Museum of Democracy

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Museum of Democracy

The Jordan M. Wright collection is the world's largest (1,250,000 objects) and most important collection of historical and political campaign memorabilia. F.

At a time when our national politics seems more negative, more gridlocked, and more divisive than ever . . . When the cost of campaigns appears to put our elected officials even more distant from the people whom they represent. . . And at a time when more U.S citizens are looking to the future with doubt and despair because the present state of our democracy seems to be devoid of hope…

We must lo

ok to the past. The campaign ephemera of electoral seasons gone by have much to teach us, offering unique insight into the attitudes and characters of past presidential candidates, their campaigns, and the times that shaped them. U.S campaign artifacts are more than electoral accouterments. These uncommon examples of American political expression, from buttons to bumper stickers to ballot-boxes, are the people’s heirlooms of American democracy. The collection radiates exuberance and activism, civic duty and patriotic purpose. As you work your way through each giant crate (more than a million pieces are stores carefully but randomly), the passion and persistence of great ideas and the people who dreamed them come alive – and all the skepticism and cynicism of modern day politics melts away. For the public good – to remind all Americans who we once were, who we are today, and who we can strive to be in the world tomorrow – these mementos of electoral crusades and presidential contests deserve to be preserved, protected, and promoted. The Museum of Democracy (“MoD”) began with an innocent act of curiosity by a ten-year-old Brooklyn boy about five decades ago. Delighted to discover a box of free promotional buttons at a Robert. Kennedy Midtown campaign office, Jordan M. Wright scooped a handful into his back pocket. The moment marked the start of a lifelong, forty-year passion to find, acquire, and collect what would become a million or more assemblage of presidential and issue memorabilia – spanning the campaigns and administrations of George Washington to Barack Obama – those who won, those who lost, and the ideas and organizations that propelled them into the history books forever. Today, there’s no doubt that the Wright collection is unsurpassed in quantity, quality and potential impact.

07/17/2026

‼️Tomorrow is the last day to see The Story of America: 1776-2026 at ‼️ The exhibition is open July 18 from 12-5pm and you don’t want to miss it!

07/08/2026

We were honored to ring in the eve of America’s 250th anniversary with David M. Rubenstein, who captivated attendees on July 3 at the Southampton Arts Center with his remarkable passion for history and deep knowledge of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Moments like these remind us that our nation’s story is not simply something to commemorate—it is something to study, preserve, and pass on to future generations. Thank you to everyone who joined us in celebrating America’s past while looking toward its future. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 photo credit: rob rich

07/04/2026

Happy Fourth of July from the Museum of Democracy 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Today we celebrate the enduring ideals that shaped our nation—liberty, self-government, and the belief that each generation has a responsibility to preserve and strengthen our democracy.

As America celebrates its 250th year, we’re honored to help tell the story of our nation’s founding through The Story of America: 1776–2026 and to inspire honest conversations about our shared past and our collective future, rooted in history.

Wishing everyone a very happy Independence Day!

07/01/2026

We are looking forward to ringing in America250 this weekend! Thank you and for including The Story of America: 1776-2026 this week. 🇺🇸🤍 There is still time to catch the show, now on view at through July 18

06/15/2026

Mark your calendars for Talks with Tweed on September 18 at noon Roosevelt House (also streamed virtually) featuring presidential descendants Sarah Berry and James Garfield. LIU Roosevelt House is home to the Museum of Democracy!

06/14/2026

June 14 is Flag Day 🇺🇸 The American flag has evolved alongside the nation itself—from the 13-star banner of the Revolutionary era to the 50-star flag we know today. Its design has changed to reflect a growing Union, but its symbolic power has remained remarkably consistent.

For generations, presidential candidates have wrapped their campaigns in the imagery of the flag, using it to evoke patriotism, unity, optimism, and the promise of the American experiment. Whether displayed on campaign ribbons, buttons, posters, or convention stages, the Stars and Stripes has long served as one of the most enduring symbols in American political life.

This Flag Day, we celebrate not only the history of our nation’s flag, but the ideals it has come to represent—and the role it continues to play in connecting Americans to their shared civic story. 🇺🇸 View many of these flags and more at through July 18!

06/11/2026

The Summer of America250 is in full swing! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 Thank you !

📍The Story of America: 1776-2026 at Southampton Arts Center

06/06/2026

President Franklin D. Roosevelt led a national prayer over the radio as US troops landed in Normandy on D-Day, uniting Americans who were anxiously awaiting news from Europe. “Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our Nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity…Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, Thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom.” We will never forget the brave lives lost on this day nor the enormity of their task. 🇺🇸🙏🏻

05/29/2026

“Democracy is never a final achievement. It is a call to an untiring effort.” Truer words have never been spoken! Happy birthday to our thirty-fifth president, John F. Kennedy 🇺🇸

05/28/2026

The streets were loud, the nation was divided, and a generation refused to stay silent. From civil rights marches and antiwar protests to cultural revolutions that reshaped American life, the 1960s and 70s tested the nation’s ideals—and transformed its future. Step into this pivotal era in The Story of America 🇺🇸

Address

New York, NY

Telephone

+17246631075

Website

http://Museumofdemocracy.org/

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