NMI Museum of History and Culture

NMI Museum of History and Culture

Established	1998
Location	Kopa Di Oru Street and Chichirica Avenue, Garapan, Saipan
Coordinates	15°12′6″N 145°43′8″E / 15.20167°N 145.71889°E / 15.20167; 145.71889
Director	Leonard "Leni" Leon
Website	nmimuseum.org

The NMI Museum of History and Culture, also known as the NMI Museum, is a museum in Garapan, Saipan hosting exhibitions about the Chamorro and Carolinian people and also displays artifacts, documents, textiles, and photographs from the Spanish, German, Japanese, and American periods in the Northern Mariana Islands. The museum has repatriated a significant number of historic objects from the Marianas that were held nationally and internationally in private collections and by foreign museums, companies, and militaries.^[1] More than one million dollars has been invested in its collections.^[2] The historical buildings on the grounds have been renovated to preserve them, prevent further deterioration, and safeguard visitors.^[3] The museum is located across from Sugar King Park.

The museum carries out school programs, hosts field trips for local and international primary and secondary students, and provides assistance to a variety of Northern Marianas College classes.^[4][5][6] The museum sees visitors and researchers from East Asia, North America, Australia, other islands in Micronesia.^[1] It provides assistance related to land matters, ammunition depots, chemical storage areas, past commercial activity, and other matters that require research of historic information. The museum is the end recipient of all of the historic material derived from land surveys and pre-development archaeological work.^[1] It is by law the repository of all of the historic objects of the CNMI, charged with their preservation, management, and maintenance.^[1] The museum loans objects to American Memorial Park^[7] and partners with the Marianas Visitors Authority, CNMI Arts Council, and other organizations for events.^[8] It is operated under the Saipan municipality ^[9] and listed in the Pacific Islands Museums Association Directory. It is part of the Garapan Heritage Trail, a project of the Northern Marianas Humanities Council with financial support by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Office of Insular Affairs, United States Department of the Interior.^[10][11][12]