Established in 1975 by the Scottish Rite Freemasons of the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library tells the story of Freemasonry in the context of American history. Unique in the nation, the Museum collects, preserves, and interprets the history of American Freemasonry and fraternalism. The Van Gorden-Williams Library & Archives at the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library holds one of the most comprehensive collections on the subject of American Freemasonry in the world. The collection comprises over 65,000 books, 1,600 serial titles and 2,000 cubic feet of archival materials related to Freemasonry, fraternalism, and American history. Both the Museum & Library are free and open to the public.
Take a look at the latest exhibitions here!
Current Exhibition: Mapping Change in North America 1755-1834
Between 1755 and 1834, American, British, French, and German cartographers created maps to record, establish, and legitimize land claims in North America. These maps illustrate large shifts in the territorial possessions of European nations such as France, Spain, and Great Britain, as well as in land inhabited by indigenous peoples. Maps help tell the story of how conflict and settlement formed the now-familiar outlines of states and countries in North America.
Current Exhibition: Looking Back, Moving Forward – Fifty Years of Collecting
For fifty years the museum and library has sought to fulfill the vision “to tell a thrilling story—the story of America” through programs, publications, exhibitions, and collections. This exhibition explores how the museum and library’s collection has grown, changed, and helped tell this story over half a century.
Open 9am-4pm, Monday-Friday.
