MIT Museum

The MIT Museum, founded in 1971, is located at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It hosts collections of holography, technology related artworks, artificial intelligence, architecture, robotics, maritime history, and the history of MIT. Its holography collection of 1800 pieces is the largest in the world, though only a few selections from it are usually exhibited. , works by the kinetic artist Arthur Ganson are the largest long running displays. There is a regular program of temporary special exhibitions, often on the intersections of art and technology. The overall purpose of the MIT Museum is to "turn MIT inside out" by making MIT's work more visible and accessible to the outside world. In addition to serving the MIT community, the museum offers numerous outreach programs to school age children and adults in the public at large. The widely attended annual Cambridge Science Festival was originated by and continues to be coordinated by the museum. In October 2022, the MIT Museum reopened in new, expanded facilities in the Kendall Square innovation district.

The museum was founded in 1971 by Warren Seamans, originally as part of an exhibit project of the Office of the President and the Department of Humanities for the inauguration of President Jerome Wiesner. The committee involved was named the "Historical Collections" in December 1971 and served as the predecessor to the museum. Its purpose was to collect and preserve historical artifacts and documents scattered throughout MIT. It was renamed the "MIT Museum" in 1980, and began developing exhibits and educational programs for the MIT community as well as society at large. Since 2005 the official mission of the MIT Museum has been, "to engage the wider community with MIT’s science, technology and other areas of scholarship in ways that will best serve the nation and the world in the 21st century." The museum is directed by MIT Professor John Durant, and operates under MIT's Associate Provost for the Arts, who also oversees the List Visual Arts Center and the MIT Office of the Arts. Durant is also a faculty member of the MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (SHASS) in its Program in Science, Technology, and Society (STS). He teaches courses on the development of science exhibits and communication among scientists, engineers, and the general public. The museum was accredited in 1984 by the organization now called the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), and reaccredited in 2002 and 2013. The MIT Museum also belongs to the Association of Science Technology Centers (ASTC), Museum Computer Network, New England Museum Association, International Confederation of Architectural Museums, and the International Council of Maritime Museums.

For many decades after its founding, the MIT Museum was located in Buildings N51 and N52 (285 and 265 Massachusetts Avenue), a converted former radio factory) in Kendall Square. The exhibition design was led by Wendy Joseph of Studio Joseph, and the graphics design was done by Michael Bierut of Pentagram. Durant had been inspired by a similar festival in England, where he had worked previously. The founding sponsors were MIT, Harvard University, the City of Cambridge, and the Museum of Science, Boston. In 2022, the Festival was fully revived October 3 through October 9. The 2023 Cambridge Science Festival is scheduled for September 25 through October 1.

Starting around 1997, the MIT Museum featured an annual "Friday After Thanksgiving" (F. A. T.) chain reaction, which was emceed by kinetic artists Arthur Ganson and Jeff Lieberman, who also constructed the last contraption in the giant event. Teams of contestants constructed elaborate Rube Goldberg style chain reaction machines on tables arranged around MIT's gymnasium. Typically, each apparatus would be linked by a string or ramp to its predecessor and successor machine. On November 29, 2019, an event billed as "FINAL!! Friday After Thanksgiving (F. A. T.) Chain Reaction" was held. This was to be the final occurrence of the contest, after more than 20 years of annual restaging. Both Ganson and Lieberman have relocated (separately) outside the Boston area, and nobody has since stepped forward to continue organizing the competition.

The Mark Epstein Innovation Gallery occupied on the ground floor of Building N52, and showcased recent research at MIT. After dark during the winter season, large holograms from the museum's collection were sometimes displayed through large windows fronting on Massachusetts Avenue. The majority of exhibits have been developed by the museum staff (often aided by specialized consultants), but touring shows are occasionally exhibited, including a European show about the origins and design of everyday technology, such as the adhesive bandage.

The Kurtz Gallery for Photography on the second floor displayed temporary shows of photography related to art, science, and technology, including works connected to MIT and people who have worked or studied there. For example, a photo exhibit of Berenice Abbott's work was on display through 2012, highlighting her scientific visualization work which captured elementary physics principles for science education, including the iconic picture Bouncing ball in diminishing arcs. The stroboscopic high speed photography of revered MIT professor Doc Edgerton has also been exhibited. Many photos by Abott working with Edgerton were incorporated into a landmark high school physics textbook developed by the Physical Science Study Committee, which was headquartered at MIT in the 1950s. Other exhibits have included research archives, camera prototypes, and artwork from Edwin H. Land and the Polaroid Corporation. The works of 21st century scientific photographer Felice Frankel have also been exhibited at the museum.

The MIT Museum has a collection of hundreds of slide rules, nomograms, and mechanical calculators. The Keuffel and Esser Company collection, from the slide rule manufacturer formerly located in Hoboken, New Jersey, was donated to MIT in 2004, substantially expanding the existing holdings. Selected items from the collection are usually on display at the museum.

One of the most popular permanent galleries featured approximately a dozen works of kinetic art by Arthur Ganson. In November 2013, the museum opened 5000 Moving Parts, a year long exhibition of kinetic art, featuring the work of Ganson, Anne Lilly, Rafael Lozano Hemmer, John Douglas Powers, and Takis. The exhibition inaugurated a "year of kinetic art" at the museum, featuring special programming related to the artform. Ganson's kinetic artworks have been very popular over the years, and now occupy a semi permanent gallery in the new Kendall Square museum building. Today, the collection is the largest and most comprehensive collection of holograms in the world, containing many specimens of historic, scientific, and artistic value.

For a number of years, the museum housed a Hall of Hacks showcasing some of the famous MIT student pranks, but the section was closed in 2001. This was done to free up gallery space for other exhibits; the artifacts and documentation have been retained for future historical research and exhibition. A few selected larger relics of past hacks are now on semi permanent display inside the MIT Stata Center, including a "fire hose" drinking fountain, and full size replicas of a cow and a police car which had been placed atop the Great Dome (but not at the same time); see the MIT hacks article for details. In the ground floor elevator lobby of the Dreyfoos Tower are located a large time capsule box plus informational panels describing MIT's historic Building 20, which was sited where the Stata Center is now.

In January 2011, the museum reopened its upper galleries, including the Thomas Peterson '57 Gallery, after an extensive renovation. The first exhibit in the renovated space was The MIT 150 Exhibition in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of MIT's founding charter on April 10, 1861. The special exhibit consisted of 150 objects, documents, and other artifacts showing the history of people, places, and ideas related to MIT. A website was set up in tandem, including supplemental information and an online timeline. Video interviews specially created for the exhibition were available for viewing onsite and online.

Inventions: student showcase displayed inventions and kinetic art made by MIT students, often as part of coursework such as "STS.035 Exhibiting Science". Some of these projects were built at the MIT Museum Studio, a makerspace for students, while others were created in a variety of courses and laboratories at MIT.