Information
Landmark: KU Natural History MuseumCity: Lawrence
Country: USA Kansas
Continent: North America
KU Natural History Museum, Lawrence, USA Kansas, North America
Overview
On KU’s Lawrence campus, the University of Kansas Natural History Museum stands as a leading hub for research, education, and public connection with the wonders of natural history, from fossilized fish to towering dinosaur skeletons.The Biodiversity Institute at KU runs the museum, blending research with public exhibits that highlight Kansas’s prairie grasses, the Midwest’s diverse landscapes, and wonders from across the globe.The museum traces its roots to the late 19th century, growing in step with the University of Kansas’ expanding scientific research-much like a pressed leaf kept in an old field journal.Over time, it’s become a hub for biodiversity research, especially in fields like vertebrate zoology, entomology, paleontology, and ecology-where a specimen’s fine details, like the curve of a fossilized bone, can tell an entire story.The museum plays a vital role in KU’s mission of discovery, education, and community outreach, with shelves and drawers holding millions of specimens that researchers study across the globe.The Natural History Museum showcases vast collections, from rare fossils to glittering minerals, drawing in curious visitors and dedicated researchers alike.First.Fossils and Paleontology showcases specimens from towering dinosaurs and ancient mammals to local fossil finds, some still dusted with grains of sandstone.Among the most striking finds are Cretaceous marine reptiles, massive Pleistocene mammals, and vertebrate remains unearthed in Kansas and the states that border it, some still showing the faint texture of ancient bone.Many exhibits dive into Earth’s evolutionary story, tracing ancient life and the Midwest’s long-lost landscapes, like prairie seas under a blazing summer sun.Number two.In Vertebrate Zoology, you’ll find collections of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and fish-rows of glass cases where feather tips catch the light.It showcases preserved specimens alongside skeletal displays, from delicate moth wings to towering antlers, revealing the full range of diversity, adaptations, and ecological roles.Number three.Invertebrate zoology features extensive insect and mollusk collections, from shimmering Kansas beetles to rare shells gathered around the world, documenting biodiversity on every scale.It shows why invertebrates matter to the ecosystem and how KU’s research helps record each species, right down to a beetle’s iridescent wing.Number four sits alone, like a bright marker on a clean page, waiting for what comes next.The Botany and Herbarium building holds an extensive collection of pressed plants, from crisp oak leaves to rare, endangered blooms.It offers a window into the rich variety of plants, the ecosystems they shape, and the work being done to protect them in Kansas and far past its borders.Number five stood out, like a small red mark on a blank page.Explore ecology and biodiversity through exhibits on Kansas ecosystems, from wind-swept prairies to quiet wetlands and shaded forests.Interactive displays show visitors how habitats are protected, reveal how different species depend on one another, and highlight environmental challenges, like rising ocean temperatures.The museum offers an experience that’s both educational and engaging, with permanent galleries and rotating displays that might feature anything from ancient coins to vivid modern art.Visitors can wander through hands-on exhibits, run their fingers over fossil casts, study mounted animal specimens, and step into towering, life-size dioramas.School groups and families can join guided tours, take part in hands‑on workshops, and watch lively demonstrations that bring the exhibits to life.At public lectures and special events, KU researchers share what they’re working on in ecology, evolution, and conservation biology-sometimes describing fieldwork where boots crunch through dry leaves.The museum isn’t just a place for visitors to wander its bright halls-it’s also a world-class hub for research and learning.At KU, scientists draw on the collections to explore where species live, trace their evolutionary history, study ancient life, and uncover how climates have shifted over time.The museum trains both graduate and undergraduate students, giving them hands-on access to specimens-like a delicate butterfly wing under glass-and well-equipped research labs.Perched on the University of Kansas Hill Campus in Lawrence, the museum sits just a short walk from familiar university landmarks, easy to reach on a sunny afternoon.It works alongside other KU cultural landmarks-like the Spencer Museum of Art and the Biodiversity Institute-to create a vibrant learning space where visitors might linger over a fossil or a painting.At the KU Natural History Museum, research, teaching, and public outreach come together under one roof, making it an essential hub for the university and the wider community-whether it’s a student examining fossils or a family exploring the butterfly exhibit.Step inside and you’ll find exhibits that open a vivid window onto the natural world-fossil bones telling Earth’s long history, and displays alive with the rich biodiversity of Kansas and far beyond.
