Collections

Diplomacy isn't what most people think it is. If your idea of diplomacy is someone sitting around a table signing treaties, you may be surprised by the stories told through NMAD’s collection of more than 10,000 items. Diplomacy is dynamic, hands-on, and happens in unlikely places.

NMAD is the only museum in the nation dedicated to collecting diplomacy. Our growing collection is a testament to the fact that diplomacy has made a big impact on our lives and on our nation’s history. Explore our collection and discover how it brings the stories of diplomacy to life.

Collection Highlights

The August 7, 1998, East Africa Embassy Bombings

August 3, 2023

On August 7, 1998, at 10:30 am, truck bombs exploded at U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, killing more than 200 people and wounding more…
A Piece of the 1968 Attack on U.S. Embassy, Saigon

May 4, 2023

This fragment of the original granite wall surrounding the U.S. embassy compound in Saigon bears the evidence of the January 31, 1968, Tet Offensive attack.
Dayton Accords Items from Ambassador Christopher R. Hill

June 28, 2022

On November 1, 1995, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, Secretary of State Warren Christopher and then-Assistant Secretary of State Richard Holbrooke opened…
Constance Harvey, the Medal of Freedom, and the Bravery of a Diplomat in World War II

November 22, 2021

Being a diplomat can mean putting yourself at risk, especially in times of violence or war. Diplomats may help evacuate their nation’s citizens from dangerous…