The Museum's Story

The Arizona Scouting Museum was incorporated on November 29, 2001 in the wake of a backpacking trek five miles southwest of Cimarron, New Mexico at the famed Philmont Scout Ranch. Amid an elevation of 11,742 feet on the summit of Mount Phillips, a conversation ensued between two brothers, Dean and John Butler, attempting to solve the question as to what they should do with all their fathers Scouting mementos inherited over a decade prior. At that moment, the idea was born to establish a museum dedicated to providing a sweeping narrative of the history of Scouting in the United States through showcasing historical objects related to the Scout program. 

Since 2001, the Arizona Scouting Museum has become a repository for hundreds of Scouting families across the country who have donated personal effects from their time in Scouting or on the behalf of loved ones. It is through the preservation of these items such as uniforms, patches, handbooks, and a wide assortment of other Scouting accoutrements where their individual stories of their time in the program and the impact it had made in their lives can be shared with the future generations of Scouters to come. 

Today, the Arizona Scouting Museum continues to enjoy overwhelming support from the community and endures as a staple in Scouting gatherings around the state, offering Arizona families and Scouters alike, a venue for a worthwhile education and nostalgic experience.