An institution for thoroughly ordinary objects.

We collect filing accessories, waiting room furniture, receipts, and other routine artifacts. Most visitors describe the experience as steady.

Museum facade for the National Museum of Boring Things

Now On View

Current Exhibitions

We are currently exhibiting Staplers Through Time, Waiting Room Chairs, and Receipts, Sorted. Staplers Through Time is a bland way to show how staplers have changed and improved throughout time. The Waiting Room Chairs exhibit shows 32 chairs from offices and waiting rooms around the world (note: you can even sit in them!). Receipts, Sorted shows many shopping and book receipts. Another exhibition is our famed blank wall, which is a way to reflect on what you have done in life. Many people have reported that after staring at the wall for five minutes, their mind feels clearer. Some have told us that it feels like meditation.

Staplers on a neutral museum pedestal

Staplers Through Time

A chronological display of staplers from 1890 to the present, arranged by jaw width and finish.

On view now through July 19, 2026

A line of waiting room chairs in a gallery

Waiting Room Chairs

Thirty-two chairs from clinics and offices, grouped by upholstery durability and seat depth.

On view now through August 30, 2026

Archival trays of sorted receipts

Receipts, Sorted

Thermal paper receipts organized by store category, font weight, and fading rate.

On view now through September 13, 2026

Year-Round

Permanent Galleries

Some things we keep all year round, like our famous Hall of Beige, the Department of Drawers, the extensive Archive of Instruction Manuals, and the 1.2-mile-long Corridor of Cords. The Hall of Beige has the world's 33rd largest collection of beige paint chips. The Department of Drawers is a tribute to everyday life, with a large collection of drawers and file cabinets with everyday items, like keys and stationery. The 1.2-mile-long Corridor of Cords is a 1.2-mile-long corridor of cords.

A museum wall with beige and gray samples

Hall of Beige

Paint chips, laminate samples, and neutral textiles presented in a continuous range of muted tones.

Cabinet drawers in a straight line

Department of Drawers

Cabinets and office drawers from five decades, including common keys and forgotten stationery.

Manual binders on archival shelving

Archive of Instruction Manuals

Printed guides for appliances and desk lamps, preserved in binders and open to safety pages.

Cords and adapters arranged in rows

Corridor of Cords

Power cords and adapters labeled by voltage and connector shape in a quiet linear installation.

For Remote Visitors

Virtual Exhibits

Archive

Past Exhibitions

Winter 2025

The Paperclip Retrospective

A focused survey of paperclip design from simple loops to slightly improved loops.

Summer 2025

Municipal Carpet Tiles

Used carpet squares from regional administrative buildings, arranged by stain resistance and color fatigue.

Spring 2024

Envelopes: Window and Non-Window

An examination of business envelopes and their modest innovations in adhesive reliability.

Autumn 2023

Printers in Sleep Mode

A silent installation of idle office printers with status lights active.

Visit

The NMOB offers a boring, normal selection of times to visit. We are open Tuesday through Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Last entry is 4:30 p.m. We try to be boring, so we are closed on Mondays and major holidays, like all other museums.

  • Admission: Adults $12, Seniors and Students $8, Children under 12 free.
  • Address: Our esteemed location at 100 Plain Avenue, Center City.
  • Transit: Bus lines 2, 14, and 22. Paid parking in Lot B, a garage painted with the beige colors shown in our Hall of Beige.
  • Access: Fully accessible: wheelchair access on all public floors, elevators, large-print guides, and quiet hours by request.
Museum lobby with information desk

Navigation

Floor Plan

A practical layout of galleries, circulation paths, rest areas, and the famously direct route to the Hall of Beige.

Floor plan of the National Museum of Boring Things

Programs and Events

Weekly programming includes slow tours, label-reading sessions, and practical talks about folders, bins, and maintenance schedules.

  • Slow Tour — Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m. A guided walk with measured pacing. Slow, guided tours can also be scheduled at the normal hours of 10:00–11:00 a.m. or 3:00–4:00 p.m.
  • Label Reading Circle — Fridays at 2:00 p.m. Group reading of object labels.
  • Storage Methods Talk — First Saturday monthly at 1:00 p.m.
  • Children's Boredom Session — A child-focused session so that children can learn about the quality of boredom.

Ordinary Evenings

Monthly lectures about administrative design, archive handling, and documentation habits. Seating is first come, first seated.

Next date: {{ nextOrdinaryEvening }} at 6:30 p.m.

Families

Children's Activity Sheet

Children's Activity Sheet

Cafe and Shop

The cafe serves plain coffee, tea, toast, and practical soup, along with (like many museums) bland, boring food provided by Sysco, the nationwide purveyor of bland, boring food. No novelty foam art is provided.

The gift shop offers pencils, notebooks, magnets, and reproductions of standard collection labels, all with our boring logo on them. New: we now sell staff replica shirts in the mediocre sizes of XS, S, M, L, and XL. We will give you a nonpersonalized receipt if you ask, and receipts are commonly requested, as they give you proof that you went to the National Museum of Boring Things (it is so boring that people often forget that they went).

Plain museum cafe counter with mugs

Membership

Unlimited admission, early registration for programs, and a quarterly newsletter with measured updates.

Plans start at $40 per year.

Support

Donations support conservation of fragile paperwork, catalog expansion, and stable humidity in storage.

Sponsorship recognition is modest.

Collections Policy

We prioritize durable objects with clear provenance and low drama. Acquisitions are reviewed quarterly.

Average review period: 63 days.

Contact

Email: nationalboringmuseum@g

Phone: (498) 139-7482

Front desk responses are usually delivered in one to two business days.