Museum administrators are slowly becoming aware of the Endangered Species Act. This law, as well as others designed to protect various forms of wildlife can significantly affect the way they do business. Indeed, the museums affected include not just those with collections of living or preserved animals, but even those with costumes or anthropological collections containing items derived in part from animal products. The following acts are discussed and how they relate to museums: the Lacey Act; the Migratory Bird Act; the Bald Eagle Protection Act of 1940; and the Marine Mammal Protection act of 1972.