While DOI is not often considered synonymous with pop culture references, the Interior Museum seeks to prove us wrong with the “DOI Pop! On Air. On Screen. In Print.” exhibit that opened on June 29. Each of these famed examples of pop culture -- in addition to hundreds of others -- are connected to one of the Department’s various bureaus. Owning 20 percent of America’s public lands, the Department of the Interior’s protected parks, resources, and historic sites have been the backdrop of iconic cultural contributions since the early 1900s.

The exhibit, spearheaded by museum curator Tracy Baetz, shows visitors the extensive role DOI lands have played in hundreds of famous movies, books, magazines, radio shows, and music videos. But in addition to these exciting examples, “DOI Pop!” also details the permitting process as well as environmental restrictions of certain locations.

“I hope people come away with an understanding of how the Department manages stewardship and entertainment,” Baetz says.

Here is a closer look at some of the exhibit’s more iconic examples of pop culture in which the DOI plays a supporting role.

“Wild”

A story centered around one woman’s solo journey on 1,100 miles of the Pacific Coast Trail, “Wild,” featuring Academy Award-winning actress Reese Witherspoon, is steeped in expansive and awe-inspiring natural sites. It should come as no surprise that Natural Park Service lands like the Mojave Desert and the Oregon Badlands play a key role as picturesque backdrops for the film.

But of the unique Oregon locations, filming at Crater Lake National Park, where Cheryl Strayed herself visited while on the trail, provided extra authenticity for the critically acclaimed hit. Witherspoon was so impressed by the site that she tweeted, “Crater Lake in Oregon. It took my breath away @CherylStrayed #AskWild"

"The Joshua Tree" album by U2

Featuring classic hits like “With or Without You” and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” U2’s fifth studio album is known as one of the world’s best-selling albums. Many fans understandably mistake the tree in the iconic cover art as coming from Joshua Tree National Park. While the beloved -- and now deceased -- tree is a Joshua tree, the photograph was taken by photographer Anton Corbijn just outside Death Valley National Park. The cover art featuring the band was also set in the National Park at Zabriskie Point.

“Star Trek: The Motion Picture”

The Minerva Terrace at Mammoth Hot Springs with its geothermal activity, limestone structures, and a rock fracture system was producers’ second choice for the first “Star Trek” film’s Planet Vulcan set location. But with a limited budget, the filmmakers were unable to shoot at their first choice location—temples in Turkey—and the 1979 classic was finally shot at the Yellowstone National Park location.

Located at the Department of the Interior, the Interior Museum is opened from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and closed for all Federal holidays. Guests are required to present photo ID and pass through security upon entry. “DOI Pop!” will remain open until early spring of 2016. Check out the Interior Museum website for the latest updates.