Our museum serves both the scientific community and the public at large. In addition to the hundreds and hundreds of rocks, minerals, and fossils on display, our collection contains over 120,000 geological and paleontological specimens used in education and research. Our museum staff studies the history, evolution, and diversity of the Earth’s geologic record and shares these new discoveries with our communities through our exhibits, programs, and publications.

Learn more about our Research, Collections, and the Fossil Preparation Lab!

A recent cooperation with the Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research has given us the chance to use computerized tomography (CT) scans to take a new look inside some of our “old” specimens. CT scans can be used to aid in the preparation of fossils since they allow us to see what is inside before we even remove any of the rock or matrix. We can also learn something about the preservational history and conservation of specimens using this unique and exciting technique.

Learn more about our recent discoveries on our museum’s two historic mastodons here.

And see more from our experience CT scanning fossils here: