Busy Beaver Button Museum

BY Joanna Hauser September 12, 2021 Filed to: Places to Visit

The Busy Beaver Button Museum is an online collection representing the history of American-made pinback buttons.

Founded in 2010 by siblings, Christen and Joel Carter, the Busy Beaver Button Museum offers a retrospective of American culture through wearable buttons that memorialize politics, entertainment, social causes, sports, and aspects of daily life.

With buttons dating back to 1896, the collection of over 30,000 items preserves not only American history but also the history of button manufacturing itself. Buttons for events such as presidential and gubernatorial elections sit alongside those commemorating NASA milestones and pop culture characters from The Smurfs, Peanuts, and others. The collection includes buttons from every year since 1896.

The Museum is physically located at the Busy Beaver Button Co. in Chicago, Illinois. The collection is archived online. Those in the area can drop by in person to peruse the collection as COVID-19 protocols allow.

Plan your next vacation to include a visit to a play-related store, museum, or private collection.