Research on the museum curator, that most specialized of members of the museum profession, remains as limited as ever. The purpose of this article is primarily to explore the nature of the museum curator's work and the developmental history of curator training, as well as to discuss the ideal characteristics of curators for the contemporary museum. This article first defines the museum curator and describes the curator's work. By discussing the origins of the profession, and the development of professional training, it illustrates the specialized nature of the curator's role and the diversity required of that role under the demands presented by contemporary society. Finally, the article concludes with a summary of the professional training of the contemporary museum curator, to prove that society places heavy demands on museum curators.