Collections
Since 1857, the MSU Museum has collected objects and specimens. The Museum’s collections support the University’s mission by providing a foundation for research, scholarship, and learning; they empower researchers seeking to answer questions and create solutions; they facilitate outstanding undergraduate, graduate, and professional education; and they advance outreach and engagement activities that are innovative and lead to a better understanding of our world.
The MSU Museum stewards over 1 million artifacts and specimens!
Natural Science Collections
The Natural Science Collections contain more than 117,000 specimens of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fishes, and vertebrate fossils. Specimens are preserved as skins, skeletons, skulls, fluid-preserved materials, tanned hides, frozen tissues, feathers, nests, eggs, taxidermy mounts, microscope slides, fossils, and casts. While emphasizing Michigan and the Great Lakes Region, the collections are worldwide in scope and provide a record of biodiversity that ranges from 1844 to the present day. The Natural Science Collections are a critical resource for the University and the global scientific infrastructure. The collections include rare and unique specimens and materials that are difficult or impossible to find elsewhere. The collections are comprised of Mammalogy, Ornithology, Herpetology, Ichthyology, and Vertebrate Paleontology.
Explore our Digitized Natural Science Collections:
Archaeology Collections
The MSU Museum’s archaeological collection, consisting of well over a million artifacts, emphasizes Michigan archaeology, with a geographic focus on the Lower Peninsula and the pre-contact eastern Upper Peninsula. This includes a robust assemblage from the Saginaw Basin, Traverse Corridor, and eastern Upper Peninsula of Native American artifacts, as well as historical fort site collections from Michigan’s early colonial history. Noteworthy sites from the MSU campus, such as Saint’s Rest, are also included.
Explore our Digitized Archaeology Collections:
Cultural Collections
MSU Museum’s Cultural Collections contains over 125,000 objects, interviews, field notes, and photographs that serve as primary source materials for multi, cross-, and interdisciplinary studies. These collections are worldwide in scope and include 63,000 historical artifacts, as well as approximately 25,000 ethnographic artifacts, many of which originate from Michigan. The collections encompass materials that are thousands of years old to contemporary creations including both handmade and mass-produced items. It features cultural objects from around the world with a special emphasis on Michigan and the Great Lakes. Additionally, it houses unique items and collections that cannot be found in any other repository in the world. Some are accompanied by extensive documentation and associated information; others are primary source materials that will enable scholarly research.
Explore our Digitized Cultural Collections:
Access and Use
For further information regarding the use of our collections and visitation options, please visit our Access and Use page.
Due to the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), access to some collections may be limited, prohibited, or require consultation prior to use. You can learn more about the University’s NAGPRA efforts by visiting nagpra.msu.edu.
Collections Development
Interested in donating objects or archival materials to MSU Museum cultural collections? Please submit your donation inquiry via this form.