KU Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum

About KU Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum

The Biodiversity Institute’s worldwide collection of over 11 million specimens and 2 million archaeological artifacts encompass the study of archaeology, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fishes, mammals, plants, fungi, parasites, insects, and fossil plants and animals. More than 100 research scientists and graduate students in the institute study biological species, ecosystems, evolution and cultural artifacts. They use this information to model and forecast environmental phenomena that are critical to human well-being, including threatened and endangered species, the potential spread of diseases and pest species, the effect of climate change on Earth’s biodiversity and habitats and more. The KU Natural History Museum, part of the Biodiversity Institute, is home to four floors of public exhibits including the historic Panorama, live snakes and insects, a unique living Paleo Garden, vertebrate and invertebrate fossils, the flora and fauna of the Great Plains and more. The museum provides content-rich, hands-on informal science learning for school groups in grades K–12, KU student programs and a wide range of public programs and events for all ages.