Ottawa Historical and Scouting Heritage Museum
Ottawa Historical and Scouting Heritage Museum
Ottawa Historical and Scouting Heritage Museum
5
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
5.0
23 reviews
Excellent
20
Very good
2
Average
1
Poor
0
Terrible
0
bklyndelight
Brooklyn, NY113 contributions
Sep 2021
This two room museum tell about the history of scouting and the history of the area in the other room. Both docents are excellent and only too glad to talk to you. Exhibits are very interesting. Old boy scout badges are on sale for 50 ents
Written October 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ReadRibbet
1,653 contributions
Aug 2024 • Couples
We came across the Ottawa Historical and Scouting Heritage Museum by accident. We were in town to take in the WD Boyce Memorial and discovered the address for the museum. We decided to check it out and were happy to find it was open. The museum had plenty of off-street free parking. There was no entrance fee to enter the museum though donations were suggested. We were greeted by a knowledgeable museum volunteer. He pointed out that the museum is really divided into two parts. Half the museum is devoted to Scouting programs and the other half is the historical society for Ottawa though there is some overlap since Ottawa's history is tied up with DW Boyce. The Scouting Heritage Museum honors a variety of Scouting programs but mainly focuses on Boy Scouts. There is an amazing collection of patches, artifacts and displays. I found patches for the camps and trails I was familiar with as a youth. There is a section of memorabilia devoted to Lord Baden Powell from England. It is so well organized and curated. We were so glad that we found the museum and had the time to go through it.
Written August 31, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rvtraveller_10
Navarre, FL263 contributions
Sep 2013 • Couples
Agree with previous reviewers. If you have had anything to do with the Boy, Girl Scouts or Camp Fire programs this is a neat place to visit. A good selection from the past to the present and a nice history on the Lone Scout's and why each was developed. It was good to see some of the National Jamboree and Order of Arrow patches I had owned (gave to a similar museum). there is also a small room dedicated to Sir Baden Powell. We understood from the curator that this display room came from one individual!
Part of the museum is dedicated to the local Ottawa area. Again, very fascinating. I guess this past weekend they had a tour of homes so still had the placards up with information of the individual homes and the history of the people who have lived and continue to live in them. We find it very fascinating as to why a given place develops into a city or town and who the people were that made it happen.
Nice parking area as well as potential parking on the street.Worth the 3$ fee.
Part of the museum is dedicated to the local Ottawa area. Again, very fascinating. I guess this past weekend they had a tour of homes so still had the placards up with information of the individual homes and the history of the people who have lived and continue to live in them. We find it very fascinating as to why a given place develops into a city or town and who the people were that made it happen.
Nice parking area as well as potential parking on the street.Worth the 3$ fee.
Written October 1, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stone399
Clermont, FL23 contributions
Sep 2013 • Couples
Wonder memorabilia and history that I never knew about. Well worth the time. They only charged $3 a person.
Written September 28, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LordRaiden
Decatur, IL570 contributions
Sep 2013 • Family
This place isn't exactly easy to find. If you have any connection to Boy Scouts, or Girl Scouts you may want to take the time to find the place.
It isn't huge but it's steady and it's been growing over the years
It isn't huge but it's steady and it's been growing over the years
Written September 22, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shelli P
Salzburg, Austria7 contributions
Oct 2016 • Family
We were in Ottawa to explore Staved Rock and found the museum through Trip Advisor. It was worth the visit. Past reviewer said the staff hovered, but that wasn't our experience. We explored the Scout history and local town history collections and were impressed. Admission is free, but leave a donation to help out as the attendance was low when we were there early on a Saturday.
Written October 22, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
grlskas
Castle Pines, CO172 contributions
May 2015 • Family
WD Boyce brought scouting to America here in Ottawa, Il. This museum provides much history on scouting, Boys and Girls. We spent over an hour reminiscing about our days in scouting. The things we did and the books we used. They are all there. It is a great tribute to the history. The museum also provides a room full of Ottawa history. Things I remember from growing up in this town of the Lincoln Douglas debate and Lewis and Clark. We truly enjoyed the museum. The museum is free but they ask for a donation, I was happy to provide one.
The Ottawa Historical and Scouting Heritage Museum is dedicated to the preservation of the history of boy scouts, girl scouts, campfire and the Ottawa, Illinois area.
Ottawa, Illinois is the home and final resting place of one of the founders of the Boy Scouts of America, William Dickson Boyce. W. D. Boyce incorporated the Boy Scouts of America on February 8, 1910, and the Lone Scouts of America in 1915. This museum houses the famed collections of the Lone Scout Memory Lodge, formerly located in North Carolina, the most extensive collection of Robert Baden-Powell memorabilia in the United States (English scouting) and superior exhibits relating to youth scouting programs for the last 100 years. Additionally, the museum features hiking trails suitable for youth and adults, as well as a Geocaching Trail which has drawn international visitors.
The Ottawa Historical and Scouting Heritage Museum is dedicated to the preservation of the history of boy scouts, girl scouts, campfire and the Ottawa, Illinois area.
Ottawa, Illinois is the home and final resting place of one of the founders of the Boy Scouts of America, William Dickson Boyce. W. D. Boyce incorporated the Boy Scouts of America on February 8, 1910, and the Lone Scouts of America in 1915. This museum houses the famed collections of the Lone Scout Memory Lodge, formerly located in North Carolina, the most extensive collection of Robert Baden-Powell memorabilia in the United States (English scouting) and superior exhibits relating to youth scouting programs for the last 100 years. Additionally, the museum features hiking trails suitable for youth and adults, as well as a Geocaching Trail which has drawn international visitors.
Written May 12, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ron H
Rockford, IL566 contributions
May 2013 • Couples
If you were in the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Camp Fire Girls, or any other youth scouting program, you will find interesting memorabilia in this museum. It's a great place to leisurely roam and take in a multitude of displays of badges, equipment, original old uniforms, photos and artifacts depicting the history of scouting. Even if you weren't connected to scouting, you'll find the displays interesting and informative. In addition, there is a separate room of civil war memorabilia with flags, uniforms, military equipment and artifacts sure to interest young and old. It's a very nicely arranged museum, easy to get to, and run by volunteers. A mere $3.00 donation per person gets you in the door, and it's worth the visit. A wonderful place to spend a few hours. I give it an A++ rating.
Written June 17, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
charlesc285
168 contributions
Oct 2019
As a former Girl Scout leader I was primarily interested in that aspect only to learn the area favored Camp Fire Girls until 1985 when Girl Scouting began in the area. There are some GS displays but the museum heavily favors the Boy Scout organization. It is well worth the trip if you are a Scouting history buff. The other half of the museum is devoted to local history. The knowledgeable curator gave us the history of many of the displays and prized collections. He was a wealth of information on Scouting, as well. Admission is no longer charged but donations are always welcome.
Written October 28, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
pwwtoy1
Crystal Lake, IL373 contributions
Sep 2019
This is an amazing museum with exhibits pertaining to scouting and the history of the Ottawa area. Lots of great I & M canal pictures, historical photos of the area, and so much history pertaining to scouting. We enjoyed our tour from Dan here very much, and now we will be doing the Ottawa Housewalk in October to see more of the town. Highly recommend this museum.
Written September 15, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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