] encompasses both the official records and manuscript collections. The official records include the materials listed in the Records of Mount Rainier National Park such as the Superintendent annual reports, patrol cabin logs, fatality files, official photograph collections, master plans, resource management records, concessionaire records and summit registers. The Manuscript Collections include concessionaire and park brochures, oral history collection, maps, sheet music, postcards, donated photograph collections and correspondence or diaries.

Select a topic below to learn more about Mount Rainier's museum collections and history.:

Archives (Historic Records and Images)
Historic Structures

 

Park History Links

Tacoma Mountaineers
http://mtn.tpl.lib.wa.us/climbs/

Coming Full Circle – The Development of Mount Rainier’s Wonderland Trail 1907-1939
http://www.washingtonhistory.org/wshs/columbia/articles/0499-a2.htm

Tacoma Eastern Railroad – Linking Puget Sound and Mount Rainier National Park
http://www.washingtonhistory.org/wshs/columbia/articles/0499-a3.htm

University of Washington – Mount Rainier Centennial Site
http://www.lib.washington.edu/exhibits/rainier/index.html

Mount Rainier – Its Human History Associations
http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/berkeley/rensch2/index.htm

Glimpses of Our National Parks
http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/glimpses1/glimpses6.htm

National Park Portfolio -1931
http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/portfolio/portfolio4.htm

 

Mount Rainier National Park's Official Homepage