The Explorers Club
An international multidisciplinary professional society that advances scientific exploration, field research, and knowledge-sharing.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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History
The Explorers Club was created in New York City in 1904 during a period when geographical exploration, natural history, archaeology, polar research, and mountaineering were becoming increasingly organized and professional. Journalist and explorer Henry Collins Walsh called together a group of people active in exploration with the goal of creating an institution that would promote fellowship and advance exploration by practical and educational means. The group included figures such as Adolphus Greely, Donaldson Smith, Carl Lumholtz, Marshall Saville, Frederick Dellenbaugh, and David Brainard. The organization was formally incorporated on October 25, 1905. The club's early role was social, intellectual, and institutional. It offered explorers a place to meet after expeditions, compare observations, recruit collaborators, and discuss the technical and scientific challenges of work in remote regions. Its membership connected field practitioners with museums, universities, government services, journalism, and the emerging technologies of aviation, radio, oceanography, and spaceflight. Women were admitted beginning in 1981, with Sylvia Earle and Kathryn Sullivan among the first class of female members. The club's educational program developed significantly in the twentieth century. Meetings with explorers and scientists in the 1920s evolved into regular lectures and illustrated presentations in the following decade. The Explorers Journal began publication in November 1921 and became a continuing record of field observations, institutional news, obituaries, book reviews, photography, and expedition reports. Chapters in the United States and abroad extended the organization's reach through local dinners, lectures, student support, field trips, and expedition-related activities. The club became closely associated with a series of celebrated exploration milestones. Its members or honorary members have been linked with polar expeditions, the first recognized ascent of Mount Everest, deep-ocean exploration, and human spaceflight. These associations form part of the club's heritage, although the historical record surrounding some exploration claims is contested. The club's numbered flag provides a more formal link between the institution and expedition work. Since 1918, members have requested permission to carry the flag on expeditions expected to produce scientific results and are required to return a written Flag Report. The club's research collections preserve these reports, including an early handwritten flag book. The organization moved through several New York homes. It held early meetings at the Studio Building on West 67th Street and later occupied a headquarters at 544 Cathedral Parkway, completed in 1928. In 1965, with support associated with broadcaster and explorer advocate Lowell Thomas, it acquired its current six-story Jacobean Revival mansion on East 70th Street. The building houses the James B. Ford Exploration Library, the Sir Edmund Hillary Map Room, and collections of artifacts and documents gathered over more than a century. Some designated spaces are accessible to the public. In the twenty-first century, The Explorers Club has presented itself as a global, multidisciplinary network rather than simply a traditional gentlemen's exploration club. Its programs include field-research grants, youth activities, public lectures, awards, archival preservation, chapters, and partnerships with media and international institutions. The Explorers Club 50, introduced in 2021, recognizes fifty people working across natural-history and exploration-related fields. A 2022 partnership with Discovery Channel produced Tales from the Explorers Club, while the club's association with the United Nations Department of Global Communications and its UNESCO partnership have broadened its institutional and educational profile. Its continuing mission is to support responsible field science, preserve the history of exploration, and connect experienced practitioners with students and the wider public.
- 2023
UNESCO partnership
[1]The club entered a partnership agreement with UNESCO, complementing its association with the United Nations Department of Global Communications.
- 2022
Tales from the Explorers Club partnership
[1]The club partnered with Discovery Channel to produce Tales from the Explorers Club, hosted by member Josh Gates.
- 2021
The Explorers Club 50 introduced
[1]The EC50 program began recognizing fifty people across natural-history and exploration-related fields whose work was considered deserving of wider attention.
- 1981
Women admitted as members
[1]The club admitted women for the first time, with Sylvia Earle and Kathryn Sullivan among the initial female members.
- 1965
Move to the East 70th Street mansion
[1]The club acquired its current New York headquarters, a Jacobean Revival mansion that houses its library, map room, artifacts, and research collections.
- 1928
Headquarters established at 544 Cathedral Parkway
[1]The club completed construction of a headquarters at 544 Cathedral Parkway, where its collections and activities expanded.
- 1921
First issue of The Explorers Journal
[1]The club published the first issue of its journal, creating a continuing outlet for field reports, institutional information, and exploration-related writing.
- 1918
The Explorers Club flag entered expedition use
[1]Members began carrying the club flag on expeditions that promised scientific results, with written reports required after the expeditions.
- 1905
Formal incorporation
[1]The Explorers Club was incorporated on October 25, establishing the organization as a formal professional society.
- 1904
Founding meetings in New York City
[1]Henry Collins Walsh and fellow explorers began organizing a society intended to unite explorers and promote scientific exploration.
Products and positioning
A prestigious, multidisciplinary professional society and educational institution centered on scientific exploration, field research, expedition heritage, and international fellowship.
Professional society services · 1904
Membership and fellowship
The club offers several affiliation categories, including Fellows, Members, Term Members, Student Members, and Friends of the Club. Its membership model is designed for people who participate in or support documented field exploration and scientific research, with chapters providing local networks and events.
Publication · 1921
The Explorers Journal
The club's quarterly journal has published exploration-related material since 1921. It provides a platform for field reports, member writing, photography, institutional news, book reviews, and historical records connected with exploration and scientific fieldwork.
Expedition support and heritage · 1918
Explorers Club Flag program
Members may request permission to carry a numbered Explorers Club flag on expeditions expected to generate scientific results. The flag must be displayed when appropriate and returned with a written Flag Report, creating an archival record of the expedition and its findings.
Research funding
Exploration grants
The club supports field science through programs including the Exploration Fund Grant and Youth Activity Fund Grant. These programs help students and explorers undertake research, develop technical experience, and pursue projects in challenging environments.
Recognition program
Awards and medals
Recognition programs include the Explorers Club Medal, Legendary Explorer Medal, Citation of Merit, Lowell Thomas Award, Buzz Aldrin Space Exploration Award, Tenzing Norgay Award, William Beebe Award, New Explorer Award, and other honors for exploration, science, technology, and service.
Television series · 2022
Tales from the Explorers Club
Produced with Discovery Channel and hosted by Josh Gates, the series uses stories of explorers and exploration achievements to introduce the club's history and broader mission to a television audience.
Marketing campaigns
- 2022Tales from the Explorers Club
United States · International
The Explorers Club collaborated with Discovery Channel on a television series hosted by Josh Gates. Episodes explored the stories of notable figures and expeditions associated with the club, translating the institution's archival and membership heritage into a mainstream educational format.
Outcome. The partnership expanded public-facing storytelling around the club and its exploration heritage.
- 2021The Explorers Club 50
International
The EC50 recognition program highlights fifty people working across natural history and related exploration fields. It is intended to identify emerging or underrecognized contributors whose work may influence science, conservation, technology, and public understanding.
Outcome. The program created a recurring platform for recognizing a broader and more diverse group of contemporary explorers.
Brand decisions
2022
Launch of Tales from the Explorers ClubProduct launchBackground
The club sought a broader public platform for its history, members, and exploration-related educational mission.
Action taken
It partnered with Discovery Channel to produce a television series hosted by Josh Gates.
Aftermath
The series extended the club's communications and educational reach beyond its headquarters, chapters, journal, and lecture programs.
1981
Admission of women to membershipStrategyBackground
The club had historically operated as a male-centered professional society despite its international exploration mission.
Action taken
Women were admitted as members for the first time, including Sylvia Earle and Kathryn Sullivan.
Aftermath
The change broadened the formal membership base and reflected the growing participation of women in oceanography, spaceflight, mountaineering, and other exploration disciplines.
Recent events
- 2023
The Explorers Club entered a partnership agreement with UNESCO[1]
Other
The club began a formal partnership relationship with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, extending its institutional engagement with international science, education, and cultural networks.
- 2023
The Explorers Club continued its field-science grant and award programs[2]
Other
The club continued supporting exploration through grants, medals, student programs, and recognition schemes, including the Exploration Fund Grant, Youth Activity Fund Grant, and other awards for scientific and technological achievement.
- 2022
The Explorers Club and Discovery Channel launched Tales from the Explorers Club[1]
Campaign · Product launch
The organization partnered with Discovery Channel on a television series hosted by member Josh Gates. The program presented stories associated with notable explorers and exploration achievements, including figures connected with polar travel, mountaineering, ocean science, aviation, spaceflight, and technology.
Sources2 sources
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