Museum Admission, Hours and Directions
Admission
Adult: $5.00 (12-64 yrs.)
Child/Senior: $3.00 (4-11 yrs. or 65 +)
Children under 4 are free
Credit cards are not accepted at the museum, cash or check only please.
NPC and ASTC members are free; discounts offered for AAA and WGBH members.
Hours
Wednesday - Friday, 11:00 am - 3:45 pm
(Closed on holidays, please call for more information (978) 537-9529)
Directions
The National Plastics Center's Museum is located at 210 Lancaster Street (Rte. 117), Leominster, Massachusetts.
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Via Rt 190 from Worcester and Points South or East
- Rt 190 North
- Take exit 7 onto Rt 117
- or take Rt 495 directly to Rt 117
- Follow Rt 117 West 2.5 miles after Rt 190
- At first light, turn right onto Derwin St
- 1st Building on right, parking in rear
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Via Rt 2
- Rt 2 to Rt 190 South
- Take exit 7, Rt 117
- Follow Rt 117 West 2.5 miles after Rt 190
- At first light, turn right onto Derwin St
- 1st Building on right, parking in rear
The National Plastics Center & Museum is dedicated to acquiring objects and archives relating to plastics and the plastics industry. We enhance our collection by the acquisition—through gifts and purchases—of artifacts and archival material and thank all our generous benefactors for enabling us to continue to develop and share our collections in meaningful ways.
The NPC's permanent collection includes objects made of natural plastics such as horn, ivory, and tortoiseshell; semi-synthetic plastics including celluloid, and fully synthetic objects including those made of the first synthetic plastic, Bakelite®. Objects include personal artifacts such as jewelry, dressing and fancy hair combs and accessories; housewares and house hold objects including an extensive collection of Tupperware®; early children's toys, decorative objects, and early machinery. To view the museum's collections in storage please contact the curator to schedule an appointment.
We are currently developing a searchable Online Collections database to provide accessibility to information for students, researchers and anyone interested in the history of plastics. In the interim, to learn more about our collections, click on an image below.
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The National Plastics Center’s Doyle Library and Archives hold thousands of volumes, documents, photographs, and ephemera. Advertisements, company files, periodicals, and books are located in our research library; our fragile archives are held safely in storage. Stored items include nineteenth century books, hand colored drawings, photographs, and a slide library of thousands of images. To use the museum’s Doyle Library and Archives please contact the curator to schedule an appointment. Before arriving, please read Procedures for Using the Library and Archival Collections.
Search our On-Line Catalog of library and archival holdings...
Plastics Pioneers Association History Project
The Plastics History and Artifacts Committee (PHAC) of the Plastics Pioneers Association and the National Plastics Center have partnered to launch a program designed to collect personal histories and artifacts relating to the plastics industry. Herm Dillon, a plastics industry writer and researcher, has been contracted to collect the personal histories of industry leaders and those who have made important contributions to the field of plastics. Creating accessibility to this information will assist researchers and anyone interested in the history of plastics understand the important role plastics have played in the twentieth century.
Click on the industry leader’s name to read his/her life story.
Plastics History: Plastics Through the Ages Timeline
For information about the history of plastics, plastic artifacts and archives, visit the sites below:
Antique Spectacles and other Vision Aids
Deutsches Kunststoff Virtual Museum (The German Plastics Museum)
Plastics Academy’s Plastics Hall of Fame
Plastics Historical Society at Plastiquarian.com
Plastics Network.org (A collaborative database of plastic objects including those from the NPC)
For information about plastics education and the plastics industry:
Canadian Plastics Industry Association
Society of the Plastics Industry
University of Massachusetts Lowell, Department of Plastics Engineering
Main Gallery (1st Floor)
From the early days of the plastics industry, see first-of-their-kind machines used to mass produce plastics products, ranging from toothbrushes to sunglasses and pen molding machines. A brief history of the Plastics Industry accompanies this exhibit. Historic celluloid plastic toys, molds and beauty products are rotated seasonally.
Environmental Gallery (1st Floor)
Learn how we use recycled plastics to create a wide range of products and materials.
The Discovery Corner (1st Floor)
A fun place for kids of all ages. This colorful corner of the Center is filled with hands-on activities. Giant foam Lincoln logs, huge Lego's and construction hats encourage kids of all ages to build big. This area can be reserved for groups.
Plastics in Medicine (1st Floor)
From band-aids to body parts, this exhibit takes you through Plastics in Medicine during the 20th Century. Discover how doctors depend on plastic to save lives every day through interactive exhibits. See our full size Ambulance or try on a Fire Fighters helmet.
Plastics Hall of Fame (2nd Floor)
Located in the Willert Gallery, this exhibit was developed in collaboration with The Plastics Academy to pay tribute to the inductees of the Plastics Hall of Fame. Learn about these individuals and their contributions to the Plastics Industry and view artifacts from the Grandfather of the Plastics Industry - John Wesley Hyatt.
Plastics Hall of Fame Nomination Process
The Plastics Hall of Fame is housed in Leominster at the National
Plastics Center. The Plastics Academy, which administers the
hall of fame, accepts nominations for living and posthumous nominees. Separate
ceremonies are held for living and posthumous inductees.
"We welcome nominations from any interested party," says John Kretzschmar, chairman of The Plastics Academy. "And we have established new procedures to simplify the nominating process and increase our ability to identify and honor those who did the most to make our industry great."
Anyone who wants to make a nomination should obtain the official form, which includes criteria for nomination, from the academy office in Leominster, npcinfo@plasticsindustry.org, The Plastics Academy, 210 Lancaster St., Leominster, MA 01453. Tel. (978) 537-9529 or fax (978) 537-3220.
The Plastics Hall of Fame was created in 1972 to honor people whose extraordinary accomplishments contributed to the industry's growth. A committee of plastics trade magazine editors and trade association representatives screen all nominations. Then, a committee of all living Plastics Hall of Fame members select up to nine new members.
Facility Rentals
From the expansive Keville Room, to the intimate Doyle Library, the National Plastics Center creates the perfect ambience for an exceptional gathering. Call for information and reservations (978) 537-9529.
- Keville Room accommodates up to 200 people
- Doyle Library accommodates up to 15 people
- Full kitchen
- Catering
- ADA accessible
- plenty of parking
- Easy access to routes 290, 495 and 90 (Mass Pike).
Pricing Information ( For-Profit Rates* Listed )
| Keville Room | ||
| One half day, 0-4 hours | $250-$300 | |
| Full day, 4-8 hours | $500-$600 | |
| Evening, 6-10 pm | $500 | |
| After 11:00 P.M. | $700 |
| Doyle Library | ||
| One half day, 0-4 hours | $200 | |
| Full day, 4-8 hours | $400 | |
| Evening, 6-10 pm | $400 |
| Museum Galleries | ||
| One half day, 0-4 hours | $100 (per gallery) | |
| Evening, 6-10 pm | $200 (per gallery) |
| Open Gallery | ||
| One half day, 0-4 hours | $200 | |
| Full day, 4-8 hours | $400-$500 | |
| Evening, 6-10 pm | $500 | |
| After 11:00 P.M. | $500 |
| Lawn/Garden | ||
| One half day, 0-4 hours | $250 | |
| Full day, 4-8 hours | $500-$600 |
| Classrooms | ||
| One half day, 0-4 hours | $200 | |
| Full day, 4-8 hours | $400 | |
| Evening, 6-10 pm | $400 |
* Discounts are available for non-profit organizations.
All event proceeds support the National Plastics Center. Call for additional pricing and details, contact the npcinfo@plasticsindustry.org at (978) 537-9529.
National Plastics Center . 210 Lancaster Street . Leominster . MA . 01453
Questions? Please contact us at npcinfo@plasticsindustry.org.
© Copyright 2008 National Plastics Center