---
kind: "section"
citation: "54 U.S.C. § 102502"
title: "54"
title_heading: "National Park Service and Related Programs"
number: "102502"
heading: "Definition of museum object"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/54/102502"
units:
  - "Subtitle I — National Park System"
  - "Division A — Establishment and General Administration"
  - "Chapter 1025 — Museums"
---

# §102502. Definition of museum object


In this chapter:

- (1) **In general.—** The term “museum object” means an object that—
  - (A) typically is movable; and
  - (B) is eligible to be, or is made part of, a museum, library, or archive collection through a formal procedure, such as accessioning.
- (2) **Inclusions.—** The term “[museum object](#1)” includes a prehistoric or historic artifact, work of art, book, document, photograph, or natural history specimen.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 113–287, § 3, Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3157.)

## Notes

| Historical and Revision Notes |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Revised<br>Section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| 102502 | 16 U.S.C. 18f–3(b). | July 1, 1955, ch. 259, § 3(b), as added Pub. L. 104–333, div. I, title VIII, § 804(b), Nov. 12, 1996, 110 Stat. 4188. |

The words “museum collections” are omitted as unnecessary.