National Inventors Hall of Fame and Museum

Visit the National Inventors Hall of Fame and Museum located in the United States Patent and Trademark Office and marvel at the ingenuity of mankind!


To honor the Inductees, their names are inscribed on monumental panels and an interactive kiosk allows visitors to learn more about these inventors and their profound and life-changing work. The National Inventors Hall of Fame was started in 1973 by the USPTO and a group of intellectual-property attorneys to honor the creators of the great technological advances that make human, social, and economic progress possible.


Our Portrait Gallery features digital portraits of individuals with connections to the patent system, including U.S. presidents and notable inventors. The portraits spontaneously come to life, engaging in humorous banter about the history and importance of America's intellectual property protection system.


Playing daily in the Isaac Fleishmann Theatre is a 7-minute film entitled "Extraordinary Innovation". This film presents a look at the range of creative inventions submitted to the USPTO.


Since the opening of the museum in 1995, the museum has shown over 50 temporary exhibitions on a range of topics. The Museum currently features: "Exercising Ingenuity: Inventions in Health and Fitness". This new exhibition is a tribute to the importance the health, fitness, and nutrition industries have played in American lives over the years. Exercising Ingenuity highlights the historic advances, current trends, and future technologies relating to a healthier body and mind. Throughout history, individuals have been active in their quest for greater physical fitness, the pursuit of balanced nutrition and the achievement of overall good health. While the current concept of physical fitness is different than that of our ancestors, the idea and pursuit of a healthy lifestyle continues. Through the hard work and talent of National Inventors Hall of Fame Inductees, inventors, and innovators, our modern belief of healthy living has been transformed. Join us in celebrating this group of unique innovations, patented inventions and creative trademarks dedicated to a healthier you and let them serve as an inspiration to continue the energetic public debates about healthy living, nutrition and physical fitness. The exhibit runs through October 2012.


The Museum Store offers a unique selection of merchandise, books, gifts, and apparel related to the USPTO and the National Inventors Hall of Fame.


The National Inventors Hall of Fame and Museum is open Tuesday-Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed on Monday, Saturday, Sunday and federal holidays.

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