Our Mission

Welcome to the Museum of Useful Things, celebrating the Beauty of Function in everyday objects. We encourage you to glance about your environment and look at the implements and tools used in your daily routines in a new light. A dustpan, stapler, or pencil has been the subject of hundreds of inventor's dreams, as we humans try to improve, simplify, and better our daily existences. Just how did these objects come to be in their current form? How could they be better?

By presenting examples from our Permanent Collection of 19th and 20th Century Useful Items, we can look back historically at a tool's evolution over the decades: how inventors defined and refined a tool; how times, changing needs, and available materials were reflected in these changes. Thousands of patents stand testimony to the human spirit of discovery and improvement, one person's idiosyncratic idea that can challenge us to examine and rethink our ordinary expectations.

Peruse our Museum Shop where you will find a collection of currently manufactured products we hope will please your senses, esthetically and practically. Some of these items are manufactured especially for the MUT, inspired by time-tested designs. We strive to find products of high-quality materials, made for long and sensible use that will stand the test of time, so you can buy confidently.

Check in frequently as our collection grows and our exhibits change, and please become a Member. We'd love to hear about your collections and experiences, as much of the history of these products is anecdotal, passed on through changing times and hands.